Nana Patekar Dies At 75: What We Know

Veteran Indian actor Nana Patekar has died at the age of 75. He passed away in the early hours of Thursday, October 8, 2026, at his home in Dona Paula, Goa, after a severe cardiac arrest.

Patekar won three National Film Awards and appeared in some of the best-known Hindi and Marathi films of the last four decades.

The Maharashtra government has announced a state funeral for him.

What Happened

Dr Shekhar Salkar, chief of oncology at Manipal Hospital Goa, told ANI that Patekar died of a severe cardiac arrest at his residence. He said doctors tried to revive him with about 45 minutes of CPR, but it did not work.

According to the same account, Patekar messaged a friend at about 2:30 am to say he was not feeling well. The friend reached his home at about 4 am and found him sweating and slowly losing consciousness. A hospital team started cardiac massage at the house, and an ambulance took him to Manipal Hospital. His family was not with him at the time.

The police have registered a medico-legal case, which is routine in a sudden death. His body was taken to Goa Medical College and Hospital for a post-mortem. The post-mortem will give the official cause of death.

Funeral and Tributes

Maharashtra will give Patekar a state funeral. Cultural Affairs Minister Ashish Shelar announced it, citing his work in Marathi theatre and in Marathi and Hindi cinema. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis then confirmed it after speaking to Patekar’s son, Malhar, by phone.

Malhar said the family chose Patekar’s farmhouse in Donje village, in Pune district, for the final rites. His body is being moved there from Goa after the post-mortem. The family is yet to confirm the time of the final rites.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said few actors had Patekar’s intensity and presence, and that his death leaves a deep void. President Droupadi Murmu called it a great loss to Indian cinema, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh called him an institution in himself.

Fadnavis said Patekar was like a brother and a guide to him. Film stars also paid tribute. Akshay Kumar, who worked with him in Welcome and Housefull 5, said Patekar never needed to do too much to hold the audience. Riteish Deshmukh wrote that it was “the end of an era”. Anupam Kher, Prakash Raj, Rajinikanth, Suniel Shetty and Sunny Deol also posted tributes.

His Career

Patekar was born Vishwanath Patekar on January 1, 1951, in Murud-Janjira, in Maharashtra’s Raigad district. He started in Marathi theatre and made his Hindi film debut in Gaman in 1978.

His first big role was Ankush in 1986. He played Ravi Kelkar, one of four jobless young men in Mumbai who turn to revenge after a crime against a neighbour. He also played Baba, a violent drug dealer, in Salaam Bombay! in 1988, a film that was nominated for an Oscar.

The role that made him a star was Anna Seth, the gangster in Parinda in 1989. It won him his first National Film Award, for Best Supporting Actor. Krantiveer in 1994 followed. He played Pratap Narayan Tilak, a man who fights corruption, and won the National Award for Best Actor. His angry speeches in that film are still remembered.

His third National Award came for Agni Sakshi in 1996, where he played an obsessive, abusive husband. Gulf News described his acting in those years as intense, with sudden outbursts of anger. He won the Filmfare award for Best Villain twice, for playing the builder Majid Khan in Angaar in 1992 and the politician Tabrez Alam in Apaharan in 2005.

He was not only an angry man on screen. In Khamoshi: The Musical in 1996, he played a quiet, deaf father in Goa in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s first film. In Ab Tak Chhappan in 2004, he played Sadhu Agashe, a police officer who kills criminals in encounters. He also directed and acted in Prahaar in 1991.

Many younger fans know him from comedy. In Welcome in 2007, he played the gangster Uday Shetty opposite Akshay Kumar and Anil Kapoor, and the film was one of the biggest Hindi hits of that year. He played Uday again in Welcome Back in 2015. He also appeared in the political film Raajneeti in 2010 as Brij Gopal.

In 2016 he starred in the Marathi film Natsamrat as Appa Belwalkar, a retired stage star whose children turn him out. At the time, it was the highest-grossing Marathi film, until Sairat. His most recent big-screen role was Superintendent Dhagdu Hulgund in Housefull 5 in 2025. He won the Padma Shri in 2013.

Patekar co-founded the NAAM Foundation in 2015 with actor Makarand Anaspure. The group helps drought-hit farmers in Maharashtra and works on water conservation.

His last public appearance was on October 4, 2026, at an event at the Samraat Club in Goa. He is survived by his wife, Neelkanti, and his son, Malhar.

Frequently Asked Questions

When did Nana Patekar die?

He died in the early morning of Thursday, October 8, 2026, at his home in Dona Paula, Goa.

What was Nana Patekar’s cause of death?

Doctors at Manipal Hospital Goa said he died of a severe cardiac arrest. A post-mortem will be done at Goa Medical College and Hospital.

Where will Nana Patekar’s funeral be held?

The family chose his farmhouse in Donje village, Pune district, and Maharashtra will give him full state honours.