Nana Patekar was one of Indian cinema’s most versatile actors, known for powerful performances in films such as Krantiveer, Parinda, Khamoshi: The Musical, Ab Tak Chhappan and WelcomeMay his soul rest in peace.
Published: October 8, 2026, 9:28 AM IST
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Nana Patekar dies (PC- Instagram)
There are some actors whose absence is felt even before the screen goes darkNana Patekar was one of them. The news of his death at 75 on Thursday morning has left the film industry and audiences with a strange emptinessPatekar died after suffering a cardiac arrest at his Goa residenceHe was taken to hospital, where doctors tried to revive him for nearly 45 minutesHe could not be saved.
For an industry that has seen generations of stars come and go, Nana Patekar was something differentHe was never simply a hero, villain or character actorHe could be frightening, funny, vulnerable, angry and deeply emotional, sometimes within the same filmHis voice was unmistakable, but it was his eyes, pauses and silences that often did the real work.
Nana Patekar’s journey from theatre to cinema
Born Vishwanath Patekar, Nana began his journey far away from the glamour associated with BollywoodHe studied art in Mumbai and worked as a commercial artist and visualiserHe also painted film posters before theatre eventually became an important part of his life.
He made his film debut with Gaman in 1978 and gradually built a reputation as one of the most intense performers in Hindi and Marathi cinema.
There was never anything polished or predictable about a Nana Patekar performanceHe brought a certain rawness to every characterEven when the role was small, he had a way of making you remember him.
Parinda: The performance that announced his arrival
One of the films that established Nana as a major force was Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s Parinda. The 1989 crime drama gave him the role of Anna, a dangerous and unpredictable gangsterIt was a performance filled with menace, but there was also a wounded quality underneath it. Patekar did not play villains like conventional villainsHe gave them an inner lifeYou could be afraid of his character and still be curious about him.
Krantiveer: When Nana became a voice of anger
If there is one film that remains inseparable from Nana Patekar’s legacy, it is Krantiveer. Released in 1994, the film saw him play Pratap Narayan Tilak, a man consumed by anger at the corruption and divisions around himPatekar’s performance won him the National Film Award for Best Actor as well as the Filmfare Award for Best Actor. The film also became one of those rare movies where the actor’s dialogue delivery became part of popular culture.
But what made Nana special was not merely how loudly he could speakIt was how convincingly he could make anger feel personal.
Khamoshi: The actor who could say everything without words
Then came Khamoshi: The Musical, where Patekar played Joseph, a father who is deaf and mute. This was perhaps one of the clearest examples of his rangeThe actor known for powerful speeches had almost no dialogue to rely onInstead, he communicated through his expressions, body language and silences. It was a reminder that Nana never depended only on his voiceHe understood the power of simply being present in a scene.
Ab Tak Chhappan: Nana at his most restrained
In Ab Tak Chhappan, Patekar played Sadhu Agashe, a police officer associated with Mumbai’s encounter squad. The 2004 film was gritty and deliberately restrainedThere were no songs and little of the usual Bollywood glossPatekar carried the film with a performance that was controlled, tired and intenseThe story was inspired by the life of Mumbai Police sub-inspector Daya Nayak.
It was another reminder that Nana could dominate a film without trying to dominate every scene.
And then came Uday Shetty
For an actor known for serious and intense performances, Welcome revealed another side of Nana Patekar. As Uday Shetty, he was hilarious. The gangster who wanted to control everything became one of the most loved comic characters of his careerHis chemistry with Anil Kapoor turned the film into a comedy favourite, and lines like “Control, Uday, control” became part of everyday pop culture.
It was a different Nana, but somehow still unmistakably Nana.
Natsamrat: Age, loss and loneliness
Years later, Patekar delivered another deeply emotional performance in the Marathi film Natsamrat. He played Ganpat Belwalkar, a retired theatre actor dealing with ageing, loneliness, family and the loss of the stage that had defined his life.
There was something particularly poignant about seeing an actor who had spent decades commanding screens play a man slowly losing his place in the world.
It was not a performance that needed spectacleIt needed truthAnd Nana gave it that.
A career that refused to stay in one box
Patekar was not only an actorHe also directed films, including Prahaar: The Final Attack, and continued to move between Hindi and Marathi cinema. His filmography included Parinda, Prahaar, Angaar, Krantiveer, Agni Sakshi, Khamoshi: The Musical, Ab Tak Chhappan, Apaharan, Raajneeti, Welcome and Natsamrat, among many othersHe received three National Film Awards, several Filmfare honours and was awarded the Padma Shri in 2013.
What makes the list special is not just the number of successful filmsIt is how different those performances were.
He could play a gangster, policeman, politician, father, theatre actor or comic character and still make the role feel like his own.
A loss that feels personal to cinema
Nana Patekar belonged to a generation of actors who did not need social media, carefully constructed images or constant visibility to remain relevant. He simply acted. And when he was on screen, audiences watched.
That is perhaps the hardest thing to replaceThere are many talented actors, many stars and many performersBut very few have a presence that cannot be confused with anybody else’s. Nana had that presence.
His voice will continue to echo through his filmsHis performances will continue to be rediscovered by younger audiencesHis characters will continue to make people laugh, uncomfortable, angry and emotional. But for those who grew up watching him, there will always be a personal sadness attached to his passing.
Because Nana Patekar was not just an actor we watchedFor decades, he was a part of the cinema we grew up with.
And Indian cinema will feel a little quieter without him.
