Nana Patekar once risked his life to save an actor from an angry mob, then drove him away in an autorickshaw

Veteran actor Nana Patekar, who died at 75 after suffering a cardiac arrest at his Goa residence, will be remembered not only for his work in movies but also for the stories that showed his courage and loyalty towards the people who were close to him. One such incident involved actor Ashok Saraf, whom Patekar reportedly pulled away from an angry crowd during a performance of the Marathi play Hamidabaichi Kothi and then drove an autorickshaw to get him to safety.

Saraf had recalled the incident in an interview with Loksatta Online, revealing that the incidenet happened when the cast of the popular play was touring and performing in a village.

Why the play turned chaotic

The performance was being held at a mill because there was no proper theatre facility at the location and a temporary set had been put up in an open area.


The arrangement created a problem almost immediately because Hamidabaichi Kothi was a play in which the actors had to sit while delivering their dialogues. But as the temporary stage was not high enough, people sitting at the back could not see the performers properly.

"The play 'Hamidabai's House' was to be performed in a mill and there was no stage there," Saraf said. He explained that the play could not simply be changed into a standing performance because of the way it was written and staged.

According to what Saraf had said, the audience initially began whispering among themselves and within minutes the situation became unruly.

Chairs and tube lights were reportedly damaged, and the driver associated with the production was beaten up as embers of the crowd also began moving towards the stage.

Nana Patekar realised Saraf was in danger

Saraf was particularly in a vulnerable state because of his popularity at the time and Patekar understood that the crowd could target him.

Amid the chaos, Patekar risked his own life and pulled Saraf away from the venue, and the two then ran through the darkness and mud before reaching the main road.

That was when they found an autorickshaw and according to Saraf, the driver was elderly, so Patekar asked him to move to the back and took control of the vehicle himself.

Patekar drove Saraf away from the venue and took him to a rest house, getting him out of immediate danger. He then returned to the location and helped the other members of the cast leave safely.

Nana Patekar's death at 75

Patekar died at his residence in Dona Paula, Goa, in the early hours of Thursday after suffering a cardiac arrest. He was found unconscious and taken to Manipal Hospital, where doctors attempted to revive him with CPR for around 45 minutes.

Dr Shekhar Salkar, Chief of the Oncology Department at Manipal Hospital, told news agency ANI, "Despite 45 minutes of continuous CPR, he could not be revived."

Born Vishwanath Patekar on January 1, 1951, he made his Hindi film debut with Gaman in 1978 and later became known for performances in films such as Parinda, Krantiveer, Ab Tak Chhappan, Raajneeti and Welcome. He also remained closely associated with Marathi theatre and cinema.