Veteran actor Nana Patekar, known for his straightforward personality and powerful performances, has passed away at the age of 75 after suffering a heart attack on Thursday morning. Amid tributes following his death, an old 2023 interview has resurfaced in which the actor spoke candidly about death, his funeral and what he wanted his family and friends to do after he was gone. The interview, cited by NBT and other media reports, was given around the time Patekar was promoting The Vaccine War, which released in September 2023. In the conversation, the actor spoke about his philosophy towards life, death, material possessions and the inevitability of being forgotten after death. Nana Patekar on death: 'I believe in death' In the 2023 interview, Nana Patekar spoke about his acceptance of death and said he was not interested in accumulating possessions because he knew that life was temporary. "I know that I am going to die tomorrow. I believe in death. That is why I have no interest in these things. People who think they are never going to die keep collecting things. They just keep accumulating." Read more - Not showing on Google Maps, but Delhi Traffic Police says Barapulla Phase-III is heavily congested: Why it is happening and what commuters should do The comment came during a discussion about whether Patekar had changed despite spending decades in the film industry, where fame, money and glamour can often influence people. Live Events The actor, who made his film debut in the 1970s and went on to become one of Hindi cinema's most recognisable performers, had played several characters that reflected his intense and unconventional screen presence. Nana Patekar's last wish: '12 maunds of wood' for his funeral When asked why he had remained largely unchanged despite witnessing people around him get influenced by the glamour of the film industry, Patekar gave a characteristically blunt response. "I know that I have to go and that 12 maunds of wood will be needed. This is my entire property. I will leave with this." The actor's reference to 12 maunds of wood reflected his view that material possessions ultimately mean little in the face of death. For Patekar, the wood needed for his final rites represented the only 'property' he expected to take with him. "I know that I have to go and that 12 maunds of wood will be needed. This is my entire property. I will leave with this." 'Don't burn me with wet wood': Nana Patekar on his funeral Patekar went further while talking about how he wanted his final rites to be conducted. He said he had already kept dry wood and did not want wet wood to be used when he was cremated. "I have actually kept dry wood. I have told them to burn me in that. Don't use wet wood, otherwise there will be smoke and it will get into the eyes of my friends and people around me. Then their eyes will water and, at the time of my death, I will be under the misconception that they are crying for me. At least there should be no such misconception until I die." His remark, delivered with the dark humour and bluntness often associated with his public persona, was also a reflection of how he viewed death, without wanting those around him to create an exaggerated emotional spectacle around it. "I have actually kept dry wood. I have told them to burn me in that. Don't use wet wood, otherwise there will be smoke and my friends will cry and I will be under the misconception that they are crying for me." Nana Patekar's last wish: 'Don't put up my picture after I die' Patekar also spoke about what he wanted people to do after his death. He said he did not want his photograph to be displayed or for people to hold on to his memory for too long. "This is how I live. I feel this is the truth. Once you die, nobody will remember you. Everyone will forget after two to four days. I have even told them not to put up my picture. Forget me completely." The statement underlined his belief that death eventually brings an end to a person's presence in the lives of others, no matter how famous they may be. "This is how I live. I feel this is the truth. Once you die, nobody will remember you. Everyone will forget after two to four days. I have even told them not to put up my picture. Forget me completely." Nana Patekar said he would meet his mother after death While Patekar spoke bluntly about the inevitability of death, he also shared a deeply personal thought about what death meant to him. "Even today, I feel that my mother is still alive. Death means that after leaving this place, I will go and meet her. We were seven siblings. Six have passed away and I am the only one left. So I feel that when my mother, father, brothers and sisters are no longer here, I do not belong to this world either. All of mine are there, so I always think of them." For the actor, death was therefore not only about an end but also about the possibility of being reunited with the family members he had lost. Nana Patekar's Prahaar directorial debut Nana Patekar's career extended beyond acting. In 1991, he wrote, directed and acted in Prahaar: The Final Attack. He played Major Pratap Chauhan, a highly trained Army officer who serves on the battlefield and later decides to take a stand against corruption. The film marked Patekar's directorial debut and showcased another side of his creative career. Before Prahaar, he had appeared in Vidhu Vinod Chopra's Parinda (1989), in which he played the gangster Anna Seth. His performance earned him the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor. Nana Patekar's memorable role in Wajood Patekar also delivered a very different performance in N Chandra's 1998 film Wajood. He played a man deeply in love with Madhuri Dixit's character and delivered the memorable line, "Kaise bataun ki tum mere liye kya ho..." The film remains one of the notable titles in his career and showcased his ability to move between intense drama and more unconventional romantic roles. Nana Patekar's memorable films and characters Over the course of his career, Nana Patekar became known for playing a wide range of characters, from Army officers and police personnel to gangsters, politicians and comic characters. In Krantiveer (1994), he played Pratap and won the National Film Award for Best Actor and a Filmfare Award for the performance. In Parinda (1989), he played the feared gangster Anna Seth, a role that remains among his most acclaimed performances. In Prahaar: The Final Attack (1991), he portrayed Army commando Major Pratap Chauhan. In Tirangaa (1993), he played police inspector Shivajirao Wagle alongside Raj Kumar, who portrayed Brigadier Suryadev Singh. In Ab Tak Chhappan (2004), Patekar played encounter specialist Sadhu Agashe, a restrained and intense character that became another landmark performance. He also displayed his comic side as gangster Uday Shetty in Welcome (2007), a character that became hugely popular with audiences. Patekar later appeared in films including Apaharan (2005) and Raajneeti (2010), where he played political characters. His more recent work also included the OTT series Sankalp. Inputs from agencies Add as a Reliable and Trusted News Source Add Now! (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel)
Nana Patekar’s last wish before his death
