Veteran actor Nana Patekar has died at the age of 75 from a cardiac arrest. Annu Kapoor, who directed him in 'Abhay', called his passing a personal loss. Madhur Bhandarkar also mourned the actor, remembering him as a supportive person.
The sudden demise of veteran actor Nana Patekar has left the film fraternity mourning the loss of one of Hindi and Marathi cinema’s most respected actors. Patekar died on Thursday at the age of 75 after suffering a severe cardiac arrest.
Film fraternity mourns Nana Patekar
Actor Annu Kapoor, who had worked with Patekar, told ANI that the actor’s death was deeply personal for him. Kapoor and Patekar worked together on the Hindi children’s film Abhay, which marked Kapoor’s feature film directorial debut. Patekar played Rana, a ghost, in the film inspired by Oscar Wilde’s The Canterville Ghost. Speaking about Patekar’s death, Kapoor said, “… I feel extremely saddened and heartbroken by this news. Nana Patekar’s passing is a loss for the film and artistic fraternity, and I consider it a personal loss as well, having known him…”
Filmmaker and screenwriter Madhur Bhandarkar also remembered Patekar as a talented actor and a supportive person in the industry. Bhandarkar said he had met the actor several times and recalled how he would encourage others to make good films and support talented artists. “It is truly shocking. Hearing the news about Nanaji was a huge shock; he was such a talented man and such a wonderful human being. I met him many times, and he was always encouraging. He would always speak about making good films and stand up for talented artists and people in the industry, things he never made a show of… Whether in Marathi cinema or Marathi theatre, his contribution was immense…” Bhandarkar said.
Details of his passing
According to Dr Shekhar Salkar, Chief of the Oncology Department at Manipal Hospital, Patekar had sent a message to a friend at around 2:30 am saying that he was not feeling well. The friend reached his residence around 4 am. He was later taken to Manipal Hospital, where doctors tried to revive him for around 45 minutes.
An illustrious career
Patekar made his acting debut with the 1978 film Gaman and went on to feature in films such as Parinda, Prahar, Angaar, Krantiveer, Tiranga, Khamoshi and Ab Tak Chhappan. His Marathi film Natsamrat was also a major part of his career.
In recent years, Patekar appeared in Housefull 5 and Vishal Bhardwaj’s O’Romeo, which stars Shahid Kapoor and Triptii Dimri. (ANI)
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