NEW DELHI: Veteran Indian actor Nana Patekar, who died on Thursday at the age of 75 after suffering a cardiac arrest at his residence in Goa, leaves behind a career spanning nearly five decades and a wide range of memorable roles in Hindi and Marathi cinema.
Born Vishwanath Patekar, he began his film career with Gaman in 1978 after working in theatre. He gained wider recognition with Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s Parinda (1989), in which he played the ruthless gangster Anna. The performance earned him the National Film Award and Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor and established him as a major screen presence.
Patekar delivered one of the most acclaimed performances of his career in Krantiveer (1994), playing Pratap Narayan Tilak, a disillusioned man who takes a stand against corruption and injustice. The role earned him the National Film Award for Best Actor and the Filmfare Award in the same category.
He later showed his comic side in the 2007 hit Welcome, playing Uday Shetty, an eccentric underworld don. His comic timing and dialogue delivery, including the popular “Control, Uday, control” line, made the character widely popular. He reprised the role in Welcome Back in 2015.
Among his other notable roles was encounter specialist Sadhu Agashe in Ab Tak Chhappan (2004). In Agni Sakshi (1996), he played Vishwanath, earning his third National Film Award, this time for Best Supporting Actor.
Patekar also took on a very different role in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Khamoshi: The Musical (1996), playing Joseph Braganza, the deaf and mute father of the film’s central characters. The performance showed his ability to handle emotionally demanding roles without relying on the intense and aggressive style often associated with him.
ALSO READ >>> Rawalpindi launches two new electric bus routes from today
In Marathi cinema, Patekar earned critical acclaim for his performance as a retired stage actor in Natsamrat (2016). The film became one of the notable works of his later career. He also directed and starred in Prahaar: The Final Attack (1991), playing Major Chauhan.
Patekar won three National Film Awards during his career and was awarded the Padma Shri in 2013. His filmography included serious dramas, crime films, social stories and mainstream comedies, allowing him to build a reputation for playing both intense and lighter characters.
From the ruthless Anna in Parinda and the fiery Pratap in Krantiveer to the comic Uday Shetty in Welcome, Patekar’s performances gave him a lasting place in Indian cinema.
