Actor Nana Patekar passes away at 75

Mr. Patekar was brought to a private hospital after he was found unconscious at his apartment in Dona Paula, near Goa’s Panaji region

Updated - October 08, 2026 09:29 am IST - Panaji

Veteran actor Nana Patekar passed away on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, at the age of 75 after suffering a severe cardiac arrest at his residence in Dona Paula, Goa. File | Photo Credit: PTI

Veteran actor Nana Patekar passed away at his Goa residence during the early hours of Thursday (October 8, 2026), after suffering from cardiac arrest, a Goa doctor suggested.

Mr. Patekar was 75 years old, brought to a private hospital after he was found unconscious at his apartment in Dona Paula, near Goa’s Panaji region.

Dr. Shekhar Salkar, Chief of Oncology Department at Manipal Hospital, said, “He was in unresponsive state when the medical team was called at home. The team found him in unconscious state and he gave CPR for almost 45 minutes to 1 hour. He was declared dead at 5:20 am.”

Also read | ‘I won’t do a film if I yawn during narration’: Nana Patekar

A medico-legal case has been registered in this connection, and a postmortem would be conducted, he added.

As per information provided by a friend of Mr. Patekar to the hospital doctors, the actor had messaged him around 3.30 a.m. that he was not feeling well. “The friend saw the message around 4 a.m. and rushed to the apartment of Patekar, who was living with a caretaker,” Dr. Salkar said.

The body has been sent to Goa Medical College and Hospital, Bambolim, where the postmortem would be conducted to ascertain the exact cause of death, Dr. Salkar said.

Chief Minister Pramod Sawant expressed his condolences and said, “Shocked and deeply saddened to learn about the demise of veteran actor Nana Patekarji. With his remarkable journey across theatre, Hindi and Marathi cinema, his powerful performances and distinctive artistry left an indelible mark on Indian cinema.”

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari also remembered him calling him a great soul and said, “The work he did in the rural areas of Maharashtra in the fields of water conservation and watershed management through the ‘Naam Foundation’ is significant. The helping hand he extended to the families of farmers who committed suicide became a support for many families. Nana was not only an excellent artist-actor but also a personality sensitive towards society. May God grant peace to the departed soul.”

Veteran actor Nana Patekar with Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

His fellow actor Prakash Raj cherished moments spent with Mr. Patekar, saying “Miss you my dear Nana ji .. Will cherish the moments spent..conversations.. arguments.. the food you cooked.. knowledge you shared . thank you for coming into my life’s journey.”

Mr. Patekar was a recipient of three National Film Awards, several Filmfare Awards, the Maharashtra State Film Award and Filmfare Awards Marathi. He had also received Padma Shri, the country’s fourth-highest civilian honour.

Congress leader Harshwardhan Sapkal also paid his homage, saying, “He was a sensitive personality marked by outstanding acting and had social awareness and a touch of humanity, Nana Patekar will forever remain in our memories. His passing has caused a great loss to the fields of art and society.”

Published - October 08, 2026 08:15 am IST

Goa / Actor / Hindi cinema

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