Veteran Bollywood actor Nana Patekar dies at 75

MUMBAI - Nana Patekar, a veteran Indian actor known for his fiery performances in Bollywood films and theatre, died on Thursday aged 75, local media reported.

Patekar was found unconscious at his home in the coastal state of Goa early on Thursday morning and doctors were unable to revive him, news agency ANI and other media reported.

He died of cardiac arrest, but it was unclear what triggered it, Shekhar Salkar, chief of the oncology department at the Manipal Hospital, where Patekar was brought, told ANI.

Born Vishawanath Patekar, but popularly known as Nana, he started his career doing theatre in Marathi, the language spoken in his home state of Maharashtra, which is also home to Bollywood.

Patekar acted in several of India's arthouse