Narendra Modi says Nana Patekar's death leaves "a vast void in the artistic world"

Nana Patekar, a longtime Indian film and theater actor, died at 75 in Goa, according to his son Malhar, who spoke to BBC Marathi. He was discovered unresponsive at his residence early Thursday morning and taken to a hospital, where a doctor said 45 minutes of resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful. Patekar worked in Hindi and Marathi cinema and stage, won three National Film Awards, and became widely recognized after the 1989 film Parinda. On Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among those paying tribute, praising the actor’s range and direct public manner. Modi wrote on X that Patekar’s characters would stay in people’s memories and that his death marked a major loss for the arts. Actor Akshay Kumar, who appeared with him in Welcome, also paid tribute.