He was 75. PUNE: Nana Patekar, the actor whose raw intensity, unmistakable voice and explosive dialogue delivery made him one of the most distinctive performers in Hindi and Marathi cinema, died in Goa early Thursday.
Born Vishwanath Patekar in Murud-Janjira in Maharashtra’s Raigad district on January 1, 1951, he grew up amid financial hardship. He began working at the age of 13 and, in his early years, painted film posters to earn a modest income while studying at the Sir JJ School of Art in Mumbai. He made his film debut with Gaman in 1978 and gradually built a reputation through character roles, including Ankush. But it was Parinda in 1989 that transformed his standing in Hindi cinema. Tirangaa made him an instantly recognisable screen presence, while Krantiveer (1994) gave him one of his most celebrated lead performances and earned him the National Film Award for Best Actor.
For nearly five decades, Patekar refused to fit comfortably into the mould of the conventional Bollywood star. He could be menacing, vulnerable, angry, comic or deeply restrained, sometimes within the same performance. His greatest gift was making characters seem less like performances and more like people who had walked in from real life. It was theatre, however, that eventually gave shape to his artistic life. As the terrifying crime lord Anna, Patekar created a character whose menace came as much from controlled intensity as from violence. His performance earned him his first National Film Award, for Best Supporting Actor, and established the template for many of the unforgettable characters that followed. The 1990s brought some of the defining performances of his career. In Prahaar: The Final Attack, which he directed and starred in, Patekar explored his longstanding fascination with discipline and the armed forces. Agni Sakshi brought him another National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Patekar spent years in Marathi theatre, honing the craft that would define his screen career. His performances in plays such as Hamidabai Chi Kothi, Purush and Maha Sagar established him as a serious actor long before cinema gave him wider recognition. The actor, whose career spanned more than four decades, was found unconscious at his residence in Dona Paula, Goa, following a cardiac arrest. He went on to establish himself as an actor capable of bringing unusual intensity to his performances.
Earlier reporting noted: Also read: CM Adityanath hails Nana Patekar, reveals actor worked to prevent farmer suicides without publicity Earlier reporting noted: Born Vishwanath Patekar on January 1, 1951 in Maharashtra, Nana began his film career with the 1978 drnama Gaman. Earlier reporting noted: Nana Patekar dies at 75 due to cardiac arrest; was found unconscious at Goa residence Veteran actor Nana Patekar , one of the most respected performers in Hindi and Marathi cinema, has died at the age of 75.
