Veteran actor Nana Patekar’s son, Malhar Patekar, has shared memories of his father’s final moments. Speaking about coping with the loss, the filmmaker and social worker said that his parents’ resilience has helped him remain strong during this tough phase. Nana Patekar passed away on October 8 in Goa after suffering a heart attack. His last rites were conducted at his Pune Farmhouse.
Nana Patekar’s son Malhar addresses online speculations
In a chat with Hindustan Times, Malhar said, “When growing up as a kid, I imbibed a lot of strength and resilience from my parents. Also, whatever it looks like from the outside to people doesn’t matter to me; in reality, we as a family were strongly and emotionally connected, even my uncle and cousins, for that matter. Mujhe sab ka pyar mila hamesha and that matters.”
He added, “Itna sab kuch viral ho raha, woh kitna ghalat hai. Just because we don’t share family pics on Insta, that doesn’t mean we don’t bond. Even after parting ways, my parents were on a good note; 38-39 saal ka bond tha, and things are never what they might look like…”
“The things I read usska jawab yeh hain ke woh akele nahi thhe, kabhi nahin thhe, nor was he unwell because we all never left his side; one of us was always with him. He was very active and doing two and a half hours of working out in a gym; youngsters nahin kar pate, that was his level of fitness,” he further continued.
Nana Patekar’s son Malhar recalls actor’s final moments
Malhar remembers the day his father Nana Patekar passed away and said, “Nana ji was in Goa, and my cousin Prasad, who used to look into all his entertainment-related meetings, was sent off by him to Mumbai as he had to shoot for KBC Marathi with Madhuri ji (Dixit) in a day; also, my other brother, Amay, only left after settling him upstairs in the house. Nanaji was someone jo kabhi kisi ko pareshan nahi karte.”
He recalled the last moments of the veteran actor and added, “So, when he felt uneasy, he only texted him, and it was only after some time that he called him. He reached immediately, but it was late. I got a call from my mum around 5 am while I was in Pune. Uske baad kya hua kuch yaad hi nahi, I felt the world around me stopped.”
A prayer meet in honour of Nana Patekar was organised by the Maharashtra government, with several figures from the entertainment and political circles attending the gathering.