‘Don’t know if I’ll be here tomorrow’: What Nana Patekar said at his last public appearance

Veteran actor Nana Patekar, 75, died of a cardiac arrest in Goa. His son Malhar confirmed the news to the Indian Express and said, “Yes, the information is true. I am in Pune right now and reaching Goa. I will come up with a detailed statement. He died due to natural causes.” Nana Patekar was at his family home in Goa, when he suffered a cardiac arrest. As per reports, Nana Patekar was rushed to a nearby hospital around 5:20 am and administered CPR for 45 minutes but could not be revived. Just four days back, Nana Patekar attended an event in Goa where he spoke about theater and performing arts.

Nana Patekar’s last appearance

Having made a significant contribution to Hindi and Marathi cinema, Nana Patekar began his career with Marathi theater. Four days back, as he attended the inauguration ceremony of a theater club, Samraat Club International at Dona Paula, Nana Patekar praised the core committee for keeping the performing arts alive. He said, “I congraulate every one on this very first institution of innovation and theater. There is such an illustrious team: Vijaya Veda, Dr Laagu, Tendulkar, Sulbha Deshpande, Arvind, Vrundavan Dandawatre. They are all one voice. I remember when I did Tendulkar’s first play; the writer, director, all of them together were such a brilliant group. Their plays would go on for weeks at an institute. I appreciate that they bring all artists in the city together; this institute will only flourish this way. In theatre and cinema, anything new gets appreciated, so always seek newer ideas. Your values won’t change you, in fact, others will inculcate them (sic).”

Also Read: Nana Patekar, who commanded every screen, dies of cardiac arrest at 75

VIDEO | Goa: Actor Nana Patekar attended and addressed the Samraat Club International installation ceremony in Dona Paula.

(Full video available on PTI Videos – https://t.co/d8jp61yd2p) https://t.co/jl8xn9vXOk

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) October 4, 2026

He also said, “We all have to go someday. I don’t know whether I will be here tomorrow or not. Every person’s life will eventually reach that point. But before that happens, I have to ask myself: am I able to do what I want to do? I have to ask myself whether I have tried. If my world is limited to my children, my wife, and my home, then what is my purpose? I have to give something back here, don’t I? I like some of Narendra Modi’s ideas, and I don’t like some of them. We should learn to say that. He does not always get everything wrong. What is a protest ultimately? It is when something does not feel right to us, when something is not happening the way it should. The definition of protest should change with age, shouldn’t it? Don’t speak in public with anger and abuse. Among friends, we may fight, grab each other and say things to one another, but that should remain between us. When we speak publicly, there has to be some basic decency. That has to be maintained; otherwise, there is no meaning to it.”

Expressing grief, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis recalled the actor’s contribution to cinema and said, “Nana was as great-hearted as he was great on screen. He gave Marathi and Hindi cinema an entire era. From Krantiveer to Natsamrat, there is no parallel to the powerful and accomplished range of his acting. His death is a great loss to the film industry.”

Nana Patekar transitioned from theater to the screen in 1978; he made his acting debut in films with Gaman. His film Parinda (1989), brought him the National Film Award, and Krantiveer (1994) earned him the National Award for Best Actor. His other projects include Agni Sakshi, Khamoshi: The Musical, Ab Tak Chhappan, Apaharan, Raajneeti, Welcome, Natsamrat, and many more. Nana Patekar was also a director and writer. He was honored with a Padma Shri in 2013.

Nana Patekar’s very recent appearance on the big screen was in Housefull 5, O’Romeo, and Subedaar. On the web space, he was seen in Prakash Jha’s show Sankalp in March this year.