Nana Patekar, Bollywood's versatile star, dies at 75
Veteran Bollywood and Marathi theatre actor Nana Patekar died at 75 in Goa after becoming unresponsive at his flat.
Nana Patekar, one of Indian cinema's most versatile actors, has died at age 75. The Bollywood and Marathi theatre star fell unconscious at his flat in Goa on Thursday and was rushed to hospital.
Despite 45 minutes of CPR, he could not be revived. Patekar's career spanned Hindi and Marathi cinema, theatre, directing and writing.
Patekar made his film debut in 1978 but found major success with his 1989 role as a volatile gangster in Parinda, which won him his first National Film Award. He won three national awards in total, including for Krantiveer and Agni Sakshi.
Beyond acting, Patekar was known for playing an extraordinary range of roles: gangsters, soldiers, politicians, villains and tragic figures. He remained active in theatre throughout his professional life and was a vocal activist, co-founding the Naam Foundation in 2015 to support farmer welfare, water conservation and rural development in Maharashtra.
- 75
- Age at death
- Gaman, 1978
- Film debut
- Gangster Anna in Parinda, 1989
- Breakthrough role
Why it mattersPatekar shaped Indian cinema across multiple languages and genres and was a cultural icon known for refusing to mince words on politics.
AustraliaBollywood films remain hugely popular in Australia; Patekar's death will resonate with Indian and cinema-loving Australian audiences who followed his diverse career.
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