Nana Patekar Funeral: Pravin Tarde Slams Bollywood’s Absence
Pravin Tarde says the farmers who came in thousands for Nana Patekar's last rites mattered more than Bollywood's absence. 'Bollywood is not bigger than Nana.'
Nana Patekar died in Goa on October 8 after a severe heart attack. His last rites were performed at his Donje farmhouse near Pune, and the crowd that gathered told its own story: thousands of farmers came to pay their respects, while Bollywood’s presence stayed thin.
Marathi actor-filmmaker Pravin Tarde, who was at the funeral, told ABP Majha that the farmers’ presence was more significant than the absence of film industry figures.
A send-off that drew farmers, not film stars
For those following the story, the key details are simple.
- Nana Patekar died on October 8 in Goa after a severe heart attack.
- Last rites were held at the Donje farmhouse near Pune.
- Pravin Tarde says a few thousand farmers attended, while Bollywood’s presence stayed limited.
‘Bollywood is not bigger than Nana’
Tarde did not hide his disappointment. In the ABP Majha interview, he said the industry’s absence does not diminish Nana’s greatness, and that farmers matter more than anyone in Bollywood wearing perfume.
“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 smelled of sweat and soil. That farmer is more important than anyone in Bollywood wearing perfume.” — Pravin Tarde
He admitted he does have a complaint: at the very least, those whom Nana called his friends should have been there. He named Jackie Shroff and Suresh Wadkar as industry names who attended.
Tarde added, “When a small-time actor dies in Mumbai, people line up wearing white clothes. But when it came to Nana… Anyway, the farmers were there, and we were there too.”
Why the farmers’ presence matters
For Tarde, the send-off reflected who Nana Patekar actually was. He said Nana always called himself a farmer, not a Bollywood star. The procession, then, was a tribute from the world he identified with most.
The limited Bollywood turnout had already sparked discussion online. Tarde’s words keep that conversation alive: what does it mean when an actor’s people show up, but much of the industry does not?
Source: Mid-day
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