‘My friend has left me’: Emotional Anil Kapoor remembers ‘world’s biggest artiste' Nana Patekar in tribute

Anil Kapoor, who famously played Nana Patekar's on-screen brother in Welcome, mourned his death on Thursday evening with a heartfelt post.

Welcome's Majnu bhai, Anil Kapoor, shared a touching tribute to his on-screen brother and real-life friend Nana Patekar on Thursday evening. Nana died in Goa on Thursday morning after a cardiac arrest, and was cremated with full state honours in Pune later in the day.

Anil Kapoor and Nana Patekar worked together in Welcome apart from many other films.

Anil Kapoor mourns Nana Patekar's death

On Thursday evening, Anil Kapoor took to Instagram to share an emotional tribute for his friend and co-star. In the heartfelt Instagram post, Anil Kapoor affectionately called Patekar "nanya", referring to him as the world's biggest artist. Equating Nana's death to the loss of another actor friend, Satish Kaushik, Anil wrote, “Mera dost mujhe chhodkar chala gaya... pehle Satish aur ab mera Nanya. NANYA, tu achanak bohot jaldi chala gaya... Duniya ka sabse bada kalakaar, humein chhodkar hamesha-hamesha ke liye chala gaya (My friend has left me. First Satish and now Nanya. Nanya, you left so suddenly and so soon. The world's biggest artiste has left us forever).”

Bidding an emotional farewell to his friend, Kapoor shared that he would miss Nana in his life, on film sets, and on the big screen. "Bohot miss karunga tujhe, life mein, set par, phone par aur bade parde par," the actor concluded. Along with his post, Anil Kapoor also shared a picture of himself with the late actor.

Deep Dive

What did Anil Kapoor say in his tribute to Nana Patekar?

Which films did Anil Kapoor and Nana Patekar work on together?

Why were Nana Patekar’s last rites held late at night?

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Anil Kapoor and Nana's bond

Nana Patekar and Anil Kapoor were longtime friends. The two actors first worked together in Vidhu Vinod Chopra's 1989 film Parinda, which earned Nana his first National Award. The two actors collaborated in many films after that, including as the beloved Uday and Majnu duo in Anees Bazmee's 2007 hit Welcome, before reprising their roles in the sequel, Welcome Back. Their chemistry and comedy timing in the comedies earned them praise and love.

Nana Patekar's death

Nana Patekar passed away after suffering a severe cardiac arrest in Goa. He was taken to Manipal Hospital, where doctors tried to revive him for around 45 minutes, but he could not be saved. Dr Shekhar Salkar, Chief of the Oncology Department at Manipal Hospital, confirmed the news to ANI.

Since the news came out, tributes have been pouring in across social media platforms, with actors, members of the film fraternity, politicians, and fans remembering Patekar's legacy.

The late actor's last rites were performed at his farmhouse, affectionately known as Nanachi Wadi, in Donje village near Khadakwasla, Pune, late on Thursday night in the presence of senior political leaders and thousands of fans.