Veteran actor Nana Patekar, who passed away on Thursday at the age of 75 after suffering a cardiac arrest in Goa, was known not only for his acting and direction but also for his philanthropic work. An anecdote shared by actor and filmmaker Ranbir Pushp offers a glimpse into Patekar's generosity away from the camera.
Pushp worked with Patekar on Agni Sakshi, where he served as the screenwriter and Patekar played the lead, recalled an incident that highlighted the actor's concern for families affected by farmer suicides.
In a podcast with Siddharth Kannan, Pushp recalled how Patekar was deeply affected after watching news reports about families grieving the loss of farmers who had died by suicide.
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According to Pushp, Patekar was supposed to buy a car worth Rs 1.5 crore the following day. However, after seeing the plight of the affected families, he decided against the purchase and instead chose to distribute the money among them.
“He was watching the news one day and saw families grieving after so many farmers committed suicide. The next day he was supposed to buy a Rs 1.5 crore car, but instead he called his artiste friend and told him to make Rs 15,000 cheques and distribute them among the families of the farmers,” Pushp said.
He further recalled Patekar's approach to helping those in need, saying, “The one who wipes the farmers' tears can't cause harm to anyone.”
Pushp also spoke about Patekar's association with the NAAM Foundation, which works to support farmers and their families. He said the actor himself lives on a farm.
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Pushp On Nana Patekar's Temper
Pushp also dismissed the perception that Patekar's temper often caused financial losses for film producers. He said the actor had been misunderstood and claimed that Patekar's anger was often rooted in his concern for social issues.
Recalling another incident, Pushp said Patekar once stopped a man who had allegedly thrown a bottle on the road.
“He stopped the car and picked up the bottle. He went ahead and stopped the guy driving that car at the traffic signal. He asked him to roll down the window,” Pushp said.
According to Pushp, Patekar then questioned the man about his responsibility as a citizen and said, “Who will keep Bharat swachh (clean)? Gandhi ji is gone, but you're still around on this planet. So, is it not your duty as a citizen of this country to keep it clean? Should I throw the bottle inside your car, assuming it's a dustbin?”
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