Nana Patekar, the Padma Shri-winning actor whose intense screen presence ran through Hindi and Marathi cinema, died on Thursday, October 8, 2026 after a severe cardiac arrest at his Dona Paula home in Goa. He was 75.
His son Malhar Patekar confirmed the news. Patekar was rushed to Manipal Hospital, where doctors attempted CPR for roughly 45 minutes, but he could not be revived and was declared dead at around 5:20 am IST.
A Pune farewell, not a film set
Patekar’s remains were brought from Goa to Pune, in keeping with his wishes. The actor was cremated at his Donje farmhouse, with Malhar Patekar performing the last rites and lighting the funeral pyre. Family, friends and colleagues from the film industry were present.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced full state honours for the actor. Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde paid their respects at Pune airport. Among the film fraternity at the funeral were Jackie Shroff, producer Sajid Nadiadwala and filmmaker Anil Sharma.
Unlike a typical celebrity farewell in Mumbai, the Donje farmhouse ceremony gave the goodbye a quieter, more personal centre. It also respected a request the actor had made before his death and placed the final frame in Maharashtra rather than in the industry’s usual spotlight.
What we know
- Died: early Thursday, October 8, 2026, at 75, after a cardiac arrest in Goa.
- Hospital effort: CPR for about 45 minutes at Manipal Hospital before he was declared dead at approximately 5:20 am IST.
- Last rites: son Malhar Patekar lit the pyre at the Donje farmhouse in Pune.
- State honour: full state honours announced by Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis.
- Social work: recognised for the Naam Foundation, co-founded with Makarand Anaspure.
Why the state honour matters
The Maharashtra government’s decision was about more than Patekar’s filmography. It also recognised his social welfare work through the Naam Foundation, which he co-founded with actor Makarand Anaspure to support drought-affected farmers and rural communities. That dual legacy, actor and public figure, made the honour feel specific to the state he called home.
For movie lovers, Patekar’s passing marks the exit of a particular kind of performer: an actor who could be physically restless and emotionally volatile on screen, never content to simply hit a mark. His body of work spans genres and languages, and the tributes from colleagues, admirers and the wider film fraternity have reflected that range.
How to remember him this week
If you are putting together a watchlist, pick performances where Patekar is allowed to be morally complicated rather than safely heroic; that is where his presence feels most modern. And if you knew only his screen image, read about the Naam Foundation’s farmer-focused relief work. The state honour makes the clearest point: the actor and the citizen were the same man.
Source: Bollywood Hungama