Veteran actor Nana Patekar, known for his straightforward personality and powerful performances, has passed away at the age of 75 after suffering a heart attack on Thursday morning. Amid tributes following his death, an old 2023 interview has resurfaced in which the actor spoke candidly about death, his funeral and what he wanted his family and friends to do after he was gone. The interview, cited by NBT and other media reports, was given around the time Patekar was promoting The Vaccine War, which released in September 2023. In the conversation, the actor spoke about his philosophy towards life, death, material possessions and the inevitability of being forgotten after death. Nana Patekar on death: 'I believe in death' In the 2023 interview, Nana Patekar spoke about his acceptance of death and said he was not interested in accumulating possessions because he knew that life was temporary. "I know that I am going to die tomorrow. I believe in death. That is why I have no interest in these things. People who think they are never going to die keep collecting things. They just keep accumulating." Read more - Not showing on Google Maps, but Delhi Traffic Police says Barapulla Phase-III is heavily congested: Why it is happening and what commuters should do The comment came during a discussion about whether Patekar had changed despite spending decades in the film industry, where fame, money and glamour can often influence people. Live Events The actor, who made his film debut in the 1970s and went on to become one of Hindi cinema's most recognisable performers, had played several characters that reflected his intense and unconventional screen presence. Nana Patekar's last wish: '12 maunds of wood' for his funeral When asked why he had remained largely unchanged despite witnessing people around him get influenced by the glamour of the film industry, Patekar gave a characteristically blunt response. "I know that I have to go and that 12 maunds of wood will be needed. This is my entire property. I will leave with this." The actor's reference to 12 maunds of wood reflected his view that material possessions ultimately mean little in the face of death. For Patekar, the wood needed for his final rites represented the only 'property' he expected to take with him. "I know that I have to go and that 12 maunds of wood will be needed. This is my entire property. I will leave with this." 'Don't burn me with wet wood': Nana Patekar on his funeral Patekar went further while talking about how he wanted his final rites to be conducted. He said he had already kept dry wood and did not want wet wood to be used when he was cremated. "I have actually kept dry wood. I have told them to burn me in that. Don't use wet wood, otherwise there will be smoke and it will get into the eyes of my friends and people around me. Then their eyes will water and, at the time of my death, I will be under the misconception that they are crying for me. At least there should be no such misconception until I die." His remark, delivered with the dark humour and bluntness often associated with his public persona, was also a reflection of how he viewed death, without wanting those around him to create an exaggerated emotional spectacle around it. "I have actually kept dry wood. I have told them to burn me in that. Don't use wet wood, otherwise there will be smoke and my friends will cry and I will be under the misconception that they are crying for me." Nana Patekar's last wish: 'Don't put up my picture after I die' Patekar also spoke about what he wanted people to do after his death. He said he did not want his photograph to be displayed or for people to hold on to his memory for too long. "This is how I live. I feel this is the truth. Once you die, nobody will remember you. Everyone will forget after two to four days. I have even told them not to put up my picture. Forget me completely." The statement underlined his belief that death eventually brings an end to a person's presence in the lives of others, no matter how famous they may be. "This is how I live. I feel this is the truth. Once you die, nobody will remember you. Everyone will forget after two to four days. I have even told them not to put up my picture. Forget me completely." Nana Patekar said he would meet his mother after death While Patekar spoke bluntly about the inevitability of death, he also shared a deeply personal thought about what death meant to him. "Even today, I feel that my mother is still alive. Death means that after leaving this place, I will go and meet her. We were seven siblings. Six have passed away and I am the only one left. So I feel that when my mother, father, brothers and sisters are no longer here, I do not belong to this world either. All of mine are there, so I always think of them." For the actor, death was therefore not only about an end but also about the possibility of being reunited with the family members he had lost. Nana Patekar's Prahaar directorial debut Nana Patekar's career extended beyond acting. In 1991, he wrote, directed and acted in Prahaar: The Final Attack. He played Major Pratap Chauhan, a highly trained Army officer who serves on the battlefield and later decides to take a stand against corruption. The film marked Patekar's directorial debut and showcased another side of his creative career. Before Prahaar, he had appeared in Vidhu Vinod Chopra's Parinda (1989), in which he played the gangster Anna Seth. His performance earned him the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor. Nana Patekar's memorable role in Wajood Patekar also delivered a very different performance in N Chandra's 1998 film Wajood. He played a man deeply in love with Madhuri Dixit's character and delivered the memorable line, "Kaise bataun ki tum mere liye kya ho..." The film remains one of the notable titles in his career and showcased his ability to move between intense drama and more unconventional romantic roles. Nana Patekar's memorable films and characters Over the course of his career, Nana Patekar became known for playing a wide range of characters, from Army officers and police personnel to gangsters, politicians and comic characters. In Krantiveer (1994), he played Pratap and won the National Film Award for Best Actor and a Filmfare Award for the performance. In Parinda (1989), he played the feared gangster Anna Seth, a role that remains among his most acclaimed performances. In Prahaar: The Final Attack (1991), he portrayed Army commando Major Pratap Chauhan. In Tirangaa (1993), he played police inspector Shivajirao Wagle alongside Raj Kumar, who portrayed Brigadier Suryadev Singh. In Ab Tak Chhappan (2004), Patekar played encounter specialist Sadhu Agashe, a restrained and intense character that became another landmark performance. He also displayed his comic side as gangster Uday Shetty in Welcome (2007), a character that became hugely popular with audiences. Patekar later appeared in films including Apaharan (2005) and Raajneeti (2010), where he played political characters. His more recent work also included the OTT series Sankalp. Inputs from agencies Add as a Reliable and Trusted News Source Add Now! (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel)
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