Late actor Nana Patekar’s son, Malhar Patekar, has explained why the veteran actor’s final rites were performed after sunset, saying the family faced delays while transporting his mortal remains from Goa to their farmhouse in Donje village in Pune district.
Speaking to the media after the cremation, Malhar said the family had expected to reach the farmhouse earlier, but the long journey took more time than anticipated. He added that since the actor had passed away early in the morning, the family felt it was not advisable to delay the cremation further.
“We were in Goa, and his mortal remains were to be brought to the farmhouse in the village. We expected that we would arrive earlier but it took us some time. He passed away early in the morning so a lot of time had already passed and it was not advisable to keep the mortal remains for long. Hence, we had to do the cremation after the sunset,” Malhar told reporters.
Nana Patekar was cremated with full state honours at his farmhouse in Donje on Thursday. The ceremony included a three-gun salute in recognition of his contributions.
Malhar also spoke about carrying forward his father’s legacy of social service, particularly his work in education and healthcare across Maharashtra and other parts of the country, including Jammu and Kashmir.
“People like him don’t go anywhere, they live forever through the work they are immortal. He always told us one thing that we should get together for humanity and work for the betterment of the world. He used to think on the global level. Our social work covered Maharashtra, pan-India including Jammu and Kashmir, we are doing all our social work there in the education and the health sector,” he said.
He added that his father had already delegated responsibilities to people capable of carrying forward the work.
Malhar said Nana Patekar had wanted to start afresh and devote his life to places where his contribution to social work was needed. He pledged to complete his father’s unfinished projects and fulfil their shared vision of working for the welfare of people.
“I’ll make sure that whatever unfinished business is there, it gets completed. His dreams and my dreams collectively is to work for the people, I will ensure that it gets done,” he said.
Several members of the film fraternity, including actor Jackie Shroff, directors Anil Sharma and Anees Bazmee, and producer Firoz Nadiadwala, reached Donje village to pay their last respects. A large number of people also gathered to bid farewell to the actor.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis paid his respects to Nana Patekar at Pune airport before leaving for Mumbai, while Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde visited the actor’s farmhouse.
Nana Patekar, 75, died in Goa after suffering a cardiac arrest, according to the source report. He was taken to hospital, where doctors attempted cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and resuscitation for around 45 minutes before declaring him dead on arrival.
His death prompted an outpouring of grief from across the film industry. Salman Khan paid tribute through an Instagram Story, writing, “Nanaaaaa… Rest in peace bhau”.
Ajay Devgn shared a still from their film Apaharan on X, remembering the actor for his powerful screen presence and unforgettable performances.
“Not many made us happy, sad and feel anger quite the way Nana did. His presence was powerful, his performances unforgettable, and his absence will now be deeply felt. Rest well, Nana. Om Shanti,” Devgn wrote.
Veteran actor Kamal Haasan also mourned his passing, describing him as an extraordinary artist and a remarkable human being. He highlighted Nana Patekar’s social work for farmers in Maharashtra and his volunteer service during the Kargil War, saying these efforts reflected the actor’s deep sense of duty.
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