Nana Patekar Dies at 75; Rajinikanth Pays Tribute

Veteran actor Nana Patekar died in Goa on October 8 after a cardiac arrest. He was 75. News reports say he was found unconscious at his residence in Dona Paula and taken to a private hospital, where doctors tried to revive him for around 45 minutes.

His death has drawn tributes from across Hindi, Marathi and Tamil cinema, with many remembering a performer who could switch from simmering intensity to deadpan comedy without breaking stride.

Rajinikanth’s farewell to ‘Nanaji’

Rajinikanth, who worked with Patekar in Pa. Ranjith’s 2018 Tamil film Kaala, shared a deeply personal note. “I can’t believe my dear friend Nanaji is no longer with us,” he wrote. “My deepest condolences to his family and loved ones. May his soul rest in peace.”

In Kaala, Patekar played Haridev Abhayankar, the antagonist who pushed Rajinikanth’s Karikaalan into a tense face-off. The conflict between the two actors became one of the film’s most talked-about strengths.

A career full of stinging performances

Patekar won three National Film Awards and was honoured with the Padma Shri for his contribution to cinema and the arts. His Hindi filmography is packed with roles that still get quoted and revisited: Parinda, Krantiveer, Prahaar, Angaar, Ab Tak Chhappan and Welcome. He also appeared in Tamil cinema in Bharathiraja’s Bommalattam and later Kaala.

If you’re revisiting his work, start here:

• Kaala (2018): a villain who feels like a real threat, not a cartoon.
• Prahaar and Krantiveer: two performances built on anger and conviction.
• Parinda and Ab Tak Chhappan: the range from gangster drama to no-nonsense cop thriller.

Why this leaves a gap

For Hindi film fans, Nana Patekar was more than a veteran. He was an actor who didn’t need a conventional launch or a romantic lead to become central to a film. He could make you laugh in Welcome, then break you in Prahaar. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also noted his contribution to Hindi and Marathi cinema, a measure of how deeply he was woven into India’s screen culture.

Rajinikanth’s message stands out because it sounds less like a co-star and more like a friend. That kind of bond is what made his Kaala clash work. The affection was real behind the rage.

Source: The Times of India