Veteran Indian actor Nana Patekar died on Thursday, October 8, 2026, at his home in Goa. He was 75 years old. The cause was a heart attack.
His son, Malhar, confirmed the news to the BBC . The actor was found unconscious at his home in Dona Paula and was rushed to Manipal Hospital, where doctors tried to save him for about 45 minutes. He was declared dead at 5:20 AM
A Life That Started with Struggle
Nana Patekar was born as Vishwanath Patekar on January 1, 1951, in Murud-Janjira, Maharashtra . He came from a very poor family. To help his family, he started painting movie posters in Mumbai when he was just a teenager. He earned only 35 rupees a month and walked 8 kilometers every day to work .
This hard time made him strong. It also taught him the value of life.
From Theatre to Stardom
Nana started his career in theatre. He worked in famous plays like Purush and Hamidabai Chi Kothi . He made his movie debut with Gaman in 1978 .
But his real breakthrough came in 1989 with the film Parinda. He played a dangerous gangster named Anna. This role made him famous all over India. He won his first National Film Award for this performance .
After that, he gave many unforgettable performances. He starred in films like Krantiveer, Prahaar, Khamoshi, Agni Sakshi, and Ab Tak Chhappan .
Nana won three National Film Awards in his career. He is also the only actor to win Filmfare awards in all three major categories: Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Villain . In 2013, he received the Padma Shri award .
He also showed his funny side in films like Welcome, where he played Uday Shetty. This role made him popular with younger audiences too .
A Real-Life Hero for Farmers
Nana Patekar was not just an actor. He was a real-life hero for thousands of farmers .
In 2015, he was about to buy a luxury car worth 1.5 crore rupees. But one night, he saw a TV report about a farmer who had died by suicide in Maharashtra. The pain he saw in the eyes of the farmer’s family changed his life forever .
“I had saved up Rs 1.5 crore with the intention of buying a new car. In the evening, I was sipping my drink and watching television. They were playing an interview with the family members of a farmer who had died by suicide. More than the mourning for the dead, I could feel their starvation. It was visible in their eyes,” he later said .
Instead of buying the car, he used that money to help farmers’ families. He started giving 15,000 rupees to each family .
Later, he and his friend Makarand Anaspure started the Naam Foundation in 2015 . The foundation worked on water conservation and helping farmers in Maharashtra.
According to the foundation, their work helped more than 77 lakh farmers between 2015 and 2025 . They also provided Aarogya cards to about 500 farmers’ widows, which gave them free medical treatment at MGM Hospital .
Nana once said: “The happiness Naam Foundation has given me is greater than all awards and money I received from cinema” .
His Family
Nana Patekar married actor and writer Neelkanti in 1978 . In his early years, she supported him financially. She worked at a bank and earned more money than him. “She told me that if you want to pursue this as a career… I am already making money so we have money coming in for the family. I am very grateful to her. I could pursue this profession only because of her,” he said .
They had two sons. Their first son, Durvasa, died when he was just two and a half years old . Nana and Neelkanti lived separately for decades, but they never divorced .
His surviving son, Malhar, works in filmmaking. He also worked with his father in the Naam Foundation .
His Final Moments
Nana Patekar felt unwell at his home in Goa. He sent a message to a friend around 2:30 AM saying he had discomfort and pain on his left side. But it was late at night, so his friend did not see the message immediately .
When the friend reached Nana’s home around 4 AM, he found him unconscious and sweating. Nana was rushed to Manipal Hospital. Doctors tried CPR for 45 minutes, but they could not save him .
A Nation Mourns
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said his death left “a vast void in the artistic world” .
Actor Akshay Kumar, who worked with him in Welcome, remembered him as a rare performer whose voice, intensity, and honesty could command an audience’s attention .
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis spoke to Nana’s son Malhar and promised government support to carry forward Nana’s legacy
A Final Goodbye
Nana Patekar’s last rites were performed with full state honours at his farmhouse in Donje village, near Pune . This was his final wish. His farmhouse was a place he loved deeply .
Nana Patekar leaves behind his wife Neelkanti and son Malhar.
He was a man who never pretended to be anyone else. He was direct, honest, and deeply caring. He will be missed.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. Content is based on public reports
