Nana Patekar, 75, remembered by Akshay, Paresh and Manisha

Nana Patekar, the actor whose low-key control and unmistakable voice defined some of Hindi cinema’s most rewatchable roles, died in the early hours of Thursday, October 8, at his home in Goa. He was 75.

His passing brought immediate tributes from co-stars and collaborators, including Akshay Kumar, Manisha Koirala, Paresh Rawal, Manoj Bajpayee and Urmila Matondkar. Many used the Marathi phrase “Aamche Nana” – our Nana – a small sign of how personally the industry took the loss.

Co-stars remember an actor who did not need to shout

Akshay Kumar, who worked with Patekar in Welcome and later Housefull 5, wrote that Patekar “never needed to do too much” to make audiences sit up and watch. That description, repeated in different words across the tributes, gets at the centre of his appeal.

Manisha Koirala called him a “true stalwart of the craft” and said his contribution to cinema would be remembered. Paresh Rawal, his Welcome co-star, kept his note brief and emotional, calling him “insanely honest and intense.”

Urmila Matondkar, who worked with him in Bhoot, called the news “devastating beyond words” and remembered his place in Marathi theatre. Manoj Bajpayee widened the frame, saying Patekar’s journey gave hope to actors who arrived in Mumbai hoping to find a place in films.

Why his career still matters

Patekar worked across Hindi and Marathi cinema for more than four decades. He built a reputation for performances that felt unforced, often using stillness and the texture of his voice where other actors might push harder.

The tributes point to a specific kind of legacy. For viewers, he was a reason to buy a ticket in the opening weekend. For actors, he was evidence that craft and individuality could be enough, even in an industry that often rewards something easier to package.

Patekar also represented a particular style of stardom – direct, unpolished and not built on social media packaging. That is why many of the messages read less like formal notes and more like personal loss. Filmmaker Anees Bazmee, who worked with him on several films, called the death an “immeasurable loss.”

• Akshay Kumar remembered him from Welcome and Housefull 5 as a performer who could command attention with restraint.
• Urmila Matondkar remembered his Marathi theatre roots and called the news “shattering.”
• Manoj Bajpayee said Patekar’s career gave hope to outsiders trying to build a place in Mumbai.
• Ravi Kishan called him “Nat Samrat” and recalled a conversation in which Patekar said he would visit Gorakhpur and let Kishan show him around.
• Suniel Shetty, his co-star in Hu Tu Tu and Tum Milo Toh Sahi, wrote that there would never be another Nana.

What to watch again

If you want to understand why the tributes landed the way they did, the two Welcome films are the easiest place to start – they show his comic timing playing against an ensemble without getting lost. Bhoot is a different register, closer to the intensity Manoj Bajpayee and Paresh Rawal were describing. For Marathi theatre, the tributes themselves are a reminder to seek out the records that exist.

What comes next is likely a long industry mourning and retrospectives of a filmography that stretches beyond any single genre. For fans, the better response is simpler: pick a film, watch it again, and listen for the voice.

Source: India Today