Actor Nana Patekar passes away

Veteran actor Nana Patekar, known for his versatility and powerful screen presence, passed away at his Goa residence in the early hours of Thursday. He was 76. Patekar is suspected to have suffered a heart attack, the sources said. The actor was brought to a private hospital after he was found unconscious at his apartment in Dona Paula, near Panaji, Dr Shekhar Salkar, a senior doctor at the medical facility said.
Despite being administered CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) for 45 minutes, Patekar could not be revived and was declared dead at 5.10 am, he said. A medico-legal case has been registered in this connection, and a postmortem would be conducted, he added. As per information provided by a friend of Patekar to the hospital doctors, the actor had messaged him around 3.30 am that he was not feeling well. "The friend saw the message around 4 am and rushed to the apartment of Patekar, who was living with a caretaker," Salkar said. The caretaker rushed to the private hospital, from where an ambulance was sent to his house. "The treatment started in the ambulance itself," Salkar said. Patekar's residence is about 5 minutes away from the hospital.
Patekar was known for his roles in several Hindi and Marathi films. Patekar studied at the Sir J.J. School of Art in Mumbai before entering the world of theatre and cinema. He made his Hindi film debut with Gaman in 1978. His notable Hindi movies include "Parinda", "Prahaar: The Final Act", "Tirangaa", "Krantiveer" and "Khamoshi: The Musical".Patekar remained an important presence in Hindi cinema through the 2000s. In Ab Tak Chhappan (2004), he played Sadhu Agashe, a tough Mumbai police officer caught between his professional duties and personal life. The role became one of his most acclaimed performances of the decade. He was equally effective as the morally complex politician in Apaharan (2005), winning another Filmfare Award for Best Villain.
 Patekar was a recipient of three National Film Awards, several Filmfare Awards, the Maharashtra State Film Award and Filmfare Awards Marathi. He had also received Padma Shri, the country's fourth-highest civilian honour.
Nana Patekar will be cremated at his farm in Pune as per his last wishes. Maharashtra Cultural Affairs Minister Ashish Shelar has announced that the government, led by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, has decided to accord Nana Patekar a state funeral with full state honours, in recognition of his contribution to Marathi theatre and Marathi and Hindi cinema.