Tukaram Mundhe reveals Nana Patekar's last words to him 8 days before his death

Veteran actor Nana Patekar has died at the age of 75 after suffering a cardiac arrest at his home in Goa. The actor was found unconscious at his residence in the early hours of Thursday and was rushed to a private hospital, where doctors tried to revive him for nearly 45 minutes.

He was declared dead at around 5:20 a.m.Dr Shekhar Salkar, Chief of the Department of Oncology at Manipal Hospital, said Nana remained in asystole during the resuscitation attempt, indicating that there was no electrical activity in his heart. A medico-legal case has been registered and a post-mortem examination is expected to be conducted.See More: National Award winnig actor Nana Patekar passes away at 75As the news of his death sent shockwaves through the film industry, tributes began pouring in for an actor whose work had spanned more than four decades.

Among those remembering him was Tukaram Mundhe, Commissioner of Maharashtra’s Food and Drug Administration, who described Nana as not just a remarkable artist but also a close friend.Mundhe revealed that he had spoken to Nana just eight days before his death and shared a deeply personal tribute along with a photograph of the actor. He wrote, “Nana Patekar is no more. I have lost not merely an exceptional artist, but an extraordinary human being and a dear friend, someone whose warmth and affection touched everyone around him.

We spoke just eight days ago. I could never have imagined that it would be our last conversation.

His last words to me were: 'Love you, Bala.' Those words will stay with me for the rest of my life.”He further wrote, “Some people leave behind memories. A few leave behind a part of themselves in our lives. Nana was one of them. Goodbye, my friend. You will be deeply missed, and forever remembered.”Nana Patekar built a reputation over the years for performances that were intense, unpredictable and often deeply rooted in the character he played.

From gritty dramas and police roles to comedy and mainstream entertainers, he consistently brought a distinctive presence to the screen.His celebrated body of work includes films such as ‘Krantiveer’, ‘Agneepath’, ‘Ab Tak Chhappan’, ‘The Attacks of 26/11’, ‘Parinda’ and ‘Salaam Bombay!’. At the same time, his comic turn in ‘Welcome’ showed another side of his acting abilities and introduced his performances to an even wider mainstream audience.Patekar continued working in films even in his later years. He was recently seen in ‘Housefull 5’ alongside Akshay Kumar, Abhishek Bachchan and Riteish Deshmukh. He also appeared as a police officer in Vishal Bhardwaj’s ‘O' Romeo’, starring Shahid Kapoor and Triptii Dimri, and featured in a cameo in ‘Subedar’, which stars Anil Kapoor and Radhika Madan.With a career spanning theatre and cinema, Nana Patekar leaves behind a body of work that established him as one of the most distinctive and respected performers of his generation.See More: Nana Patekar passes away: PM Modi hails veteran star's contribution to Hindi and Marathi cinema