Bollywood was already adjusting its Thursday calendar within hours of the news from Goa. Veteran actor Nana Patekar died early on October 8 at his Goa residence after a cardiac arrest. He was 75. Doctors attempted CPR for around 45 minutes before he was declared dead at approximately 5:20 am.
Salman Khan’s scheduled appearance at a GB Realty event at Taj Lands End in Bandra was postponed as the industry absorbed the loss. The two actors had worked together in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Khamoshi: The Musical (1996), where Patekar played Joseph and Khan played Raj.
A career that moved between intensity and comedy
Born Vishwanath Patekar on January 1, 1951, in Maharashtra, Nana Patekar began in theatre before his film debut in Gaman (1978). His breakthrough came with films such as Parinda (1989) and Prahaar (1991), and he became known for a voice, dialogue style and screen presence that were instantly recognisable.
That intensity carried through Agni Sakshi, Khamoshi: The Musical, Ab Tak Chhappan, Apaharan and Taxi No. 9211, among others. Then he showed a different register as gangster Uday Shetty in Welcome (2007), a comic role he revisited in Welcome Back (2015).
- Won three National Film Awards and received the Padma Shri for his contribution to the arts.
- Moved from intense early roles to mass comedy with Welcome and returned for its sequel.
- Earned some of his deepest later acclaim for the Marathi drama Natsamrat.
Why the industry paused
Patekar’s last public appearance was on October 4 at the Samraat Club International installation ceremony in Dona Paula, Goa. The news of his death drew tributes from Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, Chiranjeevi, Jr NTR, Allu Arjun, Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt, Sanjay Dutt and Akshay Kumar. Rajpal Yadav, who worked with him on the upcoming film Vanvaas, shared an emotional note for his co-star. Cricketer Virat Kohli described Patekar as “a true legend.”
For audiences who grew up on his films, the loss lands across decades: the menacing early work, the family dramas, the comedy, and the late-career return to serious theatre-rooted performance. With Vanvaas still to release, viewers will likely see one more Patekar performance on screen.
Source: Hindustan Times
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