Actor Nana Patekar dies of cardiac arrest at his Goa home, aged 75

Veteran actor Nana Patekar died of cardiac arrest at his home in Goa in the early hours of Thursday. He was 75. His death has plunged the Marathi and Hindi film industries into mourning.

Dr Shekhar Salkar of Manipal Hospital described what happened in the hours before his death. According to him, Patekar messaged a friend at around 2.30 am saying he was not feeling well.

When the friend saw the message some time later, he got in touch with Patekar and reached his house at around 4 am. By then, Patekar's condition had worsened. He was sweating and his health was deteriorating rapidly.

His caretaker was informed so that help could arrive quickly. The caretaker rushed to a nearby hospital and told the doctors about the situation. The hospital's emergency team then reached Patekar's house immediately, and the doctors began cardiac massage and CPR on the spot before taking him to hospital.

At the hospital, the doctors made every effort to save him. CPR was administered continuously for about 45 minutes, but the treatment had no effect. He was finally declared dead in the early hours.

The case has been registered as a medico-legal case. The body was sent to Goa Medical College for postmortem, which was conducted to establish the medical cause of death.

Patekar made a distinct mark in Marathi and Hindi cinema with his powerful performances. His roles in films such as 'Parinda', 'Krantiveer', 'Tiranga', 'Ab Tak Chhappan' and 'Welcome' were especially admired. He had received three National Film Awards and several other honours, including the Padma Shri.