Last updated: 8 October 2026. Funeral and post-mortem details are still developing and will be updated.
Four days before he died, Nana Patekar stood in front of a crowd in Dona Paula, Goa, and talked about mortality. He remembered his friend Manohar Parrikar, said every person has to go someday, and admitted he did not know whether he would still be here the next day. It was his last public appearance. On the morning of 8 October 2026, he was gone.
Patekar was 75. He died after a cardiac arrest at his home in Goa, according to a doctor at Manipal Hospital, bringing to a close a career of nearly five decades in Hindi and Marathi cinema. This is the story of how a boy who painted film posters for a meal a day became the face on them, along with the latest confirmed details on his death, his state funeral and the work he leaves behind.
Prefer to read in Hindi? Khoobsurat Andaaz has told his story as a Hindi dastaan: नाना पाटेकर: पोस्टर रंगने वाले लड़के से क्रांतिवीर तक, एक आग की दास्तान.
Nana Patekar Quick Facts
| Full name | Vishwanath Patekar (known as Nana Patekar) |
| Born | 1 January 1951, Murud-Janjira, Raigad district, Maharashtra, India |
| Died | 8 October 2026, Dona Paula, Goa, India |
| Age at death | 75 |
| Reported cause | Cardiac arrest (post-mortem findings not public at the time of writing) |
| Occupation | Actor and filmmaker |
| Languages | Hindi, Marathi |
| Years active | 1978 to 2026 |
| Film debut | Gaman (1978) |
| Best known for | Parinda, Krantiveer, Prahaar: The Final Attack, Angaar, Khamoshi: The Musical, Ab Tak Chhappan, Welcome, Natsamrat |
| Major honours | Three National Film Awards, Padma Shri (2013) |
| Founded | Naam Foundation (2015, with Makarand Anaspure) |
| Family | Son Malhar Patekar, also an actor |
Who Was Nana Patekar?
Nana Patekar, born Vishwanath Patekar, was an Indian actor and filmmaker who worked in Hindi and Marathi cinema. He won three National Film Awards, four Filmfare Awards and the Padma Shri in 2013, and directed Prahaar: The Final Attack (1991). Audiences knew him as the crime lord of Parinda, the revolutionary of Krantiveer, the encounter specialist of Ab Tak Chhappan and the comic gangster Uday Shetty of Welcome. Few Hindi film actors moved between menace and comedy as easily.
How Nana Patekar Died: What Is Confirmed So Far
Nana Patekar died at around 5.20 am on 8 October 2026 at his residence in Dona Paula, Goa, after a cardiac arrest. Dr Shekhar Salkar of Manipal Hospital told news agency ANI that CPR continued for about 45 minutes but he could not be revived. Some reports put the time at around 5.30 am, which is when hospital staff said he was declared dead.
The doctor also described the final hours. Patekar reportedly messaged a friend around 2.30 am to say he was not feeling well. The friend reached his house around 4 am and found him sweating and slowly losing consciousness. The hospital’s emergency team began cardiac massage at the house because he was unresponsive, and he was brought in around 4.20 to 4.30 am.
A medico-legal case was registered and his body was sent to Goa Medical College and Hospital for a post-mortem. The findings had not been made public when this article was last updated.
Funeral, State Honours and Tributes
The Maharashtra government announced that Patekar will be cremated with full state honours. Cultural Affairs Minister Ashish Shelar said the decision recognises his contribution to Marathi and Hindi cinema and theatre. Pune District Collector Jitendra Dudi told IANS that the last rites will take place at the actor’s farmhouse in Donaje village near Pune, with the funeral expected around 4 pm on 8 October.
Tributes started arriving within hours. Akshay Kumar, Jr NTR and Kangana Ranaut were among the film figures who paid their respects, along with political leaders and fans across the country.
Early Life: The Boy Who Painted Posters
Nana Patekar was born on 1 January 1951 in Murud-Janjira, in what is now Raigad district of Maharashtra. His childhood was hard. In a 2015 Times of India interview, he said he learnt acting from the hunger and humiliation he faced at 13. He has also described walking about eight kilometres to Chunabhatti after school to paint film posters, for 35 rupees a month and one meal a day.
The hands that painted other people’s names on cinema hoardings later trained at the Sir J.J. Institute of Applied Art in Mumbai. Theatre followed, and his first play was directed by Vijaya Mehta. He has said his father’s love of plays shaped his own.
Nana Patekar’s Career
From Gaman to Parinda
Patekar made his Hindi film debut in Gaman (1978) and spent the 1980s building a reputation through supporting roles, including Mira Nair’s Salaam Bombay! (1988). The breakthrough came with Parinda (1989), in which he played the ruthless underworld don Anna. The performance won him his first National Film Award, for Best Supporting Actor, and the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor.
The 1990s: Prahaar, Angaar and Krantiveer
In 1991 he stepped behind the camera for Prahaar: The Final Attack, co-starring Madhuri Dixit, and trained with the Army to prepare for the role of an Army officer. Angaar (1992) earned him the Filmfare Award for Best Villain. Then came Krantiveer (1994), which brought a National Film Award for Best Actor and a Filmfare Award for Best Actor, and a line that still follows him: “Aa gaye meri maut ka tamasha dekhne.”
