From Rs 35 a month to 80cr: The struggling life of Nana Patekar

Veteran actor Nana Patekar, who passed away early Thursday in Goa at the age of 75, leaves behind an extraordinary legacy that bridges absolute poverty and a multi-crore cinematic empire. 

Born Vishwanath Patekar on January 1, 1951, in Murud-Janjira, Maharashtra, the self-made actor had no industry connections and spent his childhood marked by severe financial hardship. After his father lost his business, the family experienced extreme financial insecurity. 

Forced to start working at just 13 years old while in Class IX, Patekar walked roughly eight kilometres daily after school to Chunabhatti in Mumbai to paint commercial film posters, earning Rs 35 a month and one basic meal a day. He also painted zebra crossings on city roads to supplement his family's income.

Personal tragedy hit early when his father passed away from a cardiac arrest under financial strain when Nana was 28, and his firstborn son passed away shortly after birth. Despite these struggles, Patekar pursued formal education at Mumbai's Sir J.J. Institute of Applied Art, qualifying as a visual artist before transitioning to theatre and film. He also joined the Indian Territorial Army, serving with the Maratha Light Infantry as an honorary Major during the 1999 Kargil War. 

Patekar made his Bollywood debut in 1978 with Gaman. Over a career spanning nearly five decades, iconic performances in films like ‘Parinda,’ ‘Krantiveer,’ ‘Agni Sakshi,’ ‘Ab Tak Chhappan,’ ‘Natsamrat,’ and ‘Welcome’ established him as a household name. He remains the only actor to win Filmfare Awards across the Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Villain categories. 

As his star power rose, his fees reached an estimated Rs 2 crore to Rs 3 crore per film. At the time of his death, reports estimated his net worth between Rs 60 crore and Rs 80 crore, including real estate assets like a 27-acre agricultural farmhouse in Khadakwasla near Pune and a residence in Goa. 

Despite his wealth, Patekar was known for an unpretentious lifestyle. He chose to live in a modest 750-square-foot, one-bedroom apartment in Andheri, Mumbai, purchased decades ago for Rs 1.1 lakh. He famously preferred practical vehicles over luxury sports cars, once refusing to spend Rs 1.5 crore on a luxury car to instead donate funds to struggling farmers.

In 2015, he co-founded the NAAM Foundation alongside actor Makarand Anaspure, providing direct financial relief, water-harvesting resources, and equipment to drought-hit farming families across Maharashtra.

-SA