Nana Patekar’s last rites were performed at 11:30 pm on Thursday at Nanachi Wadi, the family farmhouse in Donje village on the outskirts of Pune. The hour immediately drew attention: in Hindu tradition, last rites are generally held during the day, and many communities discourage cremation after sunset. That the family went ahead after sunset became a point of public curiosity, and his son Malhar addressed it directly.
The veteran actor died at dawn on Thursday in Dona Paula, Goa. His remains were flown to Pune, where Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis paid tribute at the airport before the cortege travelled to the farmhouse.
Malhar Patekar’s explanation
Speaking to reporters after the funeral, Malhar said the family had expected the remains to arrive earlier. “We expected it to arrive earlier, but it took us some time,” he said. He added that since his father died at dawn and “a significant amount of time had already passed”, the family decided to complete the rites on Thursday itself. Rather than wait until the following morning, they proceeded while the same day’s window still held.
A farewell with full state honours
The ceremony carried the weight of a public figure’s send-off:
- A 21-gun salute was given by female police officers.
- The mortal remains were draped in the Tricolour and accompanied by a marching band.
- More than 1,000 admirers gathered alongside political leaders and members of the film industry.
Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar, Union Ministers Ramdas Athawale and Murlidhar Mohol, actors Jackie Shroff and Makarand Anaspure — Patekar’s co-founder at the Naam Foundation — and filmmakers Anil Sharma and Sajid Nadiadwala were among those present. Aides said Patekar had earlier expressed a wish to be cremated at the farmhouse.
Why the hour matters
The late-night cremation is not without precedent in India. Practices vary by region, community and family tradition, and circumstances — in this case a long inter-state journey and a death at dawn — often shape the timing of last rites. The family’s account frames the decision as one of logistics rather than disregard for custom.
For an audience that follows Hindi cinema as a record, the funeral also closes a career chapter with a marker of official recognition — the Tricolour, a salute and ministerial tributes — rarely assembled for a film actor.
After the rites, Malhar said his father’s abiding teaching was that people should unite and walk the right path for the betterment of humanity. He added that the Naam Foundation’s work for drought-hit farmers, which he called unparalleled, would be carried forward.
The combination of state honours and a farmhouse farewell completes a final chapter for an actor whose public stature drew ministers, co-stars and more than a thousand mourners to a village on the edge of Pune.
Source: Cinema Express
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