Nana Patekar dies: Mithun Chakraborty mourns close friend, recalls Pune visits
Synopsis
Mithun Chakraborty's farewell to Nana Patekar was less a formal statement and more a window into a quiet, genuine friendship — one built on regular visits to a modest Pune home, far from the industry spotlight. That simplicity, peers say, was the truest measure of the man.
Key Takeaways
Mithun Chakraborty mourned the demise of Nana Patekar , recalling regular visits to his home in Pune and describing him as a close friend.
Mithun and Nana worked together in 'Sagar Sangam' and 'Yugandhar' , among other films.
Pankaj Tripathi called Patekar's passing 'losing a Guru,' citing their shared experience on 'Kaala' .
Patekar's career spanned several decades, with landmark films including 'Parinda' , 'Krantiveer' , 'Ab Tak Chhappan' , and 'Welcome' .
Celebrities including Anupam Kher , Sanjay Dutt , Akshay Kumar , and Rohit Shetty also expressed condolences.
Actor and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Mithun Chakraborty paid a heartfelt tribute to veteran actor Nana Patekar following his passing, remembering him as a warm and deeply humble friend whose simplicity set him apart from the glitter of Bollywood. Chakraborty recalled regular visits to Patekar's home in Pune as evidence of a bond that extended well beyond the film set.
Mithun's Personal Tribute
'He was a very good friend of mine. We used to go to his house. He could not come to meet us. But he was a very good friend of mine,' Mithun Chakraborty said. Recounting a chance encounter, Mithun added, 'One day, I met him at the airport. He was a very good actor. He was very simple. He used to wear simple clothes. He was a very good actor.'
The two actors shared screen space in several notable Hindi films, including 'Sagar Sangam' and 'Yugandhar', cementing a professional partnership that evidently deepened into genuine personal affection.
A Career That Defined an Era
Nana Patekar enjoyed a career spanning several decades across Hindi and Marathi cinema, building a reputation for raw, intense performances and a distinctive screen presence. His landmark films include 'Parinda', 'Krantiveer', 'Agni Sakshi', 'Khamoshi: The Musical', 'Ab Tak Chhappan', and 'Welcome' — a body of work that cuts across genres and generations.
Fraternity Mourns the Loss
The Indian film fraternity reacted with an outpouring of grief. Raj Babbar, Anupam Kher, Rohit Shetty, Sanjay Dutt, Akshay Kumar, and Pankaj Tripathi, among others, expressed condolences and reflected on Patekar's enduring contribution to cinema.
Pankaj Tripathi, who shared the screen with Patekar in 'Kaala', spoke of the loss in deeply personal terms. 'Nana ji's passing is an incredibly painful loss for our entire fraternity; it's a deeply personal loss for me. I had the privilege of sharing screen space with him in Kaala, and that experience will always remain very special to me. He was not just a co-actor but someone who would guide me on the craft, life choices, and the smallest nuances of acting,' Tripathi said.
'I learned a lot just by watching him and listening to him. His guidance meant a great deal to me. For me, this feels like losing a Guru. His absence will always be felt, but his lessons and his extraordinary body of work will continue to inspire me and generations of actors to come,' he added.
What Nana Patekar Leaves Behind
Beyond his filmography, Patekar was widely respected for his off-screen simplicity — a quality that Mithun Chakraborty's tribute underscores. In an industry often associated with extravagance, peers consistently remembered him for choosing restraint, both in lifestyle and in craft. His passing marks the end of an era for a generation of cinema that prized performance over spectacle.
Point of View
But on simplicity and mentorship. That peers as varied as Mithun Chakraborty and Pankaj Tripathi both reach for the same word, 'simple,' says something about the kind of stardom Patekar represented. In an era of curated celebrity, his off-screen ordinariness was itself a kind of performance. Whether mainstream obituaries will fully reckon with his Marathi-language legacy — equally rich, and often overlooked — remains to be seen.
NationPress
8 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Nana Patekar?
Nana Patekar was a veteran Indian actor celebrated for his intense performances across Hindi and Marathi cinema over several decades. His notable films include 'Parinda,' 'Krantiveer,' 'Ab Tak Chhappan,' and 'Welcome.'
How did Mithun Chakraborty know Nana Patekar?
Mithun Chakraborty and Nana Patekar shared a close personal friendship, with Mithun recalling regular visits to Patekar's home in Pune. The two also worked together on Hindi films including 'Sagar Sangam' and 'Yugandhar.'
What did Pankaj Tripathi say about Nana Patekar?
Pankaj Tripathi described Patekar's passing as 'losing a Guru,' saying the veteran guided him on craft, life choices, and the nuances of acting during their work together on 'Kaala.' He said Patekar's lessons and body of work would inspire generations of actors.
Which other celebrities paid tribute to Nana Patekar?
Raj Babbar, Anupam Kher, Rohit Shetty, Sanjay Dutt, Akshay Kumar, and Pankaj Tripathi were among the film personalities who expressed condolences and reflected on Patekar's contribution to Indian cinema.
What was Nana Patekar known for off-screen?
Patekar was widely noted for his simple lifestyle despite his stature in the film industry. Peers including Mithun Chakraborty recalled that he wore simple clothes and preferred an unassuming way of life, a quality that set him apart from the typical image of a Bollywood star.
