Veteran Indian actor Nana Patekar dies at 75

ByVikas Pandey BBC News, Delhi.

Key points

• His work moved beyond public appeals: in 2015 he and actor Makarand Anaspure established the Naam Foundation.
• "Despite 45 minutes of continuous CPR, he could not be revived, " Dr Shekhar Salkar of Manipal Hospital in Goa informed ANI news agency.
• Director Prakash Jha's Rajneeti in 2010 continued another dimension to his acting as his portrayal of an astute politician was delivered with perfection.
• Patekar created his debut with the film Gaman in 1978 and continued to play smaller roles in a number of films.
• His three national awards for Parinda, Krantiveer and Agni Sakshi are a testament to his career.

Veteran Indian actor Nana Patekar, known for his intense performances and distinct dialogue delivery, has died at the age of 75 in Goa, his son Malhar informed the BBC.

One of the most recognisable faces of Indian cinema, Patekar won three National Film Awards and became known for playing complex, often volatile characters in films such as Parinda, Krantiveer and Ab Tak Chhappan. He was additionally a prominent figure in Marathi language cinema and theatre.

He was rushed to hospital after being discovered unconscious at his home in Goa in the early hours of Thursday.

Patekar created his debut with the film Gaman in 1978 and continued to play smaller roles in a number of films. But the intensity that he brought on the screen was hard to miss and shortly he landed a role in Parinda in 1989, making him a household name throughout India. His portrayal of the volatile, gritty gangster Anna won him his first National Film Award and the Filmfare Award.

He didn't look back after this and played plenty of memorable characters in a number of films through the 1990s. The range of the characters he played showcased the depth of his acting talent and mastery over his craft.

His portrayal of Major Chauhan in Prahaar – a film he additionally directed – won him praise. Then there was the villainous character of Majid Khan in Angaar, the patriotic firebrand of Tirangaa, and, most notably, Pratap Narayan Tilak in Krantiveer, for which he won the national award for best actor.

Just when critics thought that playing loud characters was his mainstay, he proved them wrong by delivering a mesmerising performance in Khamoshi as a person who could not hear or speak.

For context, the breadth of Patekar's career showcases the depth of his talent. While moving between Hindi and Marathi cinema and sometimes additionally working behind the camera as a director and writer, he has played gangsters, soldiers, policemen, politicians, patriots, villains, comic characters and tragic figures.

Patekar was additionally an influential figure in both Marathi and Hindi theatre. Before cinema created him a familiar face, he spent years working in theatre, where he developed the intensity and discipline that would become hallmarks of his screen performances.

Purush and Hamidabai Chi Kothi were two of his most famous plays. Despite being successful in films, he remained active in theatre throughout his professional life.

Patekar was additionally known for his activism and didn't mince his words while criticising the administration of the day. When it came to criticising ministers and their policies and that too quite publicly, he was direct, and almost brazen and unapologetic. Problems related to farmers were particularly close to his heart.

His work moved beyond public appeals: in 2015 he and actor Makarand Anaspure established the Naam Foundation. It has worked on farmer welfare, water conservation and the revival of rural infrastructure in Maharashtra. But his career was not without controversies.

In 2018, allegations of sexual harassment created by actor Tanushree Dutta against Patekar over an alleged incident on a film set a decade earlier assisted spark India's #MeToo movement. Patekar denied the allegations.

In 2019, he was cleared of the charges after police remarked they had not identified sufficient evidence against him.

In short, veteran Indian actor Nana Patekar dies at 75 is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.