Marathi filmmaker and actor Pravin Tarde has expressed disappointment over the limited presence of Bollywood celebrities at veteran actor Nana Patekar’s funeral. Speaking on a programme, Tarde said that people who considered Nana their friend should have attended his last rites.
Nana Patekar died on October 8 at the age of 75 after suffering a severe cardiac arrest at his residence in Goa. His last rites were performed with full state honours at his farmhouse in Donje village, near Pune. While several political leaders, artists and admirers gathered to pay their last respects, the limited presence of Bollywood celebrities became a subject of discussion.
‘Bollywood Is Not Bigger Than Nana’
While expressing his disappointment, Pravin Tarde also spoke about the people who came to bid farewell to the actor. He pointed out that thousands of farmers attended Nana Patekar’s funeral procession, reflecting the actor’s connection with ordinary people and rural communities.
Tarde said, “The fact that Bollywood people did not attend the funeral does not diminish Nana’s greatness. Bollywood is not bigger than Nana.”
He further compared the farmers who attended the funeral with celebrities from the film industry, saying that the farmers’ presence carried greater importance for him.
ALSO READ: “Parinda” Flew to the Heights, but Nana Left Us With a Pain That Bites: Remembering Anna Seth.
“The farmer is more important than anyone in Bollywood wearing perfume,” he said, highlighting Nana’s close connection with the farming community.
‘Those Whom Nana Called His Friends Should Have Been There’
Despite saying that Bollywood’s absence did not reduce Nana Patekar’s stature, Tarde admitted that he had expected more people from the industry to attend the funeral.
He specifically said that those who shared a close personal bond with the actor should have been present to pay their final respects. Tarde also acknowledged that actors Jackie Shroff and singer Suresh Wadkar attended the funeral. He questioned the difference between the industry’s response to the deaths of lesser-known actors and its response to the passing of a performer of Nana Patekar’s stature. His remarks have brought attention to the relationship between the film industry and the people who work within it, raising questions about friendship, respect and the meaning of paying one’s last respects.
Nana Patekar’s Connection With Farmers
Beyond his contribution to Indian cinema, Nana Patekar was known for his association with farmers and rural communities in Maharashtra. He was also involved in social work through the Naam Foundation, which works on issues affecting rural communities and farmers.
For Tarde, the presence of thousands of farmers at Nana’s funeral was a reminder that the actor’s identity went beyond Bollywood. Nana had earned respect among people whose lives were far removed from the glamour of the film industry.
The discussion following his funeral has also raised a larger question: is an actor’s legacy measured by the number of celebrities attending the last rites, or by the people whose lives and hearts the actor touched?
For Pravin Tarde, the farmers who gathered to bid farewell to Nana Patekar offered a powerful answer.
-
-
-
-
