Veteran Indian actor Vishwanath “Nana” Patekar has died at the age of 75 after reportedly suffering a cardiac arrest at his residence in Goa. According to Indian media reports, the actor complained of chest pain before a medical team was called to his home.
The actor was reportedly found unconscious when the medical team arrived. Doctors attempted cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) before he was taken to a hospital. According to the reports, Patekar was declared dead early Thursday morning.
Dr Shehkar Salkar, head of oncology at Goa’s Manipal Hospital, was quoted as saying that a medico-legal case had been registered and a post-mortem examination would be conducted.
Nana Patekar had a career spanning nearly five decades across Hindi and Marathi cinema, along with appearances in Tamil and Kannada films. His acting career began in 1978 with the film Gaman.
Over the years, Patekar became known for a wide range of performances in Indian cinema. He appeared in Mira Nair’s Academy Award-nominated film Salaam Bombay! and received three National Film Awards. He won Best Supporting Actor for Parinda and Agni Sakshi and Best Actor for Krantiveer.
Patekar was also honoured with the Padma Shri, India’s fourth-highest civilian award, in 2013. A new generation of audiences became particularly familiar with him through his performance as gangster Uday Shetty in the 2007 comedy film Welcome.
His death marks the loss of a veteran performer whose career included acclaimed performances across several decades of Indian cinema.
