Nana Patekar Death Cause of Death: Cardiac Arrest at 75, State Honours Funeral
October 9, 2026 — Indian cinema has lost one of its fiercest, most honest voices. Veteran actor Nana Patekar died on October 8, 2026, aged 75, and the Nana Patekar death cause of death has been confirmed as a severe cardiac arrest at his residence in Dona Paula, Goa. The actor complained of severe chest pain early Thursday morning, was found unresponsive, and could not be revived despite roughly 45 minutes of CPR at Manipal Hospital, where he was declared dead at about 5:20 AM. A day later, on Thursday, he was cremated with full state honours at his farmhouse in Donje, on the outskirts of Pune, as thousands gathered to say goodbye.
Nana Patekar death cause of death: what happened on October 8
The sequence of events on the morning of October 8 has been pieced together from reports by news agencies and hospital sources. According to his son Malhar Patekar, the actor complained of severe chest pain early on Thursday. A medical team rushed to his flat in Goa and found him unresponsive. He was taken to Manipal Hospital, where doctors attempted cardiopulmonary resuscitation for about 45 minutes. There was no response, and he was declared dead at 5:20 AM.
The news agency ANI reported the cause of death as cardiac arrest, and the hospital informed the police since Patekar was not a registered patient there. A medico-legal case was registered as a matter of procedure, and a post-mortem was conducted at Goa Medical College. The post-mortem report, as reported by the Press Trust of India (PTI), recorded the cause of death as acute myocardial infarction — a heart attack caused by a blood clot in the left main coronary artery — and classified it as a natural death. His last public appearance had come just four days earlier, on October 4, at the Samraat Club International ceremony in Dona Paula, Goa — where, those present say, he looked in his usual spirited form.
State honours funeral at his Pune farmhouse
As per his wishes, the final rites took place at the place he loved most. On Thursday afternoon, Nana Patekar's mortal remains were brought from Goa to Pune, and he was cremated with full state honours at his farmhouse in Donje village in Pune district, with a 3-gun salute. The Maharashtra government announced the state funeral in recognition of his cinematic legacy and his social welfare work through the Naam Foundation.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis paid his last respects at Pune airport before the body was taken to Donje, while Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde went to the farmhouse in person. From the film industry, Jackie Shroff, directors Anil Sharma and Aneez Bazmee, and producer Firoz Nadiadwala arrived at Donje to attend. A huge crowd of fans and villagers turned up as well, and the ceremony was carried out with the discipline and order that defined Patekar's own life. In a detail that has moved many, photographer Atul Kasbekar recalled that Nana had once humorously prepared a stack of firewood for his own funeral during a visit to the farmhouse — typically Nana, facing even death with a wry, practical shrug.
Bollywood pays tribute: Salman, SRK, Ajay Devgn, Akshay Kumar
The tributes began within hours of the news breaking and have continued through the day of the funeral. Salman Khan, who worked with Patekar in the beloved musical Khamoshi, posted on his Instagram Stories and then postponed his appearance at a GB Realty event in Mumbai's Bandra as a mark of respect. Shah Rukh Khan shared his grief online, remembering Nana as his "Hero Actor."
Ajay Devgn, who shared screen space with Nana in the searing Apaharan, posted a still from the film with a long note praising his powerful presence and unforgettable performances. Akshay Kumar, who played opposite him in Welcome and Housefull 5, wrote that Nana was one of those rare actors who never needed to do too much to make audiences sit up and watch — "that voice, that intensity, that honesty in every performance." Sunny Deol recalled that although they never worked together, they shared a bond of many years and described him as "fearless, full of life."
Riteish Deshmukh, Madhuri Dixit and several Marathi cinema colleagues also paid their respects. In a more complicated footnote to the mourning, actress Tanushree Dutta — whose #MeToo allegations against Patekar in 2018 had made headlines — reacted to his death with a pointed remark that was widely reported. The industry, however, has largely focused its tributes on the work: the actor, not the controversy.
Nana Patekar's last movie and an unmatched legacy
Poignantly, Nana Patekar's final performance is still waiting to reach audiences. He had recently wrapped his role in Shakti Shalini, the Aneet Padda-starrer directed by Aditya Sarpotdar, who has recalled how the veteran would cook for the crew amid Rajasthan's sweltering heat. Reports say the makers are eyeing a March release, deliberately avoiding a clash with Shah Rukh Khan's King. It will be a strange, moving farewell — one last Nana performance, unveiled after he is gone.
The career that ends there spanned nearly five decades and two of India's great film industries. Born Vishwanath Patekar on January 1, 1951, in Murud-Janjira, Maharashtra, he trained at Mumbai's Sir J.J. School of Art before finding his way through Marathi theatre into films. His Hindi debut came with Gaman (1978); Ankush (1986) gave him real momentum; and Parinda (1989) — his terrifying gangster Anna — won him the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor and made him impossible to ignore.
The 1990s were his imperial phase: the Filmfare Best Villain award for Angaar (1992), the National Award and Filmfare Best Actor for Krantiveer (1994), a third National Award for Agni Sakshi (1996). He carried the same fire into the 2000s — the granite-hard encounter specialist Sadhu Agashe in Ab Tak Chhappan (2004), the chilling Tabrez Noorani in Apaharan (2005), and then the left turn nobody saw coming: Welcome (2007), where his gangster Uday Shetty became a pop-culture immortal. He repeated the role in Welcome Back (2015). Alongside all of it were the Marathi masterpieces — Natsamrat (2016) above all — and Mira Nair's Oscar-nominated Salaam Bombay! (1988), which carried his name to international audiences.
