Mumbai’s film community gathered at the P.L. Deshpande Maharashtra Kala Academy in Prabhadevi for “Aathvanilya Nana”, a prayer meet held in memory of Nana Patekar. The actor died on October 8, 2026, aged 75, following a cardiac arrest in Goa.
Maharashtra FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe led the tributes, describing Patekar as a performer whose concerns extended well beyond the screen. As quoted by News18, Mundhe said: “He was a man of great utility and purpose… deeply concerned with how to help others, especially the poor.”
A gathering of colleagues and a Natsamrat tribute
Actors Shivaji Satam, Rohini Hattangadi and Varsha Usgaonkar attended, along with director Mehul Kumar. At the entrance, a specially created rangoli recreated Patekar’s character from the Marathi film Natsamrat, turning the tribute into a visual reminder of a role that remains closely tied to his legacy.
The choice of image mattered. For an audience that has followed Hindi and Marathi cinema for decades, Natsamrat is shorthand for Patekar’s intensity and the weight he could bring to a single character. A prayer meet is a farewell, but the rangoli made clear that the work is still being remembered.
The films still ahead
Patekar’s final theatrical release during his lifetime was Vishal Bhardwaj’s O’Romeo, which opened in February 2026. His posthumous slate keeps him on screen into early 2027:
- Eetha: A biographical drama about Maharashtra’s folk performance traditions, co-starring Shraddha Kapoor, scheduled for December 2026.
- The Confession of Mary: Ananth Narayan Mahadevan’s crime drama, in which Patekar plays Father Benedict; it previously premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival.
- Shakti Shalini: Aditya Sarpotdar’s horror comedy, associated with Maddock Films’ cinematic universe, with Patekar as an occultist and expected in early 2027.
That slate turns mourning into a longer goodbye. Fans tracking Patekar’s final performances have three distinct registers to follow: biographical drama, crime drama and horror comedy, rather than a single farewell film.
Why the tribute resonates
Mundhe’s emphasis on utility, purpose and concern for the poor echoed the way Patekar was often discussed beyond box-office numbers. The gathering, in other words, was not only about a filmography; it was about the public role the actor had come to occupy.
For readers, the practical step is to mark the calendar. Eetha arrives in December, Shakti Shalini is expected in early 2027, and The Confession of Mary carries the festival pedigree of its Toronto premiere into its eventual release.
Source: The Times of India
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