Nana Patekar was admired by entire generations of Indian filmgoers for his fiery demeanour, inimitable voice, and mesmerizing characters. From “Parinda” and “Krantiveer” to “Natsamrat” and “Welcome,” he played memorable roles over 50 years in cinema and bagged a Padma Shri and three National Film Awards. But this was just one aspect of his life. Off-screen, Patekar was a much more modest man and made a choice to embrace roles that had nothing to do with Bollywood glitter. He served with the Territorial Army, interacted directly with drought-prone farmers, and co-founded the NAAM Foundation. His life choices, therefore ranged from being a filmmaker and actor to working with farmers and the armed forces.
From a struggling artist to one of India’s recognized names
Nana Patekar was born in Maharashtra, and his given name was Vishwanath Patekar. He moved into the film industry in the late 1970s. One of his first roles was in the film Gaman in 1978, but his subsequent work began to suggest an actor who could take on more complicated and unusual roles. He won the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Parinda and the National Film Award for Best Actor for Krantiveer. His Marathi effort was another significant phase of his professional life. Natsamrat, which came out in 2016, was one of his finest comebacks and a vital chapter to his filmography.
Nana Patekar’s connection with the Indian Army
Patekar also had another aspect of his life called the Territorial Army. He was also a member of the Territorial Army, where he trained in the army for the role of Prahaar: The Final Attack, the film he was directing in 1991. This involvement with the armed forces was not limited to wartime preparation; during the 1999 Kargil War, he was deployed with the Maratha Light Infantry. He retired from the Territorial Army as an honorary lieutenant colonel in 2013.It was very unorthodox public service for someone who was mostly known to other people as the fictional character he played on screen.
Why farmers become such an important part of his life?
This may have been the biggest contrast between the Nana Patekar audiences experienced in the theaters and the real, non-cinematic world. In 2015, Patekar, along with another Marathi actor Makarand Anaspure, started to assist the families of the farmers going through distress in Maharashtra. This resulted in the formation of the NAAM Foundation. The foundation said the organization was set up by Patekar and Anaspure in September 2015 in response to the massive drought and farmer issues in Maharashtra. It has been working for rural development, water conservation, farmers’ assistance, and the general problems faced by villages. Patekar remains listed as the chairman of the foundation, which its website says seeks to further rural development and farmer livelihood by helping them create a more secure and dignified life.
He chose rural life over the glamour of Bollywood
Patekar’s association with village Maharashtra was not limited to charity. Articles about him apart from filmdom have spoken about his choice to stay away from the mainstream Bollywood life and his love for farming. This was one aspect of Patekar that was far removed from the star-glamour image of his films. While his films earned him country-wide fame, the actor often talked of his relatability to the common man and the village folk.
His philanthropy went beyond one foundation
Patekar’s NGO work extended beyond the NAAM Foundation. He was involved in providing relief to farmers of drought-affected villages and also extended a helping hand to flood-affected villages of Bihar. It has been said that he contributed the cash prize of the Raj Kapoor Special Contribution Award to drought relief work in Maharashtra. It opened up another part of his public existence. He had a platform by virtue of his celebrity, but much of his social work was directed at the population at large who were an even longer way from the centre of attention of the film industry.
What remains beyond the films?
Nana Patekar’s life beyond films Nana Patekar’s connections with the Territorial Army, work with farmers, and his engagement with rural India showed another side of the actor. Apart from his work in front of the camera, there was an aspect of his public life that continued to carry with him. The remarkable life of the star also manifested itself in his association with service, social work and rural India.
