Tributes have been pouring in since news of the death of veteran actor Nana Patekar emerged on Thursday. From members of the film fraternity to political leaders, social media has been flooded with messages of grief and condolences.
Paying his condolences, Maharashtra Cultural Affairs Minister Ashish Shelar announced that Nana Patekar would be accorded a state funeral in recognition of his immense contribution to Indian cinema.
In a post on X, Ashish Shelar wrote, “Considering the unparalleled contribution of actor Nana Patekar to Marathi plays as well as Marathi and Hindi cinema, we have decided to conduct his last rites ‘with full state honors’.”
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He also spoke to the media and expressed grief over the demise of Nana Patekar.
“The departure of Nana Patekar ji is a profound loss for the world of art. Emerging from the lanes of Yeola, he carved out his identity in Marathi theatre, Marathi and Hindi cinema through the strength of his talent and perseverance. On his passing, heartfelt condolences from me, from the Government of Maharashtra, and from the Department of Cultural Affairs,” he said.
Patekar, aged 75, died after suffering a severe cardiac arrest in Goa. He was taken to Manipal Hospital, where doctors tried to revive him for around 45 minutes, but he could not be saved. Dr Shekhar Salkar, Chief of the
Oncology Department at Manipal Hospital, confirmed the news to ANI.
According to Dr Salkar, Patekar had sent a message to a friend around 2:30 am saying that he was not feeling well. The friend later reached his residence at around 4 am.
Nana Patekar was one of the prominent actors in Hindi and Marathi cinema. He made his acting debut with the 1978 film ‘Gaman’ and went on to earn praise for his performances in films including ‘Parinda’, ‘Prahar’, ‘Angaar’, ‘Krantiveer’, ‘Tiranga’, ‘Khamoshi’ and ‘Ab Tak Chhappan’.
In recent years, Patekar continued to work in films. He was part of ‘Housefull 5’, which starred Akshay Kumar, Abhishek Bachchan, Riteish Deshmukh and others.
Patekar also appeared as a police officer in Vishal Bhardwaj’s ‘O’Romeo’, starring Shahid Kapoor and Triptii Dimri. He also had a cameo in ‘Subedar’, which stars Anil Kapoor and Radhika Madan.
Source: Khaleej Times