Nana Patekar dies at 76; Panaji Police register unnatural death case
Synopsis
Veteran actor Nana Patekar passed away at 76. Panaji Police registered an Unnatural Death case. He was cremated with state honours. Tributes poured in, with Shah Rukh Khan penning an emotional note remembering his 'mentor, teacher, and friend'.
Nana Patekar Dies at 76
Panaji Police has registered an Unnatural Death (UD) case under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) following the death of veteran actor Nana Patekar. According to the police record, the 76-year-old actor was brought dead to the casualty ward of Manipal Hospital, Bambolim, from his residence at Ocean Park, Dona Paula.
Further enquiry into the matter is currently in progress, led by PSI Nitin Naik. 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."
Shah Rukh Khan's Heartfelt Tribute
The news of Nana Patekar's demise broke on Thursday morning, and since then tributes have been pouring in for him. In an X post, Shah Rukh shared an old picture of himself with Nana Patekar and remembered the late actor as his "mentor, teacher, critic and friend." Recalling their first meeting, SRK wrote that he was so awestruck and awkward that he began fiddling with his hair, prompting Nana to slap his hand away and tell him, “hero ki tarah Baal mat bana...tu actor hai”.
"When I first met him, out of awe and awkwardness I fiddled with my hair. He slapped my hand away and said 'hero ki tarah Baal mat bana...tu actor hai'! He didn't flatter you. He didn't tell you what you wanted to hear. He told you what you needed to hear. That was Nana. Straightforward. Rough, honest and had the most beautiful smile. He always had a strange way of showing affection. He would shout at you first, and then somewhere between the third or fourth insult, you realised you were being hugged. He loved me and I loved him back. He was a mentor, a teacher, a critic and a friend who beat me and everyone else around him in carrom game after game and relished his victories," he wrote.
SRK expressed regret that they did not have more time together. He wished they could have shared more conversations, arguments, cups of tea and games of carrom. Shah Rukh also recalled one of Nana's lessons that stayed with him: “hero banne ke chakar mein actor mat khona” - a reminder to never lose the actor while chasing the image of a hero.
"Nana your intensity, laughter, madness and love will always stay with us. I just wish we had time to have more conversations, another argument, another cup of tea and a game of carrom. You have left a void not only in the world of cinema but in the hearts of all Indians and the world. All I can say is, I will miss you dearly and carry your words in my heart till the end of time....'hero banne ke chakar mein actor mat khona'", he added. Ending his tribute on an affectionate note, Shah Rukh wrote, "May your soul rest in peace Nana and Allah bless you. The Heavens will be blessed to have you... a masterful actor and an unbeatable carrom champion. Love you and miss you dearly!! Too soon my Hero Actor! RIP,” signing off with love and saying he would carry the veteran actor's words in his heart forever. Nana, 75, is survived by his wife, Neelkanthi Patekar and son, Malhar. (ANI)