PANAJI: Indian actor Vishwanath “Nana” Patekar died at 75 in Goa early Thursday after a cardiac arrest, according to Dr Shekhar Salkar, head of oncology at Manipal Hospital.
His son, Malhar Patekar, confirmed the death to The Indian Express. He was travelling from Pune to Goa and planned to issue a detailed statement.
Patekar complained of chest pain before someone found him unconscious at his residence. A medical team attended the home, attempted cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and took him to hospital.
Salkar told ANI that doctors tried to revive the actor for 45 minutes without success. Hospital staff declared him dead early in the morning. Authorities have registered a medico-legal case and plan a post-mortem examination.
Patekar’s film career spanned nearly five decades across Hindi and Marathi cinema, with appearances in Tamil and Kannada productions.
He made his film debut in “Gaman” in 1978. Later roles included Mira Nair’s “Salaam Bombay!”, which earned an Academy Award nomination.
His performances brought him three National Film Awards. He won Best Actor for “Krantiveer” and Best Supporting Actor for “Parinda” and “Agni Sakshi”.
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India honoured Patekar with the Padma Shri in 2013 for his contribution to cinema.
His Hindi credits included “Ab Tak Chhappan” (2004) and “Apaharan” (2005). In Marathi cinema, he starred in “Natsamrat” (2016).
For younger audiences, Patekar became familiar as gangster Uday Shetty in the 2007 comedy “Welcome”. The role became one of his most recognisable performances and introduced his work to another generation of viewers.
(With additional input from Cinema Express)
