For Rajashree Asaram Pardeshi from Maharashtra's Beed district, her livelihood and memories of veteran actor Nana Patekar remain bound by a single thread.
When a crisis threatened her family's future, a sewing machine provided by the actor's foundation gave her the means to rebuild life with dignity.
Today, when Patekar is no more, resting her hands on the sewing machine brought a flood of memories rushing back.
Deep Dive
How did the sewing machine from Nana Patekar's Naam Foundation help Rajashree Pardeshi?
Why did Nana Patekar and Makarand Anaspure provide sewing machines to women in Beed?
Did Nana Patekar publicise his work helping farmers in Maharashtra?
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Patekar, known for his versatility and powerful screen presence, passed away at his Goa residence early Thursday at the age of 76. Over the last decade, Patekar worked in the drought-prone areas of Marathwada and extended support through the Naam Foundation, which he founded along with Marathi actor Makarand Anaspure.
"Around 10 years ago, the Naam Foundation gave me a sewing machine. My husband, a construction worker, had suffered a debilitating fall at a worksite and became bed-ridden. The responsibility of running our entire household fell on my shoulders," said Pardeshi, a resident of Arvi village in Shirur Kasar tehsil of Beed.
{{/usCountry}}"Around 10 years ago, the Naam Foundation gave me a sewing machine. My husband, a construction worker, had suffered a debilitating fall at a worksite and became bed-ridden. The responsibility of running our entire household fell on my shoulders," said Pardeshi, a resident of Arvi village in Shirur Kasar tehsil of Beed.
{{/usCountry}}Speaking to PTI after Patekar's sudden demise, Pardeshi struggled to hold back her tears.
"By hemming sarees and stitching blouses, I earn around ₹400 to ₹500 a day, nearly ₹10,000 a month. All of this became possible because of Nana Patekar," she said.
"Touching the machine this morning made my heart race. The man who brought Lakshmi into our home, our guardian angel, is no longer with us," she added.
Pardeshi's grief is shared by thousands of families across the Marathwada hinterland. For many rural women in drought-hit Beed, the passing of Patekar is being mourned as the loss of an elder who helped restore dignity and self-reliance to their lives.
The bond between Patekar and Beed was forged in 2015, when consecutive years of severe drought triggered a devastating rise in farmer suicides across the district. Village after village was engulfed in grief as agrarian distress reached critical levels.
Confronted with the humanitarian crisis, Patekar and actor Anaspure stepped in to support families of farmers who had died by suicide.
Their intervention went beyond immediate relief. The duo sought to create sustainable livelihoods for affected families by providing women with sewing machines, flour mills and livestock to help them establish small income-generating enterprises.
The Naam Foundation was subsequently established with a broader focus on long-term rural development, including livelihood generation and watershed management.
The timing of Patekar's death has deepened the sense of loss in Beed, which is once again battling a severe drought. Riverbeds have run dry and villagers are struggling to find water for their livestock. Many who once looked towards the Naam Foundation for support during times of crisis now feel a painful vacuum.
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Naam Foundation's district co-ordinator Shivram Ghodake said the organisation had also undertaken extensive water conservation work in Beed to address chronic water scarcity.
In the Pimpalner belt of Beed tehsil, the foundation undertook desilting and widening work along a 34-km stretch of the Riddhi Siddhi river.
Following the intervention, the state government constructed four small check dams along the river, benefiting residents of 14 surrounding villages and helping farmers grow crops across multiple seasons.
Across the district, the foundation deployed earthmovers to clear silt from nullahs, streams and reservoirs as part of its water conservation efforts.
"Because of the river deepening and water conservation work undertaken by the Naam Foundation in the district, nearly 10,000 hectares of land has come under irrigation, benefiting around one lakh farmers," Ghodake said.