Legendary actor Nana Patekar breathed his last on Thursday, October 8, at his residence in Goa at the age of 75. The veteran actor suffered a cardiac arrest and doctors attempted to revive him with continuous CPR for around 45 minutes. He was declared dead at around 5:20 am.Nana’s son Malhar confirmed the news to The Indian Express and said, “Yes, the information is true. I am in Pune right now and reaching Goa. I will come up with detailed statement. He died due to natural reasons.”In recognition of his immense contribution to theatre and cinema, the Maharashtra government accorded Nana Patekar a state funeral. His mortal remains were brought to Pune, where his last rites were performed at his farmhouse in Donje with full state honours. Large numbers of fans gathered to pay their final respects to the actor, whose powerful performances over a career spanning several decades made him one of Indian cinema’s most respected performers.Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis paid his last respects to Nana at Pune Airport after his mortal remains arrived from Goa. Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde was also among the prominent personalities who reached the venue to bid farewell to the veteran actor.Nana’s death has also left the film fraternity mourning. Several Bollywood celebrities took to social media to remember the actor and share personal memories of him.Shah Rukh Khan, who worked with Nana in ‘Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman’ and ‘Shakti: The Power’, shared an emotional note recalling the veteran actor as his mentor, teacher, critic and friend. Remembering their first meeting, SRK wrote, “When I first met him, out of awe and awkwardness I fiddled with my hair. He slapped my hand away and said ‘hero ki tarah Baal mat bana…tu actor hai’!”He further remembered Nana’s candid nature and wrote, “He didn’t flatter you. He didn’t tell you what you wanted to hear. He told you what you needed to hear. That was Nana. Straightforward. Rough, honest and had the most beautiful smile.” SRK also recalled their carrom games and ended his tribute by calling Nana a “masterful actor and an unbeatable carrom champion.”Salman Khan also paid tribute to Nana on Instagram, sharing a picture of the late actor and writing, “Nanaaaaaaaaaaa. Rest in peace bhau…”
Ajay Devgn, who shared screen space with Nana in films including ‘Apaharan’ and ‘Raajneeti’, posted an old picture with the actor and wrote, “Not many made us happy, sad and feel anger quite the way Nana did. His presence was powerful, his performances unforgettable, and his absence will now be deeply felt. Rest well, Nana…Om Shanti.”Several other members of the film fraternity, including Akshay Kumar, Paresh Rawal, Manisha Koirala, Manoj Bajpayee, Urmila Matondkar, Alia Bhatt, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Karan Johar, also remembered Nana Patekar on social media, mourning the loss of one of Indian cinema’s most distinctive and powerful actors.
