Thu 08 October 2026:
Nana Patekar, an acclaimed Indian actor and filmmaker known for his fiery performances in Bollywood films and theatre, has died aged 75.
Patekar died of a suspected cardiac arrest, the Press Trust of India news agency reported on Thursday, quoting a doctor at the hospital where he was pronounced dead.
“Despite 45 minutes of continuous CPR, he could not be revived,” Dr Shekhar Salkar of Manipal Hospital in Goa told ANI news agency.
His funeral will take place later this evening with full state honours at his farm house in the western Indian city of Pune, the Maharashtra government has announced.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi led tributes to the actor, praising Patekar’s versatility and outspoken personality.
Patekar portrayed characters that would “remain etched in the memory of generations”, Modi wrote on X, adding that his death had left “a vast void in the artistic world”.
Bollywood star Akshay Kumar, who appeared alongside Patekar in the comedy film Welcome, remembered him as a rare performer whose voice, intensity and honesty could command an audience’s attention.
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Born in 1951 in India’s western state of Maharashtra, Patekar built a career spanning nearly five decades in Hindi- and Marathi-language cinema. He was known for intense performances and roles that often portrayed complex or unconventional characters.
Patekar made his film debut in the 1978 Hindi film Gaman, and later earned acclaim for Parinda and Krantiveer. He gained wider international recognition with filmmaker Mira Nair’s Oscar-nominated Salaam Bombay!
But the intensity that he brought on the screen was hard to miss and soon he landed a role in Parinda in 1989, making him a household name across India. He won his first National Film Award and the Filmfare Award as well for his portrayal of the gangster Anna in the film.
He didn’t look back after this and portrayed many memorable roles in films in the 1990s. The range of characters he played showcased the depth of his acting talent and mastery of his craft.
He won three National Film Awards, India’s highest film honours, and received the Padma Shri, one of the country’s highest civilian honours.
Patekar was also an influential figure in both Marathi and Hindi theatre. Before making his debut in films, he was involved in theatre, where he developed his gritty style of dialogue delivery and also mastered the intensity he brought to his on-screen characters.
Purush and Hamidabai Chi Kothi were two of his most famous plays. Despite being successful in films, he remained active in theatre throughout his professional life.
Patekar was also known for his activism and didn’t mince his words while criticising the government of the day. He was direct, and almost brazen and unapologetic, when it came to criticising ministers and their policies and that too quite publicly.
Issues related to farmers were particularly close to his heart.
His work also went beyond just giving statements. In 2015 he and actor Makarand Anaspure established the Naam Foundation, which has worked on farmer welfare and water conservation in Maharashtra.
But his career was not without controversies.
In 2018, allegations of sexual harassment made by actor Tanushree Dutta against Patekar over an alleged incident on a film set a decade earlier helped spark India’s #MeToo movement. Patekar denied the allegations.
In 2019, he was cleared of the charges after police said they had not found sufficient evidence against him.
Patekar is survived by his wife, from whom he was separated, and a son.
SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES
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