Veteran Indian actor and filmmaker Nana Patekar, known for his fierce performances on Bollywood screens and on stage, has died at the age of 75. According to the Press Trust of India news agency, he died of a suspected cardiac arrest. The agency quoted a doctor at the hospital where he was pronounced dead on Thursday.
Born in 1951 in the western Indian state of Maharashtra, Patekar built a career spanning nearly five decades in Hindi- and Marathi-language cinema. He was known for his intense acting style and for roles that often portrayed complex or unconventional characters.
Patekar made his film debut in the 1978 Hindi film Gaman, and went on to leave his mark with works including Parinda and Krantiveer. He became more widely known to international audiences through director Mira Nair's Oscar-nominated film Salaam Bombay!
He won India's National Film Award three times, the country's highest film honor, and was awarded the Padma Shri, one of India's highest civilian honors.
"One of the rare few actors"
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences over Patekar's passing, praising his "intensity, his own personality and his unmistakable presence" as an actor.
"He brought incredible versatility and creativity to every role, leaving behind characters that will be remembered for generations," Modi wrote on X.
Patekar took on a wide range of roles, appeared alongside actors such as Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan, and succeeded in both serious and comedic parts.
"He was one of the rare few actors who never needed to do too much to make you sit up and take notice. That voice, that intensity, that honesty in every role… he was completely himself," said actor Akshay Kumar, who appeared alongside Patekar in several films.
Patekar is survived by his wife and son.
