Veteran actor Nana Patekar died at 5.20 am on Thursday after suffering a cardiac arrest at his residence.
Nana Patekar, who came to cinema from the art school and the stage, has never lost the discipline of both. After his debut in Gaman (1978), he spent the next four decades playing gangsters, soldiers, cops, fathers, and broken old men with the same rough honesty. He won three National Film Awards and the Padma Shri, and he is still the only actor to take Filmfare awards for Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Villain.These are some of the films that showcase his work, but his performances and brilliance extend far beyond this list.
Vidhu Vinod Chopra's Bombay crime drama is where Nana became a name everyone knew. He plays Anna Seth, a gang boss who runs the underworld around the markets, and he barely raises his voice. The menace comes from how calm he is, a small smile, a slow way of talking, and a stare that goes on a beat too long. The role earned him his first National Film Award and Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor. Many consider it the best villain performance in Hindi cinema.
Where to watch: Zee5
He plays Pratap Narayan Tilak, a cynical, aimless man who is slowly pushed into becoming a revolutionary. The film follows his slow, reluctant change into a man who fights for the people he used to laugh at. Nana plays the early scenes with a lazy sarcasm, so the later anger feels earned and doesn't come out of nowhere. It won him the National Award for Best Actor, and the long courtroom speech is the part people quote to this day.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
He directed this one himself and also took the lead as Major Chauhan, an idealistic army officer who becomes disillusioned after seeing the country he fought for. In the training scenes, he's stiff and hard, almost impossible to like, and you can tell the officer has locked his feelings away. Once the story moves out of the barracks and into a messy civilian world, you see how badly he copes with it. It's probably the most personal thing he ever made, and it shows in the care he takes with the character.
He plays Ganpatrao Belwalkar, a retired stage legend whose life falls apart after he gives away everything to his children. What follows is a sad, slow story of pride and neglect, loosely in the mould of King Lear. Nana, who rose through theatre, handles big, stage-style monologues as well as quiet moments, like an old man sitting alone with nothing left to say. Many people consider it his best work of his later years.
Where to watch: JioHotstar
In Sanjay Leela Bhansali's first film, he plays Joseph, a deaf-mute father raising a daughter who loves music. With no dialogue to lean on, he has to carry everything with his hands, his face, and the way he looks at his child. It's a much softer Nana than the angry men he usually played. A lot of fans point to it when they want to prove he could do tenderness just as well as rage.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
This thriller about a possessive, violent husband is hard to watch, mostly because of how real Nana makes the man feel. He doesn't overplay the cruelty. The scarier moments are the quiet ones, when he seems almost normal before something small sets him off. Opposite Manisha Koirala and Jackie Shroff, he's the one the film hangs on, and it brought him an award for Best Supporting Actor.
He plays Majid Khan, a smuggler and gangster, in a loud, dramatic crime story. This is Nana in full roar, big voice, sharp stare, and he fills every scene he walks into. It's a very different style from the quiet menace of Parinda, and it shows how many ways he could play a bad man. He won the Filmfare Award for Best Villain for it.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
He plays a short-tempered cab driver who gets stuck with a rich, arrogant passenger (John Abraham) for a long night. Nana is street-smart, quick with a sarcastic line and constantly annoyed, and the humour comes from how seriously he takes it all. Because he was known for heavy roles, seeing him this relaxed was a pleasant surprise. It's a good one to watch when you want his comic side.
He plays the social worker Dr. Prakash Amte, who spent his life serving tribal communities in Gadchiroli. Playing a real person he clearly admired, Nana keeps it plain and avoids big speeches. The performance is mostly small gestures, a tired smile, and a patient way of listening. The role reflects his own philanthropy through the Naam Foundation.
Where to watch: Zee5
He plays the main villain in this action drama with Shah Rukh Khan and Karisma Kapoor. Even in a film built around big stars, his scenes have a cold, steady threat that holds your attention. He doesn't ham it up, and the restraint is what makes him frightening. Critics singled him out for the performance at the time.
(This story is compiled by Aiswarya Padmakumari.)