Veteran actor Nana Patekar dies at 76 in Goa, suspected heart attack
Veteran actor Nana Patekar, who was known for his versatile performances and commanding screen presence, died at his residence in Goa in the early hours of Thursday, sources said.
He was 76.
Patekar is suspected to have suffered a heart attack, according to the sources.
The actor was taken to a private hospital after he was found unconscious at his apartment in Dona Paula near Panaji, said Dr Shekhar Salkar, a senior doctor at the facility.
Doctors administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for 45 minutes but could not revive him. Patekar was declared dead at 5.10 am, Salkar said.
A medico-legal case has been registered and a postmortem examination will be conducted, he added.
According to information shared with hospital doctors by one of Patekar's friends, the actor had sent him a message around 3.30 am saying that he was unwell.
The friend noticed the message around 4 am and immediately went to Patekar's apartment, where the actor was staying with a caretaker, Salkar said.
The caretaker then took steps to get Patekar to the private hospital, which sent an ambulance to his residence. Medical treatment began inside the ambulance itself, Salkar said.
Patekar's residence is located around five minutes from the hospital.
Doctors continued efforts to revive the actor after he reached the hospital, but he was declared dead at 5.10 am.
His body was subsequently taken to Goa Medical College and Hospital in Bambolim. A postmortem will be conducted there to determine the exact cause of his death, Salkar said.
Patekar had appeared in several prominent Hindi and Marathi films during his career.
Among his well-known Hindi films are Parinda, Prahaar: The Final Act, Tirangaa, Krantiveer and Khamoshi: The Musical.
He won three National Film Awards and received several Filmfare Awards, the Maharashtra State Film Award and Filmfare Awards Marathi.
Patekar was also honoured with the Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian award. (with inputs from PTI)