Nana Patekar Dies At 75: Akshay Kumar, Riteish Deshmukh, Shikhar Dhawan, Kangana Ranaut And More Remember The Legend

Veteran actor Nana Patekar died at the age of 75 on Thursday, October 8, after suffering a severe cardiac arrest at his residence in Goa. Patekar was found unconscious at his home in Dona Paula and was rushed to Manipal Hospital. Doctors tried to revive him for around 45 minutes, but he could not be saved. He was declared dead at around 5:20 am. The news has left Bollywood, Marathi cinema and his fans shocked.

Tributes have been pouring in from actors, filmmakers, politicians and personalities from across industries, with many remembering Patekar’s distinctive acting style, simplicity and work for social causes.

Akshay Kumar Remembers Welcome Co-Star

Akshay Kumar, who worked with Patekar in Welcome and Housefull 5, shared an emotional tribute. In a touching note shared on X, he wrote, “Really saddened by the news of Nana ji’s passing. He was one of those rare actors who never needed to do too much to make you sit up and watch. That voice, that intensity, that honesty in every performance… he was completely his own.”

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He continued, “I feel fortunate that we got to work together in Welcome, and then again more recently in Housefull 5. There are so many memories from those sets that I’ll always hold close.
Nana ji was truly one of a kind. It’s hard to believe you’re gone.
Thank you for all the memories. You will be missed more than words can say.”

Akshay and Patekar’s Welcome pairing remains one of the actor’s most popular comic associations, with Patekar playing the memorable Uday Shetty.

Riteish Deshmukh Says “End Of An Era”

Riteish Deshmukh also reacted to Patekar’s death, saying he was “shocked beyond words”. The actor expressed, “I am shocked beyond words. Feels like a truck has hit me. Deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Nana Patekar ji. An actor par excellence, incomparable to anyone, he carved his place in people’s hearts with his own unique style and brand of acting. There wasn’t a role or a character he couldn’t perform. He aced it all — a larger-than-life hero, a terrifying villain or be it his poker-faced comedy.”