The obituaries landed first. Then came the personal notes — shorter, rougher, and somehow heavier. A day after Nana Patekar died following a cardiac arrest at his home in Goa, Salman Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Anil Kapoor, Shah Rukh Khan and Ajay Devgn each found their own way to say goodbye, while Maharashtra gave the actor a state funeral at his Pune farmhouse.
This piece picks up after our earlier report, "Nana Patekar Dies at 75: What Happened in Goa, His Greatest Films and the Tributes Pouring In," which covered the morning of October 8, the hospital statement and the career that stretched from Parinda to Welcome. What followed through Thursday night and Friday morning was a second wave: the industry's longest friendships, spoken out loud.
Salman Khan cancels Mumbai plans for 'Bhau'
Salman posted on Instagram Stories with a black-and-white photograph and a line NDTV and IANS both recorded: "Nanaaaaaa... Rest in peace bhau." The two had shared the screen in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Khamoshi: The Musical (1996), where Nana played Joseph opposite Manisha Koirala and Salman played Raj.
The tribute was not only words. NDTV reported that Salman had been due to attend a GB Realty event in Mumbai with Gurinder Bhatti; the programme was postponed as a mark of respect. Coverage of the day also described Salman moving toward Pune to be with the family — a detail that underscored how close "Bhau" sat in his circle.
Amitabh Bachchan pauses KBC to call him adwitiya kalakar
Amitabh Bachchan stopped the Kaun Banega Crorepati shoot to address the audience directly. Times of India quoted him calling Nana an "adwitiya kalakar" — an extraordinary artist — as well as a friend, well-wisher and exemplary social worker. "Unki bebaki, unki sadgi, aur sach ko sach kahne ka unka sahas" set him apart, Bachchan said, adding that some people leave but their voice and lessons remain.
He also recalled Nana's Kaun Banega Crorepati Season 16 guest appearance, when the actor spoke about drought-hit Maharashtra farmers and dedicated his winnings to that cause. Hindustan Times reported that Bachchan paused the KBC 18 shoot for the tribute. Separate coverage this week revisited their complicated history around the 1999 film Kohram, but Bachchan's on-air words stayed on friendship, craft and seva.
Anil Kapoor, Shah Rukh Khan and Ajay Devgn remember a co-star
Anil Kapoor's Instagram note, carried by Hindustan Times, called him "Nanya" and "duniya ka sabse bada kalakaar." He paired the loss with the memory of Satish Kaushik: "Pehle Satish aur ab mera Nanya." The Welcome brothers — Uday Shetty and Majnu Bhai — had been a pop-culture shorthand for their off-screen bond as much as their on-screen comedy.
Shah Rukh Khan wrote on X about their first meeting: when nervous fiddling with his hair earned a slap on the hand and the line, "hero ki tarah baal mat bana... tu actor hai." Times of India carried the longer note in which SRK called Nana a mentor, teacher, critic and friend who beat everyone at carrom, and closed with "Too soon my Hero Actor" and the advice he still carried: "hero banne ke chakkar mein actor mat khona."
Ajay Devgn shared an Apaharan throwback and wrote, as News18 reported, that not many performers made audiences "happy, sad and feel anger" the way Nana did. "His presence was powerful, his performances unforgettable, and his absence will now be deeply felt."
State funeral at Nanachi Wadi and Malhar's explanation
Nana was cremated with full state honours late Thursday at Nanachi Wadi, his farmhouse in Donje village near Khadakwasla, Pune. Times Now reported a three-gun salute; Jackie Shroff, Anil Sharma, Sajid Nadiadwala and several Maharashtra leaders were among those present, according to India Today.
Son Malhar Patekar lit the pyre. Asked why the rites went ahead so late instead of waiting for Friday, he told reporters — as India Today quoted — that because the tragedy had happened early that morning, "already samay kaafi beet chuka tha," so the family decided to complete the rites the same day. Respectful, practical, and final.
FAQ
What did Salman Khan write about Nana Patekar?
On Instagram Stories he wrote "Nanaaaaaa... Rest in peace bhau," and a Mumbai GB Realty event he was to attend was postponed, NDTV reported.
What did Amitabh Bachchan say?
On the KBC set he called Nana an extraordinary artist, friend and social worker, and recalled his farmer-focused KBC16 appearance.
Where was Nana Patekar's funeral held?
At Nanachi Wadi in Donje near Pune, with full state honours and a three-gun salute on the night of October 8.
Why were the last rites held late at night?
Malhar Patekar said considerable time had already passed since the early-morning death in Goa, so the family chose to proceed the same day.
What caused Nana Patekar's death?
Hospital doctors, quoted in earlier coverage, said he suffered a cardiac arrest at his Goa home. A post-mortem was to be conducted.
Cover photo: Bollywood Hungama / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0