Nana Patekar dies at 75 after cardiac arrest in Goa
By Shamyak
Published
The Krantiveer and Parinda star was found unconscious at his Dona Paula home on 8 October. What is confirmed, what is still unclear, and the life behind four decades on stage and screen.
Original report
As of 8 October 2026, 09:30 IST
Nana Patekar, the actor whose four-decade career ran from Marathi theatre to Bollywood blockbusters, died on 8 October 2026 at the age of 75. His son, Malhar Patekar, confirmed the death, Business Today reported on the morning of 8 October.
He was found unconscious at his home in Dona Paula, Goa, rushed to hospital and declared brought dead, according to Business Today. Reports carried by Times Now and India TV English describe a cardiac arrest, but the cause has not been officially confirmed. See how every outlet covered it.
What we know
Two people are on record so far: his son and a treating doctor. Everything else is still being reported differently from outlet to outlet.
- His son confirmed it. Malhar Patekar confirmed the death, Business Today reported on 8 October.
- A doctor said CPR failed. Dr Shekhar Salkar of Manipal Hospital told ANI that resuscitation could not revive him, according to reports citing the agency.
- Where: his home in Dona Paula, Goa, according to Business Today.
- What comes next: Business Today reported that his mortal remains will be taken to Mumbai for the last rites. No date has been announced.
A medico-legal case has been registered and a post-mortem is due, reports citing the hospital said. That is why the cause of death is still listed as preliminary.
What we don't know yet
The official cause of death is not known. Several outlets report a severe cardiac arrest, while Business Today's own article says the cause is "pending details".
- The post-mortem result.
- The exact time of death. Some reports say he was found at about 5.20 am; others describe a collapse at home.
- The date and place of the funeral.
- Official tributes. We have not found any verified statement from public figures yet, and we will add them here once they are on record.
From Murud-Janjira to the Marathi stage
He was born Vishwanath Patekar on 1 January 1951 in Murud-Janjira, according to his Wikipedia entry. He studied at the JJ School of Applied Art before acting took over.
His first play was guided by the director Vijaya Mehta, Wikipedia records. That theatre grounding carried into more than 40 years of work in Hindi and Marathi cinema, Business Today noted on 8 October.
The roles that defined him
His screen work moved between bleak drama, political anger and broad comedy. His Wikipedia entry lists these among his best-known films:
- Salaam Bombay! (1988)
- Parinda (1989)
- Krantiveer (1994)
- Agni Sakshi (1996)
- Welcome (2007)
- Natsamrat (2016), a return to Marathi cinema
He kept working to the end. Business Today reported that his last film, O' Romeo, came out in February 2026, and that Subedaar released in March 2026.
Three National Awards and a Padma Shri
His Wikipedia entry lists 3 National Film Awards: best supporting actor in 1989 for Parinda, best actor in 1995 for Krantiveer, and a third in 1997. It also lists 4 Filmfare awards and the Padma Shri in 2013.
We have not yet checked this list against official award records, and will correct it if they differ.
His work for drought-hit farmers
Off screen, he was known for the Naam Foundation. He set it up in September 2015 with the actor Makarand Anaspure, according to Wikipedia, to help farmers in drought-hit Maharashtra. Business Today also named the foundation as part of his legacy.
The 2018 allegation and its outcome
In 2018, the actor Tanushree Dutta alleged that he harassed her on the 2008 set of Horn 'Ok' Pleassss, according to his Wikipedia entry. An FIR was filed at Oshiwara police station on 1 October 2018.
Police filed a closure report in June 2019, finding the complaint unsupported, Wikipedia records. We have not verified any later court outcome.
Questions people are asking
How did Nana Patekar die?
Preliminary reports say he suffered a severe cardiac arrest at his Goa home on 8 October 2026. A post-mortem is due, and the official cause is not yet confirmed.
How old was Nana Patekar?
He was 75, Business Today reported.
Where did Nana Patekar die?
He was found at his home in Dona Paula, Goa, and declared brought dead at hospital, according to Business Today.
Who confirmed Nana Patekar's death?
His son, Malhar Patekar, according to Business Today.
When is Nana Patekar's funeral?
Not announced yet. Business Today reported that his remains will be taken to Mumbai for the last rites.
How we did this
We compared how 8 outlets reported the death on the morning of 8 October 2026, using the United One News coverage database, and separated what is on record from what is still reported differently. We read Business Today, Times Now, Sunday Guardian and India TV English, and a LatestLY summary of reports citing ANI. Career details come from his Wikipedia entry and are attributed to it in the text. The hero image is a career timeline drawn by our newsroom.
This story was produced with AI assistance and reviewed, edited and verified by the reporter before publication.
Covered by 6 outlets across the spectrum: 17% left, 33% center, 50% right.
Who is covering this story
- Left-leaning (1): LatestLY
- Center (2): Wikipedia, Business Today
- Right-leaning (3): Sunday Guardian, India TV English, Times Now
Sources
- Nana Patekar death: actor dies at 75 in Goa, son confirms — Wikipedia (center) ·
- Nana Patekar death: actor dies at 75 in Goa, son confirms — Sunday Guardian (right-leaning) ·
- Nana Patekar death: actor dies at 75 in Goa, son confirms — Business Today (center) ·
- Nana Patekar death: actor dies at 75 in Goa, son confirms — India TV English (right-leaning) ·
- Nana Patekar death: actor dies at 75 in Goa, son confirms — LatestLY (left-leaning) ·
- Nana Patekar death: actor dies at 75 in Goa, son confirms — Times Now (right-leaning) ·