, who died on October 8, 2026, at the age of 75, was a familiar face in Indian cinema for decades. Yet away from the screen, the actor largely kept his personal and family life out of the public eye.
Patekar was married to actor and writer Neelkanti Patekar in 1978. The couple had two sons, although their first child died at the age of around two and a half. Their younger son, Malhar Patekar, has worked in filmmaking and has also been associated with his father’s philanthropic work.
Here is what is known about Nana Patekar’s immediate family and his early life.
Nana Patekar married Neelkanti Patekar in 1978. She was an actor and writer who also worked in films, although she later largely stayed away from the entertainment spotlight.
Over the years, Patekar credited his wife with supporting his decision to pursue acting, particularly during the early phase of his career.
The couple later lived separately for several years while remaining married. Patekar had spoken about their arrangement in interviews, saying they continued to meet despite maintaining separate homes. There have also been reports that the couple were never divorced.
Malhar Patekar is the surviving son of Nana and Neelkanti Patekar. He has been involved in filmmaking and has worked behind the camera.
Malhar was an assistant director on Ram Gopal Varma’s The Attacks of 26/11 and has also made a small acting appearance.
He has also been associated with his father’s work through Naam Foundation, an organisation involved in helping farmers and people affected by rural distress.
Malhar was also the family member who confirmed Nana Patekar’s death.
Before Malhar was born, Nana and Neelkanti Patekar had another son. Their first child died at around two and a half years of age following health complications, reported.
Patekar had spoken about the loss and its impact on him. He said his elder son was born with physical complications and died at a very young age. Malhar was born a couple of years later.
Nana Patekar was born Vishwanath Patekar into a Marathi family in Murud-Janjira in Maharashtra’s Raigad district.
His father, Dinkar Patekar, was a painter and died of a heart attack when Nana was a child. His mother, Sanjanabai Patekar, remained an important presence in his life.
Sanjanabai died reportedly at the age of 99 in January 2019.
Patekar had two brothers, Ashok Patekar and Dilip Patekar.
Unlike the actor, both largely remained away from public attention. Details about them have consequently remained limited compared with the extensive public coverage of Patekar’s film career.
Despite spending decades in the public eye, Patekar rarely made his family life a focus of his public persona.
He occasionally spoke about his relationship with Neelkanti, the death of his first child and his relationship with Malhar. Much of his public identity, however, remained centred on his work in Hindi and Marathi cinema.
With Patekar’s death, attention has once again turned to the family members who remained largely outside the spotlight while the actor built a career spanning acting, filmmaking and social work.
