After Tanushree Dutta's remarks questioning the circumstances surrounding Nana Patekar's death and the absence of a prayer meeting, a gathering was held in Mumbai to pay tribute to the veteran actor on Wednesday, October 14.
What's Happening
The gathering took place at the PL Deshpande Maharashtra Kala Academy complex in Mumbai's Prabhadevi area.
Actors Shivaji Satam, Varsha Usgaonkar and Rohini Hattangadi were among those who attended the prayer meet.
Filmmaker Sanjay Jadhav, director Mehul Kumar and Maharashtra FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe were also present.
Speaking at the gathering, Mundhe remembered Nana for his concern for society and his efforts to help underprivileged people.
IAS Tukaram Munde spotted at Nana Patekar Ji's prayer meet. 🙏🏻🥺🕊️ A moment of respect and remembrance. ❤️🙏 #FilmyGalaxy #TukaramMunde #NanaPatekar #VYFG2026 https://t.co/A8VZEPle6f
— Filmy Galaxy (@Filmy_Galaxy) October 15, 2026
According to ANI, he said, "He was a truly wonderful person. He was a sensitive individual. His views on society were very straightforward. He was a man of great utility and purpose. He was an integral part of society, deeply concerned with how to help others, especially the poor, and how to uplift them... To me, this statement holds the utmost importance... We are trying to follow that same path," Mundhe said at the gathering.
Tanushree Dutta Questions Circumstances Surrounding Nana Patekar's Death
Tanushree Dutta had questioned why no prayer meeting was organised for Nana and why members of the film industry and the media did not get an opportunity to pay their last respects to him.
During an Instagram Live on October 12, the actor raised questions about the circumstances surrounding Nana's reported death on October 8 at the age of 75. His last rites were reportedly performed at his farmhouse in Donje village near Pune.
Tanushree said, "Such a big legend, such a great person. There should have been a prayer meet so that Bollywood people and media personnel could come, see the body, and pay their respects. Like in Hindu tradition, people attend the meet, touch the body, bow before it, and see the deceased with their own eyes."
She also questioned whether Nana's family had seen his face before the cremation and pointed to the absence of public photographs or videos of the actor's body.
"No one in Bollywood saw the body. Many people posted tributes on social media, but did they actually see the body? Did the family see it properly? Whose last rites were performed? His face was covered. Villagers may not ask such questions, but others do."
Questioning the absence of footage showing Nana being taken to hospital, she said, "Even when I had an accident, photographs and videos surfaced. But here, not a single video emerged of Nana Patekar. He was taken to the hospital, declared dead there, and a post-mortem was conducted."
Tanushree also raised objections to the timing of the last rites, saying, "In our religion, last rites are generally not performed after sunset. So why was the cremation conducted in the middle of the night? What was the hurry? Why perform the last rites in the darkness of the night?"
The actor went on to allege that the body cremated was not Nana's and speculated that he could still be alive in Singapore or Malaysia. She further claimed that he had staged his death to avoid legal proceedings and suggested that a DNA test could be conducted if he had changed his appearance. These allegations have not been independently established.
Pravin Tarde Criticises Bollywood's Absence From Nana Patekar's Funeral
Meanwhile, filmmaker and actor Pravin Tarde criticised Bollywood personalities for their alleged absence from Nana's funeral. In an interview with ABP Majha, Tarde said the veteran actor's stature could not be measured by the attendance of film industry members at his last rites.
"The fact that Bollywood people did not attend the funeral does not diminish Nana's greatness. Bollywood is not bigger than Nana. Nana was a very great man. A few thousand farmers attended Nana's funeral procession. They smelt of sweat and soil. That farmer is more important than anyone in Bollywood wearing perfume."
Tarde also said he was disappointed that more of Nana's friends from the industry had not attended the funeral. He added, "If you ask whether I have a complaint, then yes, I do. Bollywood people should have attended the funeral. At the very least, those whom Nana called his friends should have been there. Jackie Shroff and Suresh Wadkar attended."
Background
Nana Patekar's last rites were held at his farmhouse in Pune on October 8, following his reported death due to a heart attack at the age of 75.
Tanushree had earlier accused Nana of sexually harassing her during the filming of a special song for Horn 'Ok' Pleassss. She first raised the allegations in 2008 through a complaint to the Cine and TV Artistes Association. Nana denied the allegations.
In October 2018, Tanushree's advocate, Nitin Satpute, submitted an application at Mumbai's Oshiwara police station seeking narco-analysis, brain-mapping and lie-detector tests for Nana, choreographer Ganesh Acharya, producer Samee Siddiqui and director Rakesh Sarang.
In June 2019, Mumbai Police cleared Nana Patekar of the sexual harassment allegations, citing insufficient evidence to proceed with the case.
