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Nana Patekar: The Unlikely Star Who Redefined Indian Cinema
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Firstpost•08-10-2026, 12:56
Nana Patekar: The Unlikely Star Who Redefined Indian Cinema
- •Nana Patekar defied conventional Bollywood rules, becoming a major star without traditional dancing or romantic hero traits.
- •His career spanned acclaimed performances in art-house films, memorable villains, and iconic roles like Pratap in Krantiveer.
- •He achieved rare distinction by winning Filmfare Awards across hero, supporting actor, and villain categories.
- •Beyond cinema, his life included service in the Territorial Army, philanthropic work through the Naam Foundation, and a notoriously uncompromising personality.
Key Questions Answered
In Krantiveer, Nana Patekar played Pratap Narayan Tilak, an angry and alcoholic drifter who discovers a cause worth fighting for, earning him the National Award for Best Actor and cementing his legendary status.
He earned his first National Award for playing Anna Seth in Parinda (1989), won Best Actor for Krantiveer (1994), and received another National Award for his role as a sadistic husband in Agni Sakshi (1996).
Born Vishwanath Gajanan Patekar, he became known as Nana because a close friend of his mother affectionately called him Nana during his childhood, a nickname that eventually became his official name on all documents.
