Veteran actor Nana Patekar was cremated with full state honours late on Thursday night at his farmhouse in Pune. The actor was consigned to the flames at around 11.30 PM by his son, Malhar, in the presence of several dignitaries, including Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, and thousands of fans.
Malhar Patekar on Nana’s legacy
After the funeral, Malhar Patekar spoke to reporters present outside the farmhouse and addressed his father’s death. He said his father’s work had made him immortal and that his vision, particularly his social initiatives through the Naam Foundation, would be carried forward even after his demise.
Speaking to reporters about his father’s legacy, Malhar Patekar said, “A person like Nana Saheb never truly leaves us. Through their work, they become immortal. Secondly, his mindset was always consistent; he would frequently repeat the line, ‘Let’s get together in the name of humanity and work for the betterment of the world.’ Through our organisation, work was already underway in the water sector, and large-scale initiatives in education and health had begun in Kashmir as well. Thirdly, he assigned specific responsibilities to everyone before he left.”
Why was the funeral held late at night
Nana Patekar died in Goa on Thursday morning after a cardiac arrest. His body was flown to his farmhouse in Goa later in the day, where the funeral began very late into the night. The reporters asked Malhar why the family decided to go ahead with the funeral that late on Thursday. “We were in Goa, and his mortal remains were to be brought to the farmhouse in the village. We expected it to arrive earlier, but it took us some time. We proceeded (with the last rites today) because the tragedy occurred early this morning, so a significant amount of time had already passed. That is why we decided to go ahead with it today,” he responded.
Nana Patekar’s death
Nana Patekar died after suffering a severe cardiac arrest at his residence in Goa on Thursday morning. The actor called his friend in the wee hours of Thursday after feeling uneasy. He was taken to Manipal Hospital, where doctors tried to revive him for around 45 minutes. Dr Shekhar Salkar, Chief of the Oncology Department at Manipal Hospital, confirmed the news to ANI. He was laid to rest with full state honours in Pune, marking a solemn farewell to one of India’s most celebrated actors.