Nana Patekar’s son Malhar: 35 years apart, never alone

When Nana Patekar passed away at 75 after a cardiac arrest in Goa, the headlines moved fast. But his son Malhar Patekar says much of what circulated about the family missed the quieter truth: the Patekars were far more connected than their public separation suggested.

In a new interview, the filmmaker son opened up about the moments before his father’s death and the decision his parents made to remain married while living apart. It is a response to the wave of speculation that followed the veteran actor’s passing.

Neelkanthi Patekar, Nana’s wife from 1978, was present at his state funeral, a reminder that the couple never legally divorced despite living separately for 35 years. Their son Malhar has now shared what those final days looked like, and why the family’s private bond stayed intact.

A son’s account of his father’s final hours

Malhar told Hindustan Times that Nana was in Goa ahead of a scheduled shoot for KBC Marathi with Madhuri Dixit. His cousin Prasad, who handled the actor’s entertainment-related meetings, had been sent to Mumbai for that work. His brother Amay stayed back just long enough to settle Nana upstairs in the house before leaving.

That detail matters to Malhar because viral posts had implied his father was alone or unwell near the end. He called such claims "kitna ghalat" and said one family member was always with Nana.

35 years apart, but not apart in feeling

The marriage puzzles fans because Neelkanthi and Nana stayed legally husband and wife for decades while living separate lives. Malhar’s explanation is simple on paper and complicated from the outside: a 38-39 saal ka bond does not vanish because a couple chooses different homes.

"Just because we don’t share family pics on Insta, that doesn’t mean we don’t bond," Malhar said. He added that whatever the outside world saw never reflected the emotional support he received from parents, uncles and cousins.

For Bollywood fans, the comments land differently from a typical family statement. They are a rare look at how the industry’s most private bonds survive when public perception is shaped by social media posts.

Malhar’s larger point is that family closeness is a real, offline thing. It lives in daily check-ins, shared decisions and a son’s memory of being loved, not in a feed.

Fitness and family were the constants

• Nana was in Goa for a planned KBC Marathi shoot with Madhuri Dixit.
• His cousin Prasad was sent to Mumbai for the entertainment-related work.
• His brother Amay stayed to settle him upstairs before leaving.
• At 75, Nana still worked out for two and a half hours in the gym.

For Malhar, that workout detail is a pushback against the idea that his father was frail. "He was very active," he said, noting that even younger people find it hard to match.

What fans can take from this is bigger than one funeral: real relationships often look different from their Instagram version, and viral family gossip is rarely the full picture.

Source: The Times of India