One Day, We All Have to Go”: Nana Patekar’s Emotional Words Four Days Before His Passing

Veteran actor Nana Patekar passed away in Goa on Thursday morning. He suffered a severe cardiac arrest at around 5:20 AM. But just four days before his death, he had said something that has now touched many people and is being widely remembered.

Nana Patekar had attended an event in Dona Paula, Goa, on October 4. It turned out to be his final public appearance.

The Padma Shri awardee, Vishwanath “Nana” Patekar, attended the installation ceremony of Samrat Club International, State-I, at the Taj Cidade de Goa in Dona Paula on Sunday. During the event, Rajashree A. Khandeparkar took charge as State President for the 2026-27 term, while the Board of Directors also assumed office.

In a video shared by news agency PTI, Nana Patekar can be seen addressing the gathering from the stage. Dressed in his usual simple style, he wore a white kurta and a white gamchha.

During his address, he remembered former Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar and praised his approach to work. But it was Nana’s remarks about life and death that now feel particularly poignant.

He said that, ultimately, everyone has to leave this world one day. He also admitted that he did not know whether he himself would be there the following day.

Speaking in Marathi, Nana Patekar said:

“One day, we all have to go. I don’t know whether I will be here tomorrow or not. Everyone’s life eventually reaches that point. But before that, I have to ask myself—am I doing what I want to do?”

At the time, his words may simply have been a reflection on life. But following his death, those same words have taken on a deeply emotional meaning for everyone who hears them.

According to reports, Nana Patekar suffered a severe cardiac arrest at his residence on Thursday morning. Every effort was made to save him, but doctors were unable to revive him.

Dr. Shekhar Salkar, Head of the Oncology Department at Manipal Hospital, said that continuous CPR was administered for around 45 minutes, but Nana could not be saved. According to the doctor, a medico-legal case (MLC) has been registered and a post-mortem will be conducted.

Nana Patekar was last seen in the film ‘O'Romeo’, in which he worked alongside Shahid Kapoor, Triptii Dimri, Avinash Tiwary and Disha Patani.

Nana Patekar: An Actor Who Created an Identity of His Own

Born in Maharashtra on January 1, 1951, Nana Patekar carved out a unique place for himself in Indian cinema through his powerful performances. His real name was Vishwanath Patekar.

Over several decades in Hindi and Marathi cinema, Nana played characters that audiences remembered long after watching his films. His voice, dialogue delivery and facial expressions became an unmistakable part of his identity.

His style of delivering dialogues was so distinctive that even mimicry artists considered imitating him a challenge.

Nana Patekar made his Hindi film debut with ‘Gaman’ in 1978. Films such as ‘Salaam Bombay!’ and ‘Parinda’ subsequently gave his career a major boost.

He went on to leave a lasting impression with memorable performances in films including ‘Tirangaa’, ‘Krantiveer’, ‘Khamoshi: The Musical’, ‘Yeshwant’, ‘Ab Tak Chhappan’, ‘Apaharan’ and ‘Raajneeti’.

His work was not limited to Hindi cinema. Nana remained closely associated with Marathi films and theatre as well. He also ventured into filmmaking and made his directorial debut in 1991 with ‘Prahaar: The Final Attack’.

From Intense Roles to Comedy

Nana Patekar was known for years for playing intense and aggressive characters. So when he appeared as ‘Uday Shetty’ in the ‘Welcome’ franchise, audiences got to see a completely different side of him.

The character of Uday Shetty became hugely popular, with his dialogues and scenes later going viral on social media and becoming a favourite source of memes.

Honoured With Several Prestigious Awards

For his contribution to cinema and the arts, Nana Patekar was awarded the Padma Shri in 2013. He also received three National Film Awards along with several other prestigious honours.

But Nana’s identity went beyond his work as an actor. He was also associated with social causes and was known for supporting issues concerning farmers.

During Operation Sindoor, he also met families affected by shelling from Pakistan and his organisation helped provide financial assistance to some of those families.

Nana Patekar’s passing is a major loss for Indian cinema. But perhaps the words he spoke just four days before his death offer the simplest reflection on the way he viewed life:

“One day, we all have to go… but before that, we should ask ourselves whether we are doing what we truly want to do.”

And perhaps that is the question through which his words—and his memory—will continue to live on.