Veteran Indian actor Nana Patekar dies at 75

Veteran Indian actor Nana Patekar dies at 75

Veteran Indian actor Nana Patekar has died at the age of 75 in Goa, his son Malhar told the BBC.

Patekar was taken to hospital after he lost consciousness at his flat in the early hours of Thursday.

"Despite 45 minutes of continuous CPR, he could not be revived," Dr Shekhar Salkar from Manipal Hospital in Goa told a news agency.

Patekar appeared in dozens of successful Bollywood films, but he was also a major force in theatre and regional cinema, especially in Marathi.

He made his film debut in Gaman in 1978 and went on to take smaller roles in several movies. Yet the forcefulness he brought to the screen was impossible to ignore, and he soon secured a role in Parinda in 1989, which made him a household name across India. His performance as the volatile gangster Anna earned him his first National Film Award and Filmfare Award.

After that, he did not look back and played many unforgettable characters in films throughout the 1990s. The variety of roles he took on reflected the depth of his acting ability and his command of the craft.

His performance as Major Chauhan in Prahaar – a film he also directed – won praise. He also stood out as the villainous Majid Khan in Angaar, the patriotic firebrand in Tirangaa, and, most notably, Pratap Narayan Tilak in Krantiveer, for which he received the national award for best actor.

Just when critics believed loud, forceful characters were his signature, he proved them wrong with a spellbinding performance in Khamoshi as a man who could neither hear nor speak.

Born in Maharashtra in 1951, Patekar started out in theatre before entering films.

Director Prakash Jha's Rajneeti in 2010 added yet another layer to his acting, with his portrayal of a shrewd politician delivered to perfection.

The scope of Patekar's career reflects the richness of his talent. He portrayed gangsters, soldiers, policemen, politicians, patriots, villains, comic figures and tragic characters, while moving between Hindi and Marathi cinema and occasionally working behind the camera as a director and writer.

His three National Awards for Parinda, Krantiveer and Agni Sakshi stand as proof of his career.

Patekar was also a significant presence in both Marathi and Hindi theatre. Before cinema made him widely known, he spent years in theatre, where he built the intensity and discipline that later became defining features of his screen work.

Purush and Hamidabai Chi Kothi were two of his best-known plays. Even after finding success in films, he stayed active in theatre throughout his working life.

Patekar was also an influential figure in both Marathi and Hindi theatre

Patekar was also known for his activism and did not hold back when criticising the government of the day. He was blunt, and almost brazen and unapologetic, in his criticism of ministers and their policies, and he did so very publicly.

Issues affecting farmers were especially close to his heart.

His efforts went beyond public appeals: in 2015 he and actor Makarand Anaspure founded the Naam Foundation, which has worked on farmer welfare, water conservation and the restoration of rural infrastructure in Maharashtra.

But his career was not free of controversy.

In 2018, allegations of sexual harassment made by actor Tanushree Dutta against Patekar over an alleged incident on a film set a decade earlier helped spark India's #MeToo movement. Patekar denied the allegations.

In 2019, he was cleared of the charges after police said they had not found sufficient evidence against him.