Nana Patekar’s Wife Earned Rs 2,500; He Earned Rs 50 a Show

As the film industry paid its final farewell to Nana Patekar, a quieter story resurfaced: the life of his wife, Neelakanti Patekar. She was the one who received the Indian flag during his cremation in Pune, a rare public appearance for a woman long known mainly as the Krantiveer star’s partner. Her own path runs from a Physics classroom to Marathi theatre, a bank job and eventually Chhaava.

A stage choice over the expected path

Neelakanti grew up in Pune in a home that valued education. Her father worked with the Central Excise Department and pushed her toward a conventional career. She studied Physics and, at his insistence, appeared for the IIT entrance examination. According to reports, she cleared it and then turned toward theatre, the field that actually pulled her.

That instinct paid off early.

• 1973: Gold Medal for Best Actress at the Maharashtra State Drama Competition.
• 1989: Maharashtra State Government’s Best Actress award for Aatm Vishwas, opposite Sachin Pilgaonkar.
• 2025: Returned as Dharau in the Vicky Kaushal-led historical drama Chhaava.

She also worked as a bank officer and stayed away from the screen for years, which makes the Chhaava return feel less like a debut and more like a homecoming.

The Rs 50 and Rs 2,500 partnership

Nana Patekar spoke to The Lallantop about their early days. They met while working on Jaat Hi Puchho Sadhu Ki, when he was still finding his footing. His theatre income was tiny: around Rs 50 a show. Neelakanti, meanwhile, was earning Rs 2,500 a month as a bank officer.

“I would get paid Rs 50 per show, and she had a salary of Rs 2500. I could only make Rs 750 after doing 15-20 shows,” he recalled. According to Nana, she told him to keep acting and assured him her salary would support them. He credited her for making his career possible.

For fans, that detail matters. It is easy to look at a veteran star and miss the household arithmetic behind the early years. In a business that once rewarded stage work very modestly, a steady outside income could be the difference between continuing and giving up.

Marriage, loss and a quiet return

The couple married in 1978. They lost their first son, Durvas, when he was around two and a half years old, and later welcomed their son Malhar. Over time, Nana and Neelakanti began living separately but remained legally married. Nana had said the two supported each other through difficult years before differences grew.

Neelakanti’s return in Chhaava brought her back before a wider audience, playing Dharau in the 2025 historical drama. The role recast her story for a generation that had only seen her as a name in Nana Patekar’s background. Nana died on October 8 after severe chest pain, and doctors at Manipal Hospital tried to revive him for about 45 minutes, according to Dr Shekhar Salkar. He was cremated in Pune with full state honours.

Source: India Today