"Truly shocking": Actor Sayaji Shinde recalls last conversation with Nana Patekar, mourns his demise

Speaking to the reporters, Shinde described Patekar’s death as “truly shocking” and said they had spoken just a day before his death. Recalling how he learnt about the actor’s death, Shinde said, “It’s truly shocking. We were having such a good conversation yesterday, and then, all of a sudden, this happened… I don’t know what to say… I found out about the situation at 7 this morning. I was working when I got the call…”

The sudden death of veteran actor Nana Patekar has left the Marathi film industry in shock. Marathi actor Sayaji Shinde recalled his last conversation with Patekar and said he was unable to come to terms with the news.

Speaking to the reporters, Shinde described Patekar’s death as “truly shocking” and said they had spoken just a day before his death. Recalling how he learnt about the actor’s death, Shinde said, “It’s truly shocking. We were having such a good conversation yesterday, and then, all of a sudden, this happened… I don’t know what to say… I found out about the situation at 7 this morning. I was working when I got the call…” Nana Patekar died at 5.20 am on Thursday after suffering a cardiac arrest at his residence, Dr Shekhar Salkar, Chief of the Department of Oncology at Manipal Hospital, told ANI over the phone.

According to Dr Salkar, Patekar suffered a cardiac arrest at his residence and CPR was given for 45 minutes. He remained in asystole during the CPR. A medico-legal case (MLC) has been completed, while a post-mortem examination is required, the doctor said. Patekar, 75, was one of the well-known names in both Hindi and Marathi cinema. He made his acting debut with the 1978 film Gaman and went on to earn praise for his work in films such as Parinda, Prahar, Angaar, Krantiveer, Tiranga, Khamoshi and Ab Tak Chhappan.

The actor continued to work in films in recent years. He was seen in Housefull 5, which also starred Akshay Kumar, Abhishek Bachchan and Riteish Deshmukh. Patekar also appeared as a police officer in Vishal Bhardwaj’s O’Romeo, which stars Shahid Kapoor and Triptii Dimri. He also had a cameo in Subedar, starring Anil Kapoor and Radhika Madan. (ANI)