Nana Patekar, 75, to be cremated with full state honours

Veteran actor Nana Patekar will be cremated at his farmhouse in Donje village near Pune, and Maharashtra has announced full state honours for the farewell. The 75-year-old died in the early hours of Thursday at his residence in Dona Paula, Goa.

What happened in Goa

Patekar was found unconscious at his apartment and taken to a private hospital. Senior doctor Shekhar Salkar said the actor was given CPR for around 45 minutes but could not be revived; he was declared dead at 5.20 am.

According to Dr Salkar, a friend of Patekar received a message around 3.30 am saying the actor was not feeling well. The friend saw the message around 4 am and rushed to the residence, where Patekar lived with a caretaker. The caretaker called the hospital, and treatment began in the ambulance itself.

His body was later sent to Goa Medical College and Hospital in Bambolim for a post-mortem to establish the exact cause of death. A medico-legal case has also been registered.

The final journey to Pune

After the post-mortem, the body will be brought to the Donje farmhouse near Khadakwasla for antim darshan and cremation. Preparations are already underway on land near the farmhouse, with JCB machines and volunteers from the Naam Foundation working to prepare the site.

Maharashtra Cultural Affairs Minister Ashish Shelar said the last rites would be performed with full state honours. He wrote on X that the decision recognised Patekar’s “unparalleled contribution” to Marathi plays, and to Marathi and Hindi cinema. Shelar added that the actor had emerged from the lanes of Yeola and built his identity in Marathi theatre and cinema through talent and perseverance.

Why this farewell matters

Patekar was one of Indian cinema’s most distinctive actors. His notable Hindi films include Parinda, Prahaar, Tirangaa, Krantiveer, Khamoshi: The Musical and Welcome. Across his career he won three National Film Awards, several Filmfare Awards, the Maharashtra State Film Award and Filmfare Marathi Awards, and was honoured with the Padma Shri.

A close associate told India Today that Patekar celebrated Ganpati at the farmhouse and personally fed everyone with his hands. The associate said the Naam Foundation would “keep him alive” through its continuing work. That continuity is visible at the farmhouse itself, where volunteers from the same foundation are preparing the cremation ground even before the body arrives.

For fans, the state honour and the farmhouse setting turn the farewell into public recognition of a singular film life rather than a private family moment. Patekar’s career moved from intense parallel cinema to mass favourites such as Welcome, giving younger audiences a comic role entirely different from his earlier work.

What to watch next

• The post-mortem report should clarify the cause of death after a medico-legal case was registered.
• The body’s arrival at Donje village will give fans and colleagues a place to gather for antim darshan.
• Further tributes from the Marathi and Hindi film industries are likely once the cremation details are confirmed.

Patekar’s death closes a chapter in Hindi and Marathi cinema, but the Naam Foundation’s work is being positioned as the living legacy that keeps him present.

Source: India Today