Veteran actor Nana Patekar, a multiple National Award winner known for moving between raw intensity and deadpan comic timing, died on Thursday morning at his home in Dona Paula, Goa. He was 75.
His son Malhar Patekar confirmed the death to local media, and tributes from co-stars, politicians and fans began pouring in within hours.
What happened in Goa
Patekar was found unconscious at his residence early on October 8 and was taken to Manipal Hospital. Doctors said they attempted cardiac massage for nearly 45 minutes to an hour, but he could not be revived. He was declared dead around 5:20 am, with doctors citing a heart attack as the cause.
Dr Shekhar Salkar, chief of the oncology department at Manipal Hospital, told ANI that Patekar sent a message to a friend around 2:30 am saying he was not feeling well. The friend saw it later and reached the house around 4 am, by which time Patekar was sweating and drifting into unconsciousness. An emergency team began cardiac massage at the home before shifting him to hospital. His body has been taken to Goa Medical College for post-mortem, and details of the last rites are awaited.
Why this loss lands
The tributes keep returning to the same point: Patekar could not be boxed into one register. He moved from the explosive intensity of Parinda, Prahaar and Krantiveer to the emotional weight of Natsamrat, and from the menace of Ab Tak Chhappan to the deadpan comedy of Welcome and Bluffmaster.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis described him as “a towering figure on screen” and said his range remains unparalleled. Riteish Deshmukh wrote that he was “shocked beyond words” and that Patekar aced everything from larger-than-life hero to terrifying villain. Akshay Kumar, his Welcome co-star, called him “one of a kind.”
- He was 75 and died after a cardiac arrest at his Dona Paula residence
- Doctors tried to revive him for around 45 minutes to an hour
- His body has been sent to Goa Medical College for post-mortem
- No funeral or last-rite details have been announced yet
Beyond the screen
Patekar also had a rare second act outside films. In 1999, at the peak of his career, he briefly paused acting to serve with the Indian Army during the Kargil War, after taking special permission from the Defence Minister. Later he co-founded the Naam Foundation with Makarand Anaspure, and Fadnavis recalled that Patekar personally worked in fields and villages on drought relief and farmer support.
That combination of screen fearlessness and off-screen service is why this is being treated as the end of an era, not just the loss of a filmography.
Source: Hindustan Times
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