Veteran actor Nana Patekar messaged a friend around 2:30 am on Thursday (October 8), saying that he was unwell, just hours before his death. According to Dr Shekhar Salkar, Chief of the Oncology Department at Manipal Hospital, Goa, the actor’s friend saw the message later and reached his residence around 4 am, where he found Patekar sweating and gasping for breath.
Nana was subsequently rushed to the hospital, but doctors could not revive him. He was declared dead at 5:20 am following a cardiac arrest. He was 75.
Nana Patekar’s Final Hours
According to Dr Salkar, Nana was staying at his family home in Goa when he messaged his friend about feeling unwell.
“From information that we have received, he (Nana) messaged his friend that he was not feeling well somewhere around 2.30 am…that he was feeling uncomfortable…but since it was late night time, I think his friend could not get the message on time,” Salkar said.
The friend reached Nana’s residence around 4 am and found the actor in a critical condition.
“He (friend) reached his (Patekar’s) house around 4 am when he was sweating and gasping…then his caretaker came here, took the ambulance and went to the residence, which is nearby. When our ER team went there, they started cardiac massage because he was totally unresponsive. By the time, they reached he was unresponsive, they started CPR in the house, shifted him on CPR to the hospital, but by the time it was too late and he was declared dead at 5.20 am,” Salkar said.
“Nana Patekar was brought dead at our hospital at around 4.20 am. We tried our best to give him CPR,” he added.
The doctor said the exact cause of the cardiac arrest was not known and the hospital was unaware of whether Nana had any previous heart-related condition.
As Nana was brought to the hospital in a deceased condition, a medico-legal case was registered. “The police came and the body has been shifted to Goa Medical College for post-mortem. After the post-mortem, the body will be handed over to the relatives,” Salkar said.
Nana Patekar’s Five-Decade Career
Nana Patekar began his career in theatre before making his film debut with Gaman in 1978. He rose to prominence with Parinda in 1989, for which he won the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor.
He went on to win the National Film Award for Best Actor for Krantiveer in 1994 and another Best Supporting Actor award for Agni Sakshi in 1996. His other acclaimed films include Khamoshi: The Musical, Ab Tak Chhappan, Apaharan and Raajneeti.
The actor also displayed his comic timing as gangster Uday Shetty in Welcome (2007), a role he reprised in Welcome Back (2015).
In Marathi cinema, one of his most celebrated performances came in Natsamrat (2016), where he played a retired stage actor. Nana also directed, wrote and starred in Prahaar: The Final Attack (1991). He was honoured with the Padma Shri in 2013.
Beyond cinema, Nana was involved in social work, particularly with drought-hit farmers. In 2015, he co-founded the Naam Foundation with actor Makarand Anaspure to support communities affected by drought.
News of Nana Patekar’s death prompted an outpouring of tributes from the film industry, political leaders and fans.
