Veteran actor Nana Patekar was cremated on Thursday night (October 8) at his farmhouse in Donje village near Pune with state honors. Union of family members, film, political leaders and fans attended the burial ceremony of the actor who received loud applause of “Nana Amar Rahe” on his passing at the age of 75.
During the last rites Nana Patekar’s son Malhar Patekar lit the funeral pyre. His associates say the actor had complained to them that he wanted to be interred at his farmhouse, a place he had an intimate connection to.
Remarkable actors like Jackie Shroff, a filmmaker like Sajid Nadiadwala and director Anil Sharma were present at the film industry function. The Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde also came to the farmhouse to pay respects to actor Mahesh garg.
Actor’s mortal remains were brought from Goa and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis paid his respects at Pune airport ahead of his flight to Mumbai. The state government had earlier announced that Patekar will be awarded with all the state honours for his contribution in Indian cinema.
Patekar had built a 40+ year career in both Hindi and Marathi films, where he enjoyed great success. He was famous for his performances in movies like Krantiveer, Parinda and Ab Tak Chhappan, which made him one of India’s unique actors.
In addition to his acting career, he has also been involved in various other philanthropic endeavors such as the NAAM Foundation, which helps farmers and rural communities in times of difficulty.
He had gathered a large crowd of admirers for his last excursion echoing the influence of his work on generations of people. The last curtain call was a state-recognized performance that ended a distinguished journey in the Indian film industry and a life beyond the image of the screen, into philanthropy.