Entertainment
Actor Sonali Kulkarni mourns Nana Patekar’s death, recalls their friendship
By Nawaz Javed Kochra, Devansh Sharma
Actor Sonali Kulkarni, who has worked with veteran actor Nana Patekar in several Marathi films, said she is still struggling to accept his death. Patekar, 75, died after a cardiac arrest in Goa early Thursday morning. He was at his family home when his health deteriorated, was rushed to the hospital, and doctors tried to revive him for 45 minutes before he was declared dead at 5:20 am.
In an exclusive interview with SCREEN, Kulkarni spoke about their friendship and shared memories from their time together. She recalled working with Patekar on three projects: the film *Taxi No. 9211*, the National Award‑winning *Deool*, and *Dr Prakash Baba Amte*. She said she had gone from being scared of the actor to becoming close to him and her family, and that he had the authority to call her anytime.
Kulkarni expressed her sadness, saying, “I still can’t process what I have heard. What would it mean, Nana sir, not being with us? I don’t know. I will take time to process this.” She added that Patekar would have hated being ill or hospitalized and that he was always fit, passionate, and easy. She noted that he would now meet his mother and the farmers who had committed suicide, and that she could not believe a Padma Shri awardee was gone.
Recounting a scene from *Taxi No. 9211*, Kulkarni described Patekar’s unscripted acting and the emotional depth he brought to the film. She recalled a moment when she left him, he came to meet her, and the train had already left, noting the longing and pathos on his face. She also remembered a playful exchange during a look‑test when Patekar told her to remove her makeup, which set the tone for their on‑screen relationship.
Kulkarni praised Patekar’s philanthropic work, saying he cared deeply for farmers and worked through the NAAM Foundation. She recalled how he had taken care of her during her pregnancy while promoting *Deool*, and how he had visited her daughter when she was two months old, an event that made the auto driver nervous.
The industry has been mourning Patekar’s loss. He will be laid to rest with state honours. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Amit Shah, Smriti Irani, and others have expressed their grief.
The article was reported by Nawaz Javed Kochra of The Indian Express Online, who has a decade of experience covering television and OTT content, celebrity profiles, and investigative entertainment news.