Nana Patekar‘s passing on October 8 has left Bollywood heartbroken. The 75-year-old veteran actor died of a cardiac arrest, and the industry has since rallied around his grieving family with messages of sympathy. Among those paying tribute was Mithun Chakraborty, who remembered Patekar as a close friend.

Mithun Chakraborty on his friendship with Nana Patekar

In a conversation with News18, Mithun spoke about the bond he shared with Nana that went well beyond the film sets. He said, “Nana Patekar was a very close friend of mine. I was extremely saddened to hear the news. He lived a very simple life, like an ordinary person.” Addressing the common talk about Nana’s temper, Mithun added, “People often say that Nana gets angry, but I can understand that. If things are not organised, I also get angry. We worked together in several films, but our friendship extended beyond cinema as well.”See More: National Award winnig actor Nana Patekar passes away at 75

How Nana Patekar died of a cardiac arrest

Nana Patekar has died of a cardiac arrest at the age of 75. Reports say he complained of severe chest pain at his Goa residence, and a medical team was sent to his flat, where he was found unconscious. Doctors tried to restart his heart for 45 minutes, but he stayed in asystole throughout the resuscitation, said Dr Shekhar Salkar, Chief of the Oncology Department at Manipal Hospital. Dr Salkar added, “Despite 45 minutes of continuous CPR, he could not be revived. A medico-legal case (MLC) has been registered, and a post-mortem will be conducted.”

Nana Patekar’s last rites to be held with state honours

The funeral arrangements for Nana Patekar have been announced. His last rites will be held today at 4 pm at his farmhouse in Pune’s Donje area, with full state honours in recognition of his contribution to cinema and beyond.

Nana Patekar’s film career and awards

Born Vishwanath Patekar, Nana made his acting debut with ‘Gaman’ in 1978 and grew into one of the most distinctive performers in Hindi and Marathi cinema. Films like ‘Ankush’, ‘Pratighaat’, ‘Salaam Bombay!’ and ‘Parinda’ marked his breakthrough, and he went on to earn praise for his work in ‘Prahaar: The Final Attack’, ‘Angaar’, ‘Tirangaa’, ‘Krantiveer’, ‘Agni Sakshi’, ‘Khamoshi: The Musical’, ‘Ab Tak Chhappan’, ‘Apaharan’ and ‘Raajneeti’. He won three National Film Awards during his career and received the Padma Shri in 2013.See More: Nana Patekar passes away: PM Modi hails veteran star’s contribution to Hindi and Marathi cinema