Veteran Actor Nana Patekar Dies at 75 in Goa Following Cardiac Arrest

Veteran Indian actor Nana Patekar has died at the age of 75 in Goa after suffering a cardiac arrest at his home. His son Malhar confirmed the news to BBC Marathi. Patekar was found unconscious at his home during the early hours of Thursday and rushed to the hospital. Dr Shekhar Salkar of Manipal Hospital in Goa told ANI that medical staff performed 45 minutes of continuous CPR, but he could not be revived. Prime Minister Narendra Modi led tributes on Thursday, praising Patekar for his intensity, individuality, and versatility. Bollywood star Akshay Kumar, his co-star in the comedy film Welcome, remembered him as a rare performer who commanded attention with his voice and honesty. Patekar won three National Film Awards throughout his celebrated career, which spanned Hindi and Marathi cinema as well as theatre. His breakout role came as the volatile gangster Anna Seth in the 1989 film Parinda, winning him his first National Film Award and a Filmfare Award. Born in Maharashtra in 1951, Patekar began his career on stage before entering films with a debut in the 1978 movie Gaman. He built a reputation for playing complex characters, including encounter cops, army officers, politicians, and villains. Notable credits included directing and starring in the 1991 film Prahaar as Major Pratap Chauhan, playing the patriotic firebrand in Krantiveer which earned him a national award for best actor, and delivering a tender, dialogue-free performance as a deaf-mute father in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 1996 film Khamoshi. He also won a national award for Agni Sakshi and later portrayed an astute politician in the 2010 drama Rajneeti.

Context

Nana Patekar was widely regarded as one of the most distinctive and recognisable faces of Indian cinema, known for his rough-hewn appearance and intense dialogue delivery. His decades-long career crossed boundaries between commercial hits, art-house projects, and regional Maharashtrian theatre and film.