Veteran Bollywood actor Nana Patekar dies at 75 from cardiac arrest

Veteran Indian actor Nana Patekar, a three-time National Award winner and prominent figure in Hindi and Marathi cinema, died on October 8 at age 75 after suffering cardiac arrest at his residence in Dona Paula, Goa. He was found unconscious early Thursday morning and rushed to Manipal Hospital, where Dr Shekhar Salkar, Chief of the Oncology Department, stated that despite 45 minutes of continuous cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), medical staff could not revive him. He was declared dead at approximately 5:20 am. A medico-legal case has been registered, and a post-mortem examination will be conducted.

Born as Vishwanath Patekar in 1951, Patekar's 48-year career began with his 1978 Hindi film debut in Gaman. He became a household name after his 1989 performance as the volatile gangster Anna in Parinda, which earned him his first National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor. Over subsequent decades, he demonstrated remarkable range, portraying complex and often intense characters across multiple genres and languages. His notable films include Krantiveer (1994), for which he won the National Film Award for Best Actor; Agni Sakshi (1996), earning a third National Award for Best Supporting Actor; and popular comedies such as Welcome (2007). He remained active in theatre throughout his career and worked as a director and writer. In 2013, he received the Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian honour, for his contributions to arts and cinema.

Beyond his film career, Patekar was known for activism on agricultural and rural development issues. In 2015, he and actor Makarand Anaspure established the Naam Foundation, which focused on farmer welfare, water conservation, and rural infrastructure revival in Maharashtra. Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant paid tribute to Patekar's legacy, recalling discussions with the actor about expanding the foundation's work to Goa. Sawant described him as "a very fine actor and a great social worker" and confirmed that the Goa administration is assisting Patekar's family with transferring his remains to Pune.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also issued a tribute, stating that Patekar's portrayed characters would "remain etched in the memory of generations" and that his death had left "a vast void in the artistic world." Fellow actor Akshay Kumar, who worked with Patekar in Welcome and Housefull 5, remembered him as "one of those rare actors who never needed to do too much to make you sit up and watch," praising his distinctive voice, intensity, and honesty in performance.

Patekar's career included work across Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, and Kannada cinema. He appeared in acclaimed films directed by Mira Nair (Salaam Bombay!) and Prakash Jha (Rajneeti), and in recent years appeared in Housefull 5, O' Romeo, and Subedar. His son Malhar confirmed his father's death. In 2018, actor Tanushree Dutta made allegations of sexual harassment against Patekar over an alleged incident on a film set from approximately a decade earlier; the allegations helped spark India's #MeToo movement. Patekar denied the allegations, and in 2019 police cleared him after determining insufficient evidence.