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

Veteran Indian actor Nana Patekar has died at the age of 75, bringing to an end a screen and stage career that spanned nearly five decades. Patekar passed away on Thursday, October 8, 2026, after suffering a severe cardiac arrest at his residence in Dona Paula, Goa, according to media reports.

Patekar was reportedly found unconscious at his home in the early hours of Thursday and was rushed to Manipal Hospital in Dona Paula for treatment. Reports say repeated attempts to revive him with CPR failed, and he was pronounced dead. These details come from news reports; a formal statement from the hospital or his family had not been located at the time of writing.

Cardiac arrest, in which the heart suddenly stops pumping effectively, is medically distinct from a heart attack, which is caused by blocked blood flow to the heart. A health explainer published by The Week noted that cardiac arrest does not always end in death and that prompt CPR can improve the chances of survival, though in Patekar’s case it did not.

News of his death prompted an outpouring of grief across the country. President Droupadi Murmu said on X that she was deeply saddened by the passing of the veteran actor. Politicians also paid tribute, with coverage describing him as an actor who always stood up for society.

Born Vishwanath Patekar on January 1, 1951, in Murud-Janjira, in what is now Raigad district of Maharashtra, he studied at the Sir J.J. Institute of Applied Arts before turning to acting. He made his film debut in Gaman in 1978 and spent his early years in Marathi theatre and cinema, with his first play directed by Vijaya Mehta. Over the following decades he became one of the most recognizable faces in both Marathi and Hindi film.

His mainstream Hindi breakthrough came with intense, uncompromising roles. He starred opposite Madhuri Dixit in Prahaar: The Final Attack (1991), and in Krantiveer (1994) he delivered the performance that won him the National Film Award for Best Actor. He reportedly shot the film’s climax after returning from hospital, where he had been admitted during production. Reports describe him as a three-time National Award winner, an honor that placed him among the most decorated actors of his generation.

Patekar was equally admired for his range. He won wide praise for playing the good-hearted gangster Uday Shetty in the comedy Welcome (2007) and its sequel Welcome Back (2015), roles that brought him to a new generation of viewers. He later played a politician in the political thriller Raajneeti (2010). He moved easily between genres, appearing as a ghost in the children’s film Abhay (1994) and alongside Rishi Kapoor in Hum Dono (1995), and he lent his voice as a playback singer to films including Yeshwant, Wajood and Aanch. According to IMDb, the celebrated filmmaker Satyajit Ray admired his talent and wanted to direct him.

His screen style set him apart from the conventional leading men of his era. Rather than relying on romance or spectacle, he became known for characters who carried anger, conscience or dry humor, and for delivering lines with a force audiences recognized instantly. That approach made him a sought-after character actor and, in several films, the emotional center of the story even when he was not the official lead. In Aapla Manus he played a police officer, and in the Rajinikanth-starrer Kaala he was cast as a Union Minister, a reminder that his appeal extended well beyond Bollywood and across language and regional lines.

He remained active in recent years across languages. His credits include the Marathi police drama Aapla Manus, Tadka (2022), Ole Aale and Vanvaas (2024), a supporting role in the ensemble comedy Housefull 5, and most recently O’Romeo (2026), in which he appeared alongside Shahid Kapoor and a large ensemble cast.

Away from the screen, Patekar built a reputation for public service. He founded the Naam Foundation, known for its relief work in Maharashtra, and he received the Padma Shri in 2013. He also had a long association with the armed forces, serving with the Territorial Army and lending his services with the Maratha Light Infantry during the 1999 Kargil War. He held the rank of honorary lieutenant colonel.

He was also known for turning up in moments of public grief. In 2020 he visited the family home of the late actor Sushant Singh Rajput in Patna to offer condolences to the actor’s father. In 2026 he met Sunetra Pawar and her family weeks after the death of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in a plane crash at Baramati on January 28, a meeting that drew public attention for the visible sorrow on his face.

Patekar was equally known for living simply. In earlier years he lived in a modest one-bedroom flat in Mumbai, where he stayed close to his mother, Nirmala, who died in 2019 at the age of 99. He spoke openly in interviews about personal loss, including the death of his elder son, Durvasa, at the age of two and a half. His younger son, Malhar, is also in the film industry.

His death is a significant loss for Indian cinema, which has long relied on performers like Patekar to bridge the commercial and parallel traditions. Few actors of his generation moved so naturally between a blockbuster comedy and a politically charged drama, or between Marathi theatre and Hindi cinema. His dialogue delivery and unmistakable screen presence made him a favorite of directors and audiences alike, and his best-known characters are likely to be revisited in the days ahead as colleagues, filmmakers and fans pay tribute.

Details of the funeral and last rites had not been reported at the time of writing. Further information is expected from his family and from authorities in Goa and Maharashtra. Fans and colleagues have been sharing memories of his films and his charity work online, and more official tributes from the film industry and the government are expected through the day as the news spreads.