Nana Patekar to receive state honors at Pune funeral

The last rites of popular Bollywood actor Nana Patekar will be held on Thursday at his farmhouse on the outskirts of Pune, Maharashtra. A representative of his social organization, the Naam Foundation, shared this information.

Nana Patekar passed away early Thursday morning at his residence in Goa after suffering a heart attack. He was 75 years old. His representative said the actor's mortal remains would be brought from Goa to Pune today.

Ganesh Thorat, CEO of the Naam Foundation, said the actor's body is expected to reach Pune around 5PM on Thursday. It will then be kept for people to pay their final respects.

The funeral arrangements have been made at Nana Patekar's farmhouse in the Donje area on the outskirts of Pune, where the final rites will take place.

Ganesh Thorat further said the funeral would be conducted with state honors.

Earlier on Thursday, Maharashtra's Culture Minister Ashish Shelar announced that Nana Patekar would be given a final farewell with full state honors. He said the decision to accord full state honors was made in recognition of Nana Patekar's outstanding contributions to Marathi theatre, as well as Marathi and Hindi cinema.

Expressing grief over Nana Patekar's death, Ashish Shelar said, "Nana Patekar's passing is a profound loss for the world of arts."

He added that, rising from the lanes of Yeola in Maharashtra, Nana Patekar had carved a distinct identity for himself in Marathi theatre and cinema through his talent and hard work, while conveying deep condolences on behalf of the Maharashtra government and the Department of Culture.

- NS