Nana Patekar, one of Indian cinema's most recognisable actors, died on Thursday, 8 October 2026, at the age of 75 at his home in Dona Paula, near Panaji in the western Indian state of Goa. His son Malhar confirmed the death to BBC Marathi. Patekar was found unconscious in the early hours and taken to a private hospital, where doctors could not revive him.
Dr Shekhar Salkar of Manipal Hospital said medical staff performed CPR for 45 minutes to an hour before Patekar was declared dead at 5:20 am. A doctor suggested cardiac arrest as the cause. According to the hospital, a friend had received a message from the actor around 3:30 am saying he felt unwell, and rushed to the apartment, where Patekar lived with a caretaker. A medico-legal case has been registered, and a postmortem will be conducted at Goa Medical College and Hospital in Bambolim to establish the exact cause of death.
Patekar was known for intense, often volatile characters and a distinctive, gritty style of dialogue delivery that he developed during years in Marathi and Hindi theatre. He debuted in film with Gaman in 1978 and became a household name with Parinda (1989), in which he played the gangster Anna, winning his first National Film Award and a Filmfare Award. He went on to play soldiers, politicians, villains and tragic figures in films such as Prahaar, which he also directed, Angaar, Tirangaa and Krantiveer. He won three National Film Awards, for Parinda, Krantiveer and Agni Sakshi. He also showed a quieter side as a character who could not hear or speak in Khamoshi, and played a shrewd politician in Rajneeti (2010). He was also awarded the Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian honour, and remained active in theatre, with plays such as Purush and Hamidabai Chi Kothi.
Tributes came from across political and film circles. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said his characters would "remain etched in the memory of generations" and that his death left "a vast void in the artistic world". President Droupadi Murmu called it a great loss to Indian cinema, while Defence Minister Rajnath Singh described him as "an institution in himself". Actors including Rajinikanth, Akshay Kumar, Jr NTR and Prakash Raj also paid tribute. The Maharashtra government announced he would be cremated with full state honours.
Many tributes also highlighted his work off screen. Through the Naam Foundation, which he set up with actor Makarand Anaspure, Patekar worked on water conservation and watershed management in rural Maharashtra and supported families of farmers who died by suicide. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said Patekar had always been at the forefront of helping farmers during droughts. For many, that combination of formidable screen presence and social commitment defines his legacy.