Nana Patekar Was Set To Join Madhuri Dixit's Kon Honar Crorepati Premiere; Sonali Bendre Steps In After His Demise

Mumbai: Life is truly unpredictable. Veteran actor Nana Patekar was supposed to make a special appearance on the premiere episode of Madhuri Dixit-hosted Kon Honar Crorepati (KHC), the Marathi version of Kaun Banega Crorepati, with the shoot scheduled for this weekend.

However, fate had other plans. He passed away on Thursday, leaving a void in the industry.

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Madhuri Dixit pays heartfelt tribute

Following his passing, Madhuri shared her heartfelt condolences on Instagram, writing, “A great artist, a powerful personality and an unforgettable voice… With Nana Patekar’s passing, the film industry has lost a treasured and legendary actor. My heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones. A heartfelt tribute.”

Madhuri and Nana Patekar had worked together in the 1998 film Wajood.

Sonali Bendre to appear on premiere

Now, actor Sonali Bendre will be seen gracing the hot seat of the premiere episode of Sony Marathi's Kon Honar Crorepati.

Nana Patekar cremated with state honours

Nana Patekar was cremated with full state honours at his Donje farmhouse in Pune on Thursday night.

After performing the last rites, Nana Patekar's son Malhar Patekar spoke to media and said, "A person like Nana Saheb never truly leaves us; his achievements have made him immortal. Secondly, he always believed that everyone should come together and follow a righteous path on a global scale. Thirdly, regarding the future — carrying forward the vision Nana Saheb left behind is how we will shape the life ahead."

A career spanning nearly five decades

Nana Patekar began his acting career with the 1978 film 'Gaman' and went on to deliver acclaimed performances in movies such as 'Parinda', 'Prahar', 'Angaar', 'Krantiveer', 'Tiranga', 'Khamoshi' and 'Ab Tak Chhappan'.

In recent years, the 75-year-old actor featured in Housefull 5, alongside Akshay Kumar, Abhishek Bachchan, Riteish Deshmukh and others. He also played a police officer in Vishal Bhardwaj’s O’Romeo, which stars Shahid Kapoor and Triptii Dimri. Patekar further made a cameo appearance in Subedar, featuring Anil Kapoor and Radhika Madan.