Mumbai: The Nana Patekar we usually remember is on a film set. But in the summer of 1999, he was near the Line of Control with the Indian Army, after getting special permission from then Defence Minister George Fernandes to serve during the Kargil War.
The decision grew out of preparation, not impulse. By 1999, Patekar had already built a strong reputation with Parinda, Krantiveer and Prahaar. For Prahaar, the army-life drama he directed and starred in, he trained for three years with the Maratha Light Infantry. When the Kargil conflict began, that training became the basis for an unusual request: he did not want to support soldiers from a distance, but to serve alongside them.
Why the army said yes
Officers were hesitant at first. Sending a film actor to an active war zone was not a routine request. Patekar pressed his case by pointing to his national-level shooting skills and his earlier infantry training as proof that he could handle a real deployment.
The posting was real
Patekar was not given a distant desk posting. He was stationed in some of the most sensitive conflict areas of the war, including:
- Dras
- Kupwara
- Baramulla
- Sopore
- Mughalpura
His duties included patrol work along the Line of Control, close to active combat zones, and assistance at military hospitals, where he spent time with wounded soldiers. Army officers who worked with him described the involvement as practical rather than ceremonial.
What the war cost him
The posting took a visible physical toll. Patekar later said, in remarks quoted by The Economic Times: “When I reached Srinagar, I weighed 76 kg. When I returned, I was 56 kg.” Losing twenty kilos in a matter of months showed how demanding the posting was, physically and mentally. Even so, he did not ask for an early exit and stayed on duty through some of the most difficult months of the conflict.
After Kargil
Once the posting ended, Patekar returned to films, but his focus widened. He began working closely with drought-hit farmers and later set up the Naam Foundation to support farming families under financial distress. His Kargil service is often cited as the starting point for that shift toward public service.
Born Vishwanath Patekar in 1951, he began acting with Gaman in 1978 and went on to films such as Salaam Bombay, Agni Sakshi, Ab Tak Chhappan, Raajneeti and Natsamrat, winning three National Awards.
The Kargil War remains one of India’s most significant high-altitude conflicts. It began after Pakistani forces crossed into Indian territory in the Kargil district of Jammu and Kashmir, and ended in July 1999 after Indian forces regained key positions. It is remembered each year on Kargil Vijay Diwas.
Source: The Economic Times
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