Veteran actor Nana Patekar spoke about death and the uncertainty of life just four days before his reported passing, during his final public appearance in Goa.
The actor, who was 75, attended the installation ceremony of Samraat Club International, State-I, at Taj Cidade de Goa in Dona Paula on October 4. During his address, Nana spoke about former Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar and his approach to politics before reflecting on his own life.
'I don’t know whether I will be here tomorrow or not'
While addressing those gathered at the event, Nana said that death is something everyone eventually has to face. He also questioned whether he was making the most of the time he had.
"We all have to go someday. I don't know whether I will be here tomorrow or not. Every person's life will eventually reach that point. But before that happens, I have to ask myself: am I able to do what I want to do?" the actor said in Marathi while addressing the gathering at the event.
A post shared by news agency PTI showed Nana at the ceremony dressed in a white kurta with a white scarf around his neck. His remarks came days before his death.
Nana Patekar's death
According to the information provided, Nana died at 5:20 am on Thursday after suffering a severe cardiac arrest at his residence in Goa. He was subsequently taken to hospital.
Dr Shekhar Salkar, Chief of the Oncology Department at Manipal Hospital, said that medical staff attempted to revive the actor with CPR for 45 minutes.
"A medico-legal case (MLC) has been registered, and a post-mortem will be conducted," the doctor said.
Nana’s final film appearance was in ‘O'Romeo’, which also featured Shahid Kapoor, Tripti Dimri, Avinash Tiwary and Disha Patani.
A career spanning Hindi and Marathi cinema
Born Vishwanath Patekar on January 1, 1951, in Maharashtra, Nana built a career across Hindi and Marathi cinema. He made his Hindi film debut with ‘Gaman’ in 1978 and went on to become known for intense, realistic performances and a distinctive dialogue delivery style.
‘Salaam Bombay’ and ‘Parinda’ brought him wider recognition, followed by films such as ‘Tirangaa’, ‘Krantiveer’, ‘Khamoshi: The Musical’, ‘Yeshwant’, ‘Ab Tak Chhappan’, ‘Apaharan’ and ‘Rajneeti’.
He also directed ‘Prahaar: The Final Attack’ in 1991. Later, his portrayal of Uday Shetty in the ‘Welcome’ franchise showed audiences his comic side.
A Padma Shri recipient, Nana won three National Film Awards during his career. He was also associated with social causes, including support for farmers, and his NGO provided financial assistance to families affected by shelling during Operation Sindoor.