Nana Patekar dies at 75; kept 12 maunds of wood for his cremation, old video surfaces

The only thing that is constant is death. Nana Patekar, the veteran Hindi and Marathi actor known for intense roles in films such as Parinda, Krantiveer and Welcome, died on October 8, 2026, at the age of 75. He suffered a cardiac arrest at his home in Goa in the early morning and was declared dead at 5:20 am after doctors failed to revive him despite about 45 minutes of CPR. His son Malhar confirmed the news; Maharashtra has announced a state funeral in Pune.

As preparations for his funeral are underway, Nana Patekar's old revelation about his own funeral has resurfaced. A clip of him is doing the rounds today. Back in September 2023, the actor discussed mortality in his trademark straightforward manner and even revealed that he had kept the wood required for his cremation.

During an interview with Aaj Tak while promoting The Vaccine War, Nana spoke about his belief that death was inevitable and that a person ultimately leaves everything behind. Rather than viewing death with fear, he described it as a natural part of life.

"Humko maloom hain hume 12 mann lakdi lagne vali hai. Yahi meri final property hai. Iske saath main chala chaunga [We know I will need 12 maunds of wood. That is my final property. I will leave with just that]," Nana said.

For him, the wood required for his cremation represented the only property he would ultimately take with him.

"Maine apni 12 mann lakdiyan rakhi hui hain. Vo sukhi hain. Usi mein mujhe jalana. Gili lakdi mat istemaal karna [I have kept aside 12 maunds of wood. It is dry. Cremate me with that. Don't use wet wood]," he said.

Nana then explained why he preferred dry wood, turning an otherwise sombre conversation into an unexpectedly humorous one.

"Phir aankh se paani ayega... aise mein marte waqt galatfehmi hogi ki mere liye ro rahe hain [Then tears will come to their eyes... At that moment, I might misunderstand and think they are crying for me]," he joked.

He added, "kam se kam marte waqt galatfehmi nahi honi chahiye [At least there shouldn't be any misunderstanding when I'm dying]."

Just four days ago, on October 4, actor and Padma Shri awardee Vishwanath Nana Patekar attended the installation ceremony of Samraat Club International, State-I, at Taj Cidade de Goa, Dona Paula.

In a post shared by news agency PTI, Nana Patekar was seen addressing the Samraat Club International installation ceremony in Goa. He was wearing a white kurta and a white scarf (gamcha) at the event.

He went on to say that everyone has to go (die) someday, adding, "I don't know whether I will be here tomorrow or not."

"We all have to go someday. I don't know whether I will be here tomorrow or not. Every person's life will eventually reach that point. But before that happens, I have to ask myself: am I able to do what I want to do?" the actor said in Marathi while addressing the gathering at the event.

Born Vishwanath Patekar on January 1, 1951, in Maharashtra, Nana Patekar is known and loved for his powerful and realistic performances in films. In his career spanning decades across Hindi and Marathi cinema, Nana Patekar portrayed characters that lived with audiences for years. His style of dialogue delivery was unique, intense and became an achievement for mimicry artists if they managed to copy his demeanour.

He made his Hindi film debut with Gaman in 1978. Salaam Bombay! and Parinda came as major breakthroughs for the actor, after which he went on to deliver some blockbuster performances in Tirangaa, Krantiveer, Khamoshi: The Musical, Yeshwant, Ab Tak Chhappan, Apaharan and Rajneeti, among others.

Nana Patekar continued to work in Marathi cinema and theatre as well. He also stepped into the shoes of a filmmaker and made his directorial debut with Prahaar: The Final Attack in 1991.