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Maharashtra Remembers the Private Five-Decade Bond Between Nana Patekar and Ajit Pawar
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News18•08-10-2026, 11:02
Maharashtra Remembers the Private Five-Decade Bond Between Nana Patekar and Ajit Pawar
- •Actor Nana Patekar and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar shared a close, private friendship that lasted for nearly five decades.
- •Ajit Pawar passed away in a plane crash on January 28, and Nana Patekar followed eight months later on October 8 at the age of 75.
- •The depth of their lifelong relationship only came to light publicly after Pawar's tragic death, revealing a bond that predated their fame.
- •Patekar described Pawar as a wonderful friend and like a younger brother, recalling how they supported each other since their youth.
- •Rare photographs shared by Patekar's son after the crash showcased informal visits, highlighting a softer, personal side of the late political leader.
Key Questions Answered
Their bond started decades before either became famous, when Ajit Pawar was an 18 or 19-year-old grassroots worker in Baramati and Patekar was 25. Whenever Patekar visited Baramati, Pawar looked after everything for him, sparking a friendship that lasted nearly fifty years.
Patekar was deeply overcome with emotion at a condolence meeting for Pawar and later visited Pawar's wife, Sunetra Pawar, and his family about 29 days after the crash to offer his condolences.
Nana Patekar passed away on October 8 at the age of 75 in Goa after suffering what doctors identified as a cardiac arrest.