Agni Sakshi (1996) gave him a second National Award for Best Supporting Actor, for playing a sadistic husband. The same year, Khamoshi: The Musical cast him as a deaf father to Manisha Koirala’s character, a very different register from the villains who had made his name.
The Second Act: Ab Tak Chhappan, Welcome and Natsamrat
The 2000s showed how far his range stretched. He played an encounter specialist in Ab Tak Chhappan (2004), won a second Filmfare Award for Best Villain for Apaharan (2005) and shared the screen with John Abraham in Taxi No. 9211 (2006). Then Welcome (2007) turned him into something audiences did not expect: a good-hearted gangster. His Uday Shetty, opposite Anil Kapoor, drew widespread praise, and he returned for Welcome Back (2015).
Mushtaq Khan, who played Ballu in Welcome, died on 24 September 2026, two weeks before Patekar. Belloria covered it here: Mushtaq Khan, Bollywood’s Beloved ‘Welcome’ Actor, Dies at 56.
Raajneeti (2010) saw him play a politician in Prakash Jha’s multi-starrer, and The Attacks of 26/11 (2013) cast him as Joint Commissioner of Police Rakesh Maria. In Marathi cinema, Natsamrat (2016), in which he played a retired stage actor, was a major critical and commercial success and earned him a Filmfare Marathi Award for Best Actor. He also voiced Shere Khan in the Hindi version of The Jungle Book (2016).
The Final Years
Patekar kept working. He headlined The Vaccine War (2023), appeared in Vanvaas (2024) and played a supporting role in Housefull 5 (2025). In 2026 he was seen as a police officer in Vishal Bhardwaj’s O’Romeo, starring Shahid Kapoor and Triptii Dimri, and made a cameo in Subedar, starring Anil Kapoor and Radhika Madan, according to ANI.
Nana Patekar’s Awards and Honours
| Honour | Recognised for |
|---|---|
| National Film Award, Best Supporting Actor | Parinda |
| National Film Award, Best Actor | Krantiveer |
| National Film Award, Best Supporting Actor | Agni Sakshi |
| Filmfare Award, Best Supporting Actor | Parinda |
| Filmfare Award, Best Villain | Angaar and Apaharan |
| Filmfare Award, Best Actor | Krantiveer |
| Filmfare Marathi Award, Best Actor | Dr. Prakash Baba Amte: The Real Hero and Natsamrat |
| Padma Shri (2013) | Contribution to films and arts |
| Raj Kapoor Special Contribution Award (Maharashtra government, 2013) | Contribution to cinema |
Along with Irrfan Khan, Patekar is reported to be the only actor to have won Filmfare Awards in the Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor and Best Villain categories.
Beyond Cinema: The Army and the Naam Foundation
Patekar’s off-screen life was as unusual as his filmography. According to published profiles, he joined the Territorial Army, served with the Maratha Light Infantry during the 1999 Kargil War and retired in 2013 as a lieutenant colonel.
In September 2015 he founded the Naam Foundation with actor Makarand Anaspure to support farmers hit by drought in Maharashtra. He also donated the cash prize of his Raj Kapoor Special Contribution Award, Rs 10 lakh, to drought relief.
Patekar was widely known for a simple lifestyle. His son, Malhar Patekar, is also an actor.
Nana Patekar Social Media Stats
| X (Twitter) | IMDb | Wikipedia | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Not publicly verified | Not publicly verified | Not publicly verified | IMDb profile | Wikipedia |
Outlook India’s profile notes that Patekar kept a minimal online presence and had no verified personal social media accounts. Details were checked on 8 October 2026.
What Nana Patekar Leaves Behind
Nana Patekar never fit one box. He could be the crime lord people feared in Parinda and the comic gangster they quoted in Welcome. He could play a deaf father in Khamoshi: The Musical and a retired stage actor in Natsamrat. Off screen, he backed drought-hit farmers in Maharashtra through the Naam Foundation. In his last public speech, he asked whether a person is able to do what they want to do. Nearly five decades of work, in two languages, offer a fairly full answer.
Frequently Asked Questions
How did Nana Patekar die?
He died of a cardiac arrest at his residence in Dona Paula, Goa, on 8 October 2026, according to a Manipal Hospital doctor who spoke to ANI. A medico-legal case was registered and a post-mortem was ordered. Official findings had not been made public at the last update.
How old was Nana Patekar when he died?
He was 75. He was born on 1 January 1951.
When and where is Nana Patekar’s funeral?
The Maharashtra government announced a state funeral. Reports citing the Pune District Collector say the last rites will take place at his farmhouse in Donaje village near Pune, around 4 pm on 8 October 2026.
How many National Film Awards did Nana Patekar win?
Three: Best Supporting Actor for Parinda, Best Actor for Krantiveer and Best Supporting Actor for Agni Sakshi. He also received the Padma Shri in 2013.
What was Nana Patekar best known for?
He was best known for Parinda, Krantiveer, Prahaar: The Final Attack, Angaar, Ab Tak Chhappan and Welcome in Hindi cinema, and for Natsamrat in Marathi.
What were Nana Patekar’s last films?
His recent work includes O’Romeo (2026), a cameo in Subedar (2026) and Housefull 5 (2025).