Veteran Bollywood actor and filmmaker Nana Patekar has died at the age of 75 after suffering a cardiac arrest at his residence in Goa, Indian media reported on Thursday.
Patekar was found unconscious at his home during the early hours of Thursday and was taken to Manipal Hospital. Doctors tried to revive him for around 45 minutes, but their efforts were unsuccessful. He was declared dead at around 5:20am.
Dr Shekhar Salkar, chief of the oncology department at Manipal Hospital, said the actor was brought to the hospital in an unresponsive condition. Medical staff continued efforts to revive him, but he could not be saved.
According to the doctor, Patekar had contacted a friend during the night and said that he was not feeling well. The friend later reached his residence and found the actor sweating and gradually losing consciousness.
#WATCH | Goa: Dr. Shekhar Salkar, Chief of the Oncology Department, Manipal Hospital, says, “Nana Patekar was brought dead to the hospital… he was declared dead by 5:30 am. We had tried our best to save him, but he was brought dead. Cardiac massage was given for almost 45 minutes to an hour, but he just could not be saved. As per what we recalled, at around 2:30, he sent a message to his friend that he was not feeling well. But as it was nighttime, his friend could not see the message. So he just called him. He went to his house at around 4 o’clock. By that time, he was sweating and all. They moved him, all those primary things. But he was slowly becoming unconscious… So they sent his caretaker to the hospital… He took our ambulance. When our ER team went there, they started cardiac massage because he was totally unresponsive… They shifted him to our hospital at around 4:20 or 4:30 am. We also tried our best, but he was brought dead. Then we had to file a police case because there’s an MLC (medico-legal case). The body has now been taken to the Goa Medical College for post-mortem. His family was not there. His friends were there with him and a caretaker.”
— ANI (@ANI) October 8, 2026
An ambulance was called, while emergency personnel began attempts to revive him at the residence. He was subsequently shifted to the hospital, where doctors continued treatment.
Authorities registered a medico-legal case following his death, and his body was taken to Goa Medical College for a post-mortem examination.
A Career Spanning Decades
Nana Patekar was regarded as one of the most distinctive and versatile actors in Indian cinema. His career spanned several decades, during which he worked across Hindi and Marathi films as well as theatre.
He became widely known for his powerful performances and memorable dialogue delivery. Some of his best-known films include Parinda, Prahaar, Krantiveer, Khamoshi: The Musical, Welcome and Ab Tak Chappan.
Throughout his career, Patekar received three National Film Awards and was honoured with the Padma Shri in 2013.
His death prompted an outpouring of grief from colleagues, friends and fans across the Indian film industry.
Bollywood actor Anupam Kher paid an emotional tribute to Patekar, describing him as one of the finest actors and human beings in Indian cinema.
Kher recalled learning about his friend’s death shortly after completing a performance and said it was difficult to continue interacting with people while coming to terms with the loss.
He remembered Patekar’s warmth, hugs and extraordinary performances, saying he would continue to remember his friend through his films.
