Bollywood star Nana Patekar died on Oct 8 in Goa, India, at the age of 75.
Born Vishwanath Patekar, he was one of Indian cinema’s most critically acclaimed actors, leaving behind a body of work in Hindi and Marathi cinema that spans nearly five decades.
The actor, who was also a writer and film-maker, was found unconscious at his home in Dona Paula, Goa, after suffering a severe cardiac arrest.
Patekar made his film debut in Gaman in 1978 before taking on small roles in Marathi cinema and starring in a steady stream of Hindi films.
His breakthrough came with the 1989 crime drama Parinda, in which his chilling portrayal of the underworld don Anna Seth stole the show and earned him both a National Film Award and a Filmfare Award.
Patekar made his directorial debut in 1991 with Prahaar: The Final Attack, drawing on his own army training. He went on to secure the National Film Award for Best Actor as a journalist who fiercely takes on a corrupt system in Krantiveer (1994)
Over the span of his career, Patekar traversed genres, from children’s cinema (Abhay, 1994) and acclaimed dramas to gritty cop thrillers. He even lent his voice to playback singing, delivering iconic and oft-quoted lines in films like Yeshwant (1997).
Many younger fans knew him for his comedy work. He played the good-hearted gangster Uday Shetty in Welcome (2007) and its sequel Welcome Back (2015).
His later work included Hindi medical docudrama The Vaccine War (2023) and Vanvaas (2024), a family drama that explores the relationship between an ageing father, who is suffering from dementia, and his family.
Patekar was most recently seen in political thriller web series Sankalp and romantic action thriller O’ Romeo before his death.
The actor married actress Neelkanti in 1978, with whom he had two sons. One of his children died at 2½ years old after an illness.
Patekar was separated from his wife at the time of his death, according to local reports.
In 2008, actress and former Miss Universe contestant Tanushree Dutta accused Patekar of touching her inappropriately during the making of a romantic comedy that year. She was 24 and he was 57.
Dutta repeated the accusations in 2018, filing a police complaint, during India’s #MeToo wave. Patekar denied the claim and sent her a legal notice.
In 2019, Mumbai police reportedly filed a closure report, citing a lack of evidence. Dutta said she would contest it.
In 2023, Patekar sparked public backlash after a video surfaced showing him slapping a fan who approached him for a selfie. He later issued an apology, explaining that he had mistaken the youth for a crew member during a rehearsal scene for his film Journey. - The Statesman/ANN
