Veteran Indian film and theatre actor Nana Patekar has died at the age of 75 in Goa after being found unconscious at his home early on Thursday, per bbc.com.
Dr Shekhar Salkar of Manipal Hospital in Goa confirmed that resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful. The Maharashtra government announced that his funeral will take place on Thursday evening with full state honours at his farmhouse in Pune.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi led national tributes, praising Patekar’s versatility and stating that his death leaves a vast void in the artistic world. Bollywood figures, including actor Akshay Kumar and trade analyst Komal Nahta, also remembered him for his intensity, distinct voice, and commanding screen presence.
Born in Maharashtra in 1951, Patekar began his career in Marathi theatre before making his cinematic debut in 1978 with Gaman. He achieved widespread recognition with his role in the 1989 film Parinda, which earned him his first National Film Award and Filmfare Award. Over a decades-long career, he won three National Film Awards for Parinda, Krantiveer, and Agni Sakshi, establishing a reputation for playing both volatile gangsters and sensitive characters with equal ease.
Beyond acting, Patekar was known for his social activism, particularly regarding farmer welfare. In 2015, he co-founded the Naam Foundation to support water conservation and drought-affected farmers in Maharashtra. His career also faced controversy when actor Tanushree Dutta accused him of sexual harassment in 2018, allegations which Patekar denied and from which he was cleared by police in 2019 due to insufficient evidence.
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