Nana Patekar, the Padma Shri recipient whose performances spanned Hindi and Marathi cinema, died early on Thursday, October 8, at his home in Dona Paula, Goa. He was 75.
His son Malhar Patekar confirmed the death. The actor had suffered a severe cardiac arrest. He was found unresponsive and taken to Manipal Hospital, where medical staff tried to revive him with CPR for around 45 minutes. He was declared dead at about 5:20 am IST.
A tribute that looks past the screen
Kamal Haasan posted a photograph with Patekar and called the news heartbreaking. “An extraordinary artist and an even greater human being,” he wrote. “The man was a force of nature, and he uplifted the lives of those around him.”
What stands out is where Haasan placed the emphasis. The note did not stop at craft or fame; it named Patekar’s work helping farmers in Maharashtra and his volunteer service during the Kargil War as proof of a “deep sense of duty.” For a film community that usually mourns in terms of hits and performances, the tribute turned the lens outward.
Final rites and state honours
The Maharashtra government has announced a state funeral with full state honours. The rare official gesture recognises both his contribution to Indian cinema and his social welfare work through the Naam Foundation.
Patekar’s mortal remains are being moved from Goa to Pune. The last rites will take place at his farmhouse in Donje, on the outskirts of Pune.
Two registers of a public life
For readers who follow Hindi cinema with its history attached, Patekar’s passing is a reminder that a film legacy is kept in two registers. One is the work on screen: he was among the most recognised actors in Hindi and Marathi cinema, a Padma Shri recipient, and a performer whose name alone signalled intensity. The other is the work off screen: the Naam Foundation’s welfare efforts, the farmer support, the Kargil service.
The state funeral makes that second register official. It says the civic life was not a side note to stardom but part of the same record.
What to hold on to
As tributes continue to come in, the immediate facts are these:
- Died: Thursday, October 8, 2026, at age 75
- Cause: severe cardiac arrest at his Dona Paula home
- Last rites: farmhouse in Donje, Pune, with full state honours
Kamal Haasan’s tribute will be remembered less for its grief than for the specific work it chose to underline. It makes a useful frame for the days ahead: honour the performer, but do not lose the citizen.
Source: bollywoodHungama.com
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