Veteran Indian Actor Nana Patekar Dies at 75 After Cardiac Arrest in Goa

Veteran Indian actor Vishwanath ‘Nana’ Patekar died at the age of 75 after suffering a cardiac arrest at his residence in Goa. A medical team found the actor unconscious after responding to complaints of chest pain.

Medical Response and Hospital Declaration in Goa

According to news agency ANI, a medical team dispatched to the actor’s residence attempted cardiopulmonary resuscitation before rushing him to Goa’s Manipal Hospital. Dr. Shekhar Salkar, the chief of the oncology department at Manipal Hospital, stated that despite 45 minutes of continuous CPR, the actor could not be revived and was declared dead early Thursday morning at 5:20 a.m. local time. The actor was in Goa for an event where he made his last public appearance in Dona Paula on October 4. Actor and Padma Shri awardee Vishwanath “Nana” Patekar attended the installation ceremony of Samraat Club International, State-I, at Taj Cidade de Goa, Dona Paula, on Sunday. While addressing the gathering at the event, the actor talked about former Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, praised him and his style of working as a politician, and went on to say that everyone has to go (die) someday, adding, I don’t know whether I will be here tomorrow or not. We all have to go someday. But before that happens, I have to ask myself: am I able to do what I want to do? the actor said in Marathi while addressing the gathering at the event.

A medico-legal case has been registered. GMC Dean JP Tiwari constituted a three-doctor autopsy panel comprising Dr. Kedar Narvekar, Dr. Pannag S Kumar, and Dr. Peter Rodrigues to conduct a post-mortem examination.

Patekar Earns Multiple Awards over 48 Year Cinematic Career

Patekar built a 48-year career beginning with his 1978 film debut in Gaman, establishing himself across Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, and Kannada cinema. He gained widespread recognition for playing intense, complex characters, earning three National Film Awards: Best Supporting Actor for Parinda (1989) and Agni Sakshi (1996), and Best Actor for Krantiveer (1994). He also took Filmfare’s best villain prize twice, for Angaar (1992) and Apaharan (2005), and won Filmfare Marathi best actor awards for Dr. Prakash Baba Amte – The Real Hero (2014) and Natsamrat (2016), in which he starred as an aging theater veteran. This year he starred in the series Sankalp on Amazon MX Player and appeared alongside Shahid Kapoor in O’Romeo.

Patekar and Irrfan Khan won Filmfare trophies as lead, supporting player, and villain.

Public Tributes and State Funeral Plans in Pune

Bollywood star Akshay Kumar remembered him as a rare performer whose voice, intensity, and honesty commanded an audience’s attention. While speaking to ETimes, he said he is in shock after knowing about the death; this was not the time to go.

Maharashtra Culture Minister Ashish Shelar announced the actor will be accorded a state funeral. Ganesh Thorat, CEO of the actor’s Naam Foundation—an organization Patekar and actor Makarand Anaspure established in 2015 to support farmer welfare and water conservation—stated that the mortal remains will be brought to Patekar’s farmhouse in Donje on the outskirts of Pune for final rites.

We would speak from time to time, and I learned a great deal from his acting, simplicity and perspective on life.