The death of veteran actor Nana Patekar has prompted an outpouring of grief beyond India, with members of the Pakistani cricket fraternity also paying tribute to the celebrated performer. Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali has shared an emotional account of his long-standing friendship with the actor, remembering how Patekar remained in touch with him and supported his family through difficult periods.Patekar died at the age of 75 on October 8 after suffering a severe cardiac arrest at his residence in Dona Paula, Goa. He was found unconscious and taken to Manipal Hospital, where doctors attempted to revive him with continuous CPR. However, their efforts were unsuccessful, and he was declared dead.As news of his passing spread, Pakistani cricketer Umar Akmal remembered the actor in a social media post, while Basit shared a video reflecting on a personal connection that began in 1994 and continued for decades.Recalling when he first heard about Patekar’s death, Basit spoke about the affection he had for the actor and how their association had endured over the years.“Early in the morning I heard sad news. Our very dear brother, friend, and living legend is no longer in this world—Nana Patekar Sahab has passed away. What a person he was; he acted in movies exactly as he was in real life. We had nicknamed Latif as ‘Nana’. Because of Nana Patekar, we first talked back in 1994, and it all started from there,” Basit said.The former cricketer then recalled how Patekar would regularly call to check on his family, particularly during the period when his mother was hospitalised. According to Basit, the actor continued to offer emotional support after her death and later enquired about his own health when he suffered a heart problem.“Now there are so many memories. Usually, we spoke once or twice every month. When my mother was alive and in the hospital, Nana Ji called every week. He offered many prayers, talked at length with my mother, and listened to old stories. When my mother passed away, he told me, ‘Hey Basit, take care of yourself now’. And when I had my heart issue and returned home, I received a message asking about my health and telling me to call when I felt better. When I called him back, he inquired about how everything went, including the stent placement,” he added.Basit also remembered the informal conversations they shared about Patekar’s films, saying the actor’s personality away from the camera was much like the one audiences saw on screen. Their exchanges, he said, were marked by familiarity, warmth and humour.“He was such a wonderful human being. For people who only knew him through movies, he was the exact same person in real life as well. People praised him, and we were fortunate to have many conversations. Sometimes we would ask him about a specific scene in a movie, and he would playfully say, ‘Shut up, what do you know?’. The love and affection he gave as an elder was truly incredible,” he said.The news of Patekar’s death was particularly difficult for Basit to accept. He recalled often referring to the actor as a ‘young man’ because he did not appear to be 75, with Patekar responding jokingly that they were both getting old.“I still can’t believe this news. The man did not look 75 years old. I used to always call him ‘young man,’ and he would reply, ‘Forget it, both you and I are old now’. It is deeply painful. And I will say one thing here: Nana Ji had as many admirers in Pakistan as he had in India and across the world. People loved him very much,” he concluded his video.
A career spanning nearly five decades
Patekar was one of the most recognisable names in Hindi and Marathi cinema, building a career that stretched across nearly five decades. He made his Hindi film debut with the 1978 film ‘Gaman’ before earning widespread recognition for his performances in a range of critically acclaimed and popular films.A defining moment came with Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s ‘Parinda’ in 1989, in which his portrayal of the ruthless crime boss Anna won him the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor. His filmography also included ‘Prahar’, ‘Angaar’, ‘Krantiveer’, ‘Tiranga’, ‘Khamoshi’ and ‘Ab Tak Chhappan’, among others.His contribution to cinema was recognised with the Padma Shri in 2013, India’s fourth-highest civilian award. Away from films, Patekar was also associated with social initiatives, particularly efforts to support farmers and families affected by drought in Maharashtra.The veteran actor remained involved in films in recent years. He was part of ‘Housefull 5’, which featured Akshay Kumar, Abhishek Bachchan and Riteish Deshmukh, among others. He also played a police officer in Vishal Bhardwaj’s ‘O’Romeo’, starring Shahid Kapoor and Tripti Dimri, and had a cameo in ‘Subedar’, featuring Anil Kapoor and Radhika Madan.
