Sarod maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan mourned the death of veteran actor Nana Patekar, calling it a great loss. Remembering the late actor, the veteran musician said Nana would always be remembered through his films and remain in the hearts and minds of audiences.
Speaking exclusively to India TV, sarod maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, who recently performed for his upcoming album Chants for Unity, recalled meeting Nana Patekar and learning about the actor’s interest in classical music. He also spoke about being an admirer of Nana’s work and said his distinctive acting style made him irreplaceable.
Ustad Amjad Ali Khan condoles Nana Patekar’s death
“Aaj sabse bada dukh hain hamein ki hamare legendary Nana Patekar ji nahi rahein (Today, our greatest sorrow is that our legendary Nana Patekar ji is no longer with us),” Ustad Amjad Ali Khan told us. His wife, Subhalakshmi Borooah Khan, who also accompanied the legend, added, “It’s very sad.”
Ustad ji further said, “Humlog unke bohot fan hain and nobody can replace him. Unka jo tareeka acting ka tha… kayi filmein dekhi hain maine unki aur ek hi dafa milne ka mauka mila; usse pata laga ki unko classical music ka bhi shauq tha kyuki Maharashtra ke the. It’s a great loss. He will always be remembered through his films; hamare dil mein, dimaag mein, hamesha wo rahenge. Bhagwan unki aatma ko shanti de, mukti de. Lekin afsos bana rahega hamesha (We are great fans of his, and nobody can replace him. The way he acted was unique. I have watched many of his films, and I had the opportunity to meet him just once. During that meeting, I learnt that he was also interested in classical music, as he was from Maharashtra. It’s a great loss. He will always be remembered through his films and will forever remain in our hearts and minds. May God grant peace and liberation to his soul. But the regret will always remain).”
Nana Patekar’s final hours
Nana Patekar’s health reportedly took a sudden turn for the worse at his Goa residence in the early hours of October 8. According to Dr Shekhar Salkar, Head of the Oncology Department at Manipal Hospital, the actor was brought to the hospital after his condition deteriorated, but doctors were unable to save him. He was declared dead at around 5:30 am.
Dr Salkar said the medical team tried to revive Nana through cardiac massage and other resuscitation efforts for around 45 minutes to an hour. However, the actor did not respond to the treatment.
Recounting the sequence of events, the doctor said Nana had messaged a friend at around 2:30 am, telling him that he was unwell. The friend missed the message as it was late at night. He later called the actor and reached his residence at around 4 am.
When the friend arrived, Nana was reportedly sweating heavily, and his condition was worsening. He was gradually losing consciousness. His caretaker was sent to the hospital for assistance, and an ambulance was dispatched to the residence.
The emergency team began cardiac massage at the location before shifting the actor to the hospital. Nana reached the hospital at approximately 4:20 to 4:30 am, where doctors continued their efforts to revive him. Despite the attempts, he was declared dead at around 5:30 am.
He was cremated with full state honours late at night on the same day.
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