Tributes have been pouring in from across the film industry and political circles after veteran actor Nana Patekar passed away at the age of 75 following a cardiac arrest. Bollywood actor Anupam Kher also expressed his grief over Nana’s demise and teared up as he recalled fond memories he shared with him over the years.
The actor added that there could not have been a sadder piece of news, especially when he is 1,000 km away from India. The late actor-director died on March 9, 2023, at the age of 66 after suffering a heart attack in Gurugram. Nana Patekar died of cardiac arrest at his residence in Goa on October 8. The actor was taken to Manipal Hospital, where doctors attempted to revive him with cardiac massage for 45 minutes, but could not save him. He was 75.
He revealed that he is currently in Washington, DC, and learnt about the tragic news right after he finished his play, Jaane Pehchane Anjaane. Before Nana Patekar, Anupam Kher had also lost another close friend, Satish Kaushik. Anupam took to Instagram and shared an emotional video recalling his memories with Nana. Anupam further recalled that whenever he met Nana, he would pretend to be angry with him, and to make him happy, Anupam would sing a song for him. He added, “it’s terrible, it’s not fair. Some people, we think will never go, and Nana was one of them. He was larger than life. He had the largest heart in the world. Nana’s anger was all kindness. It’s not right, he should have not gone. The actor added that he had worked in several films with Nana and had spent a lot of time with him. He recalled recently passing by Nana’s house and promising him that he would visit the next time he was in town. This shouldn’t have happened. With some people this thing should never happen. There was a sense of belonging in his scolding. He would sometimes even scold without any reason. He further wrote in the caption that Nana would have hated the idea of tributes. The emotional note penned by the actor read, “NANA PATEKAR THE GREATEST? A couple of hours ago, I received the heartbreaking news that my friend Nana Patekar, one of the finest actors and human beings in Indian cinema, is no more. I had just finished our performance and taken the curtain call. After that, I had to meet people, pose for photographs, smile, sit down for a meal… while trying to absorb what I had just heard. It was terribly difficult. Satish had been in Delhi when he complained of uneasiness and was being taken to hospital when his condition deteriorated. The actor is survived by his wife, Neelkanti Patekar, and son, Malhar Patekar.
He said that while he was being appreciated after his show ended, he was hit by the sad news of Nana’s death as soon as he entered the backstage area. He broke down in tears as he said, “He shouldn’t have left like this, this is wrong. As I walked into the wings, my director Gajendra told me, “Nana is no more.
