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.
Patekar was reportedly found unconscious after experiencing chest pain. A medical team was called to his residence and attempted cardiopulmonary resuscitation before taking him to hospital, according to news agency ANI, which cited Dr Shekhar Salkar, head of oncology at Manipal Hospital in Goa.
The actor was declared dead early Thursday morning. Authorities have registered a medico-legal case, and a post-mortem examination is expected to be conducted, Dr Salkar said.
Patekar was one of Indian cinema’s most respected performers, with a career spanning nearly five decades across Hindi and Marathi films, as well as appearances in Tamil and Kannada productions. He made his film debut in 1978 with Gaman.
He later earned widespread critical recognition for his performances in films including Mira Nair’s Academy Award-nominated Salaam Bombay! and Parinda. He won three National Film Awards, including Best Supporting Actor for Parinda and Agni Sakshi, and Best Actor for Krantiveer.
In 2013, Patekar was awarded the Padma Shri, one of India’s highest civilian honours.
A new generation of audiences also embraced Patekar for his comic performance as gangster Uday Shetty in the 2007 hit comedy Welcome, a role that became one of the most memorable characters of his later career.