Nana Patekar dies at 75: Veteran actor served with Indian Army in Kargil War in 1999

Actor Nana Patekar died at 5.20 am on Thursday after suffering a cardiac arrest at his residence, Dr Shekhar Salkar, chief of oncology at Manipal Hospital, told ANI.

Patekar suffered the cardiac arrest at home and was given CPR for 45 minutes, but remained in asystole throughout. A medico-legal case has been completed and a post-mortem examination is required, Dr Salkar said.

Patekar was not only known for his work in Hindi and Marathi cinema but also for his association with the Indian Army during the 1999 Kargil War.


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In August 1999, Patekar was posted as an honorary captain and served in conflict areas including Dras, Kupwara, Baramulla, Sopore and Mughalpura. He had sought permission to serve with the Army and personally met then Defence Minister George Fernandes to make his case.

Patekar already had extensive military training by then. While preparing for Prahaar, which he also directed, he spent three years training with the Maratha Light Infantry. He had also developed national-level shooting skills.

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Army officials were initially reluctant to deploy him, but Patekar persisted. He was eventually allowed to serve in operational areas, where he took part in patrol duties along the Line of Control and assisted at military hospitals.

The experience took a physical toll. Patekar later recalled that he weighed 76 kg when he arrived in Srinagar and 56 kg when he returned.

His Kargil stint became one of the lesser-known chapters of his career, alongside his work as an actor and director.


Patekar was one of the prominent actors in Hindi and Marathi cinema. He made his acting debut with the 1978 film ‘Gaman’ and went on to establish himself as a celebrated actor with performances in films such as ‘Parinda,’ ‘Prahar,’ ‘Angaar,’ ‘Krantiveer,’ ‘Tiranga,’ ‘Khamoshi’ and ‘Ab Tak Chhappan,’ among others.

In recent years, Patekar continued to feature in a range of projects. He was part of Housefull 5, which starred Akshay Kumar, Abhishek Bachchan, Riteish Deshmukh and others.

Patekar, 75, also appeared as a police officer in Vishal Bhardwaj's O'Romeo, starring Shahid Kapoor and Triptii Dimri. In addition, he had a cameo appearance in Subedar, which stars Anil Kapoor and Radhika Madan.

(With inputs from agencies)