Nana Patekar, whose career stretched from fierce dramatic performances to the much-loved gangster Uday Shetty in Welcome, has died aged 75 in Goa. The actor won three National Film Awards and became one of the most recognisable faces of Hindi and Marathi cinema.
His son, Malhar, confirmed the death to The Indian Express. NDTV reported that Patekar suffered a cardiac arrest at his Goa residence and was declared dead early on Thursday, 8 October, after doctors attempted to revive him.
Born Vishwanath Patekar in the state of Maharashtra in 1951, he made his film debut in Gaman in 1978. Roles in Salaam Bombay! and Parinda helped establish an actor whose intensity could dominate a scene.
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From award-winning dramas to Uday Shetty
Patekar earned the National Film Awards for supporting performances in Parinda and Agni Sakshi and the best actor award for Krantiveer. He also stepped behind the camera, directing and starring in the military drama Prahaar: The Final Attack.
Another audience came for his comic timing. He made it a signature role playing Uday Shetty, a gangster trying to go legit, in Welcome and Welcome Back. In the Marathi drama Natsamrat, he played a retired stage actor, estranged and lost to his family. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 2013, one of the highest civilian awards in India.
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Away from cinema, Patekar co-founded the Naam Foundation with fellow actor Makarand Anaspure in September 2015. Established in response to drought and farmer suicides in Maharashtra, it supports rural communities through water conservation and village development projects — work that became a significant part of his life beyond the screen.
