Nana Patekar passed away at 75, and the tributes are celebrating the legacy of work he has left behind. Right from Parinda to Krantiveer, and then playing a comedy innings with Welcome & Housefull. The man behind these characters was just as unusual as his characters. He saved money for a car and ended up founding a charity. He paused his career at its peak to go to a war zone. He even gave instructions for his own funeral wood, with a joke attached.
While I have been reading a lot about the actor and his career, the tributes are gut-wrenching! But along with these tributes, I came across some facts that startled me! For starters, do you know that one of the most celebrated actors of this country started his career as a sketch artist for the Mumbai Police? Yes, he made sketches of criminals and helped the police find them!
While reading about his professional and personal journey, I came across some very heart-wrenching anecdotes that everyone should know about Nana Patekar, and I decided to share these anecdotes compiled through various sources and reports.
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Nana Patekar – The Original Choice For Khalnayak
Subhash Ghai’s Khalnayak is remembered as a Sanjay Dutt film, but Nana Patekar was the first name Ghai had in mind. As the script was rewritten, the role of the middle-aged man changed, and the persona no longer suited Patekar’s personality. Ghai then looked at other actors and settled on Dutt.
It is a “what if” worth sitting with. Patekar’s intensity would have made a very different Ballu, though perhaps not the one the film needed!
He Kept His Own Funeral Wood Ready, And Joked About It
Patekar was known for dark humor, and he applied it to his own death. In an interview with Aaj Tak, translated and published by India Today, he explained why he has kept his funeral wood ready! The actor said, “Humko maloom hain hume 12 mann lakdi lagne vali hai. Yahi meri final property hai. Iske saath main chala chaunga. Maine apni 12 mann lakdiyan rakhi hui hain. Vo sukhi hain. Usi mein mujhe jalana. Gili lakdi mat istemaal karna. Phir aankh se paani ayega… aise mein marte waqt galatfehmi hogi ki mere liye ro rahe hain. He joked, adding, “Kam se kam marte waqt galatfehmi nahi honi chahiye.”
The joke shows how he thought about mortality: practical, unsentimental, and funny. His funeral is to be held with state honors.
The Car He Never Bought, And The Foundation He Built Instead
One evening in 2015, Patekar sat with a drink in front of the television, keeping 1.5 crore aside for a new luxury car. A news report about a farmer’s suicide in drought-hit Maharashtra changed the plan. He recalled the moment in a 2024 interview with The Lallantop. He called his friend and fellow actor Makarand Anaspure, who comes from Marathwada, and suggested giving Rs 15,000 to each family of a farmer who had died by suicide. However, once he met the families, he realized how little a one-time payment could do.
That visit led to the NAAM Foundation, which Patekar and Anaspure formally set up in 2015 in response to the drought and agrarian distress in Maharashtra, especially Vidarbha and Marathwada.
Nana Patekar Paused His Career At Its Peak To Serve In Kargil
Nana Patekar‘s army connection was real, not a screen image. He trained for three years for his role as an army commando in Prahaar: The Final Attack (1991) because he refused to take shortcuts. The training, with the Maratha Light Infantry, brought him closer to the Army and led to his Territorial Army service.
When the Kargil war broke out in 1999, he asked his seniors to let him serve. They told him only the Defense Minister could decide. He then wrote to George Fernandes, then Defense Minister, asking to be on the frontline, and mentioned his shooting skills and the medal he had won. Once cleared, he paused his film career at its peak and joined the Army’s Quick Reaction Team.
He spent 60 days with the Army across Srinagar, Dras, and Leh. When he joined, he weighed 76 kg, and he came back at 56 kg, having lost around 20 kg!
The Bombay Blasts Took His Brother, And He Refused To Forgive Sanjay Dutt!
The 1993 Bombay bomb blasts changed Patekar’s life. His brother was reportedly killed in the blasts while traveling on the BEST bus, where one of the bombs was placed. His wife also had to take that bus but missed it, and was saved. That loss shaped his opinion against Sanjay Dutt, who was then linked to the case. As reported by First Post, “I have not worked with him in 22 years of my career, I will not work with him in the future as well. The government will do whatever they want. They are saying that it is legal, you can’t say anything about it. But I will do whatever is in my hands.” He also criticized the public for hailing Dutt as a hero for his films and then objecting to his parole, saying things do not work that way. The actor took a stand and said, “This isn’t personal; I’m not saying this because my brother was a victim. It’s got nothing to do with Hindu and Muslim, also, I’m doing it for everybody who got killed that day. That is the punishment I can give him from my side.”
These stories show a man who did not separate work from conviction. He prepared for a role by training with soldiers, then served with them. He saw suffering on a television screen and rebuilt his priorities. Even about his own death, he spoke plainly. May his soul rest in peace. We are sure that he will be the best Nat Samrat in heaven, too!
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Must Read: Nana Patekar Net Worth: From 35 Rupees Monthly Salary To A 27-Acre Pune Farmhouse, A Look At The Late Actor’s Fortune
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