Three National Film Awards, four Filmfare Awards, the Padma Shri in 2013, and the Naam Foundation's drought-relief work in Maharashtra — the honours only tell half the story. The other half was the man himself: famously frugal, famously blunt, allergic to starry airs, and utterly incapable of a dishonest performance. Indian cinema has had bigger stars. It has had very few truer ones.
Nana Patekar: the essential scorecard
| Full name | Vishwanath Patekar (Nana Patekar) |
|---|---|
| Born | January 1, 1951, Murud-Janjira, Maharashtra |
| Died | October 8, 2026, aged 75, Dona Paula, Goa |
| Cause of death | Cardiac arrest (confirmed; ~45 minutes of CPR unsuccessful) |
| Funeral | October 9, 2026 — full state honours, 3-gun salute, Donje farmhouse, Pune |
| Debut | Gaman (1978, Hindi); Marathi theatre before that |
| National Film Awards | 3 — Parinda (Best Supporting Actor, 1989), Krantiveer (Best Actor, 1994), Agni Sakshi (Best Supporting Actor, 1996) |
| Other honours | 4 Filmfare Awards, Padma Shri (2013) |
| Iconic roles | Anna in Parinda, Pratap Narayan Tilak in Krantiveer, Sadhu Agashe in Ab Tak Chhappan, Uday Shetty in Welcome |
| Last film | Shakti Shalini (wrapped before his death; reported March release) |
| Social work | Naam Foundation (drought relief for Maharashtra farmers) |
More Bollywood news today: Drishyam's Week 1, Ramayana previews, Ranabaali trailer
Even on a day of mourning, the industry calendar marches on. Ajay Devgn's Drishyam: The Conclusion has completed a record Week 1, collecting around Rs. 240 crore nett in India — the biggest opening week in the franchise's history and a number that puts its worldwide total past Rs. 300 crore, inside the top five grossers of 2026. Trade trackers note these are estimates, not studio-official figures. Our full weekend-by-weekend breakdown of the Drishyam storm is linked in the related coverage below.
In scoop territory, reports say Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana is expected to hold paid previews on November 4, ahead of its Diwali-season release — a move that shows how much confidence the makers have in the Ranbir Kapoor-led epic. And Thursday evening saw the trailer drop for Ranabaali, the Vijay Deverakonda–Rashmika Mandanna period drama set during the British-era famine, which opens October 16 in multiple languages and will go head-to-head with Rajinikanth's Jailer 2, whose overseas advance bookings have already crossed $1 million.
One sad footnote from the industry's own pages: veteran actor Mushtaq Khan also passed away on Thursday at 56, with Sunny Deol, Anees Bazmee and Anil Sharma among those paying tribute — a double blow for Bollywood in a single day.
Related coverage on Showbiz Daily
- Drishyam 3's Rs 177 crore weekend storm and the Bollywood release shake-up it caused — our box-office tracking of the film that now owns Week 1 records.
- Bollywood news roundup: Amitabh's KBC injury, Love & War's Rs 300 crore rights record — the week's other big industry headlines in one place.
- Upcoming Bollywood movies October to December 2026 — release dates, cast & details — Ramayana Part 1, King, Shakti Shalini and everything landing in the festive season.
- New Bollywood movies released in September 2026 — box office hits and flops — Mirzapur's blockbuster run, Haiwaan's fall, and the month that set up October.
- Tu Hai Meri Kiran trailer out plus Karan Johar's 2028 slate — the latest Bollywood wrap with trailer news and release updates.
Sources: Press Trust of India (PTI) reporting carried by The Economic Times, Moneycontrol, News18 and Bollywood Hungama; Manipal Hospital, Goa; and the Goa Medical College and Hospital post-mortem findings. This report was reviewed and updated on November 3, 2026, to add the post-mortem findings and source attribution.
FAQs
What was Nana Patekar's cause of death?
Nana Patekar died of a severe cardiac arrest in the early hours of October 8, 2026, at his residence in Dona Paula, Goa. Doctors at Manipal Hospital attempted CPR for about 45 minutes but could not revive him, and he was declared dead at approximately 5:20 AM, as reported by ANI.
How old was Nana Patekar when he died?
Nana Patekar was 75 years old. He was born Vishwanath Patekar on January 1, 1951, in Murud-Janjira, Maharashtra, and died on October 8, 2026.
Where was Nana Patekar's funeral held?
Nana Patekar was cremated on October 9, 2026, with full state honours at his farmhouse in Donje village on the outskirts of Pune, Maharashtra, where he received a 3-gun salute. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde paid their respects.
What was Nana Patekar's last movie?
Nana Patekar's last movie is Shakti Shalini, the Aneet Padda-starrer directed by Aditya Sarpotdar. He had wrapped his role shortly before his death, and the makers are reportedly eyeing a March release that avoids a clash with Shah Rukh Khan's King.
How many National Awards did Nana Patekar win?
Nana Patekar won three National Film Awards: Best Supporting Actor for Parinda (1989), Best Actor for Krantiveer (1994), and Best Supporting Actor for Agni Sakshi (1996). He also won four Filmfare Awards and the Padma Shri in 2013.
Was Nana Patekar given a state funeral?
Yes. The Maharashtra government accorded Nana Patekar a state funeral with full state honours on October 9, 2026, in recognition of his cinematic legacy and his social welfare work through the Naam Foundation. His funeral included a 3-gun salute at his Pune farmhouse.