PUNJAB NEWS DAILY

 Veteran actor Nana Patekar, known for his versatility and powerful screen presence across films such as “Salaam Bombay!”, “Khamoshi” and “Welcome”, passed away at his Goa residence in the early hours of Thursday.

He was 76.

Patekar is suspected to have suffered a heart attack, according to sources.

The actor was brought to a private hospital after he was found unconscious at his apartment in Dona Paula, near Panaji, Dr Shekhar Salkar, a senior doctor at the medical facility said.

Despite being administered CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) for 45 minutes, Patekar could not be revived and was declared dead at 5.10 am, he said.

A medico-legal case has been registered in this connection, and a postmortem would be conducted, he added.

As per information provided by a friend of Patekar to the hospital doctors, the actor had messaged him around 3.30 am that he was not feeling well.

“The friend saw the message around 4 am and rushed to the apartment of Patekar, who was living with a caretaker,” Salkar said.

The caretaker rushed to the private hospital, from where an ambulance was sent to his house. “The treatment started in the ambulance itself,” Salkar said.

Patekar’s residence is about 5 minutes away from the hospital.

The doctors tried to revive him after being brought to the hospital, but he was declared dead at 5.10 am.

The body has been sent to Goa Medical College and Hospital, Bambolim, where the postmortem would be conducted to ascertain the exact cause of death, Salkar said.

The actor’s sudden death has shocked his fans and industry colleagues as he seemed to be in good health as he attended an event here.

Condoling Patekar’s death Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the actor leaves a deep void.

“Few actors possessed the intensity, individuality and unmistakable presence that Shri Nana Patekar Ji had. He brought remarkable versatility and creativity to every role and gave us characters that will be remembered for generations. He was also admired for his frank and forthright views, never hesitating to express what he believed in,” the PM said in a post on X.

“Shri Nana Patekar’s contribution to Hindi and Marathi cinema was immense. His passing leaves a deep void. My condolences to his family, friends and countless admirers. Om Shanti,” he added.

Actor Akshay Kumar, who worked with Patekar on blockbuster comedy “Welcome”, said he has so many memories from their time together on the set that he will hold dear.

“Really saddened by the news of Nana ji’s passing. He was one of those rare actors who never needed to do too much to make you sit up and watch. That voice, that intensity, that honesty in every performance… he was completely his own,” Akshay wrote in a post on X.  WITH AGENCIES INPUT