Nana Patekar dies at 75 after cardiac arrest; colleagues remember actor

Veteran Indian actor Nana Patekar died on October 8 after suffering a cardiac arrest at his home in Goa. He was 75. His remains were taken to his farmhouse in Pune, where he was laid to rest with full state honours in a ceremony attended by colleagues and thousands of farmers.

Filmmaker Amol Palekar, who directed Patekar in the 1990 musical *Thodasa Roomani Ho Jayen*, said the actor had called him two days before his death to discuss Palekar’s new play. Recalling Patekar’s stage presence, Palekar said he “commanded your attention” and brought an unexpected charm to a role that departed from his earlier intense and villainous characters.

Amitabh Bachchan shared clips of their appearances together and reflected on losing loved ones, while Madhuri Dixit called Patekar a “great artist” with an “unforgettable voice.” Patekar had been scheduled to appear on the premiere of Dixit’s Marathi quiz show *Kon Honar Crorepati*; Sonali Bendre will appear instead. Shekhar Suman cancelled the season finale of *Shekhar Tonite*, saying Patekar had been booked as its final guest and could not be replaced.

Filmmaker Pravin Tarde criticised the limited Bollywood presence at Patekar’s funeral while emphasizing the turnout by farmers. Separately, Tanushree Dutta faced criticism over hostile remarks following Patekar’s death. Dutta had previously accused him of sexual harassment. Actor Sandhya Mridul and singer Sona Mohapatra defended her right to speak about her experience, arguing that a person’s death does not erase alleged harm.