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Veteran actor Nana Patekar died in Goa on Thursday, 8 October 2026. He was in his mid-seventies: police records give his age as 76, while news agency reports put it at 75.
Quick Facts
| Full name | Vishwanath (Nana) Gajanan Patekar |
| Died | 8 October 2026, Goa |
| Born | 1951, Maharashtra |
| Film debut | Gaman (1978) |
| Known for | Parinda, Krantiveer, Salaam Bombay! |
| Honours | Three National Film Awards; Padma Shri |
What Police Have Said
According to the Indian Express, Patekar was found unresponsive at his home in Dona Paula and taken to a private hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival early on Thursday.
Panaji police received a call from the hospital at 8.07 am and registered an unnatural death case under section 194 of the BNSS.
A senior officer said: “Prima facie, it seems to be a case of cardiac arrest. The cause of death will be known after the post-mortem report is received.” The case, the officer said, was registered as a matter of protocol because he was brought dead to hospital.
His son, Malhar Patekar, said the actor died of natural causes, according to agency reports.
The Tributes
Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised his “intensity, individuality and unmistakable presence”.
Amitabh Bachchan paid tribute on Kaun Banega Crorepati and shared several clips of Patekar on social media, including one from their 1999 film Kohram. He later wrote on his blog about the pain of losing loved ones.
Akshay Kumar called him “one of those rare actors who never needed to do too much to make you sit up and watch”.
His Career
Patekar’s career ran for nearly five decades across Hindi and Marathi cinema and theatre. He was known for intense performances and unconventional characters, and reached an international audience with Mira Nair’s Oscar-nominated Salaam Bombay!
A Fuller Record
In 2018 an actress accused him of sexual harassment during the making of a film in 2008. He denied the allegation, and a Mumbai court dismissed the case last year.
Sources: Indian Express, Al Jazeera (AP, Reuters) (8–10 October 2026).
Featured image: Nana Patekar at the International Film Festival of India, Goa, in November 2017. Photo by joegoaukiffi3, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.