Veteran Indian actor Nana Patekar died early Thursday at his residence in Dona Paula, Goa, following a severe cardiac arrest. He was 75. Emergency responders found him unconscious and rushed him to Manipal Hospital, where medical staff performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation for approximately 45 minutes, but he could not be revived. Hospital officials confirmed his death occurred around 5:20 a.m. local time.
Patekar’s film career spanned more than 40 years, during which he garnered significant acclaim, including three National Film Awards for performances in films released between 1989 and 1996. His award-winning roles were notably diverse: an underworld crime lord, a vigilante seeking justice, and an abusive husband.
He earned his first National Award for Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s "Parinda," a crime drama in which he portrayed Anna, a powerful gangster. The film, featuring co-stars Jackie Shroff, Anil Kapoor, and Madhuri Dixit, had been India’s official submission for the Best Foreign Language Film category at the 1990 Academy Awards, although it did not secure a nomination. Patekar also won the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor for this role. The film’s editor, Renu Saluja, received a National Award for her work on the project.
Patekar’s second National Award arrived in 1995 for his role in Mehul Kumar’s "Krantiveer," where he played Pratap Narayan Tilak, a man standing against social corruption and criminality. The film, which starred Dimple Kapadia, Atul Agnihotri, Mamta Kulkarni, Paresh Rawal, and Danny Denzongpa, was the third highest-grossing Hindi film of 1994. It marked Patekar’s first major success as a leading actor and brought him the Filmfare Award for Best Actor.
His final National Award was for 1996’s "Agni Sakshi," portraying Vishwanath, a controlling and abusive husband who stalks his wife after she escapes. Starring Manisha Koirala and Jackie Shroff, the film drew inspiration from the 1991 Hollywood thriller "Sleeping with the Enemy" and was listed among the biggest hits of the year. Patekar received the award for Best Supporting Actor in 1997 for this performance.
Beyond his National Awards, Patekar received multiple Filmfare honors, including Best Villain for "Angaar" (1992) and "Apharan" (2005). In 2017, he won the Filmfare Marathi Award for Best Actor for his role in "Natsamrat."
His later notable films included "Ab Tak Chhappan," "Welcome," and "Kaala." His most recent release was Vishal Bhardwaj’s "O’Romeo," which premiered earlier this year.
Patekar’s last public appearance was on October 4 at an event for the Samaat Club International in Dona Paula. Reflecting on mortality while speaking about his late friend Manohar Parrikar, former chief minister of Goa, he remarked, “We all have to go someday. I don’t know whether I will be here tomorrow or not.”