Death is something most people spend their lives trying not to think about. The loss of someone close, the passing of a familiar face or even the thought of our own mortality can leave us searching for answers. For Nana Patekar, however, the thought of death came with a certain acceptance.
The actor died on Thursday at 5:20 am. He was 75.
What’s Happening
In a throwback interview with Siddharth Kannan around the release of Vanvas, the veteran actor spoke about death, losing people around him and the curious nature of his profession.
“I’m not scared of death. Whenever I’m supposed to die, I will die,” Nana said.
Acknowledging that several actors had died recently, he admitted that their deaths affected him. Yet, alongside the sadness, there was also an awareness that death was inevitable.
“Everyone around me has gone. A lot of actors passed away. I feel terrible about it, but then I also think that my time will come, too. I will die someday as well,” he said.
“We have a camera to express our emotions. All the frustration we feel, all the emotions we have bottled up, we get to express them through acting. We are lucky,” he added.
“In return, we receive praise, applause and money. We become famous, and people start loving us. But we are simply selling our bottled-up emotions,” he concluded.
Nana Patekar’s Death
Nana Patekar died on Thursday morning after suffering a severe cardiac arrest at his residence in Goa. According to reports, he contacted a friend in the early hours after feeling uneasy and was taken to Manipal Hospital. Doctors reportedly attempted to revive him for around 45 minutes.
His mortal remains were subsequently transported to Pune. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis paid his respects at the airport before the actor’s body was taken by road to the family farmhouse in Donje village.
The funeral was attended by political leaders, members of the film industry and more than 1,000 admirers. His mortal remains were draped in the Tricolour, and a marching band accompanied the procession. A 21-gun salute by female police officers marked the ceremony.
Fans had begun arriving at the venue in the afternoon, with many waiting for hours to pay their final respects. Chants of “Nana Patekar amar rahe!” echoed at the funeral as people gathered to bid farewell to the veteran actor.
Among those who attended were Maharashtra Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Pawar, Union Ministers Murlidhar Mohol and Ramdas Athawale, and state ministers Chandrakant Patil, Uday Samant and Madhuri Misal. Actors Jackie Shroff and Pravin Tarde, along with Kiran Yadnyopavit, were also present.
Arrangements were made to manage the large gathering, including an elevated platform for the funeral pyre, a tent for dignitaries, barricades to regulate the crowd and a large screen for members of the public. Several establishments in and around Khadakwasla remained closed to facilitate the funeral procession.
