Nana Patekar dies at 75 after cardiac arrest at his Goa home
The veteran actor, who won three National Awards and the Padma Shri, could not be revived despite 45 minutes of CPR, doctors said.
Veteran actor Nana Patekar, one of Hindi and Marathi cinema’s most recognisable faces, died early on Thursday, 8 October, at his home in Dona Paula, Goa. He was 75.
What happened
Patekar suffered a severe cardiac arrest at his residence and was taken to Manipal Hospital, where doctors declared him dead. Reports put the time of death at between 5.10 am and 5.20 am.
Dr Shekhar Salkar of the hospital told news agency ANI that Patekar could not be revived despite 45 minutes of continuous CPR. A medico-legal case has been registered and a post-mortem will be carried out, which is standard procedure in India after a sudden death.
Details of the last rites had not been announced at the time of writing.
From theatre to three National Awards
Born Vishwanath Patekar on 1 January 1951 in Murud-Janjira in present-day Raigad district, Maharashtra, he studied at Mumbai’s Sir J.J. Institute of Applied Arts before moving into Marathi theatre. He made his film debut in Gaman (1978).
His role as a gangster in Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s Parinda (1989) won him the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor. He won Best Actor for Krantiveer (1994) and a second supporting-actor National Award for Agni Sakshi (1996). He also won four Filmfare Awards, and the Government of India gave him the Padma Shri in 2013.
Patekar directed one film, Prahaar: The Final Attack (1991). His other well-known work includes Ab Tak Chhappan, Apaharan, the comedies Welcome and Welcome Back, Raajneeti, the Marathi hit Natsamrat (2016), Kaala, The Vaccine War (2023) and Housefull 5 (2025).
Work with farmers
Away from films, Patekar was known for his work with farmers. In 2015 he co-founded the Naam Foundation with actor Makarand Anaspure to help drought-hit farming families in Maharashtra, and he made personal donations to families in Vidarbha, Latur and Osmanabad.
Controversy
In 2018, during India’s #MeToo movement, actor Tanushree Dutta filed a police complaint accusing him of harassing her on a film set in 2008. Patekar denied the allegation, and Mumbai Police reportedly filed a closure report in 2019, citing lack of evidence.
Sources: ANI, ThePrint, The Statesman, Wikipedia.
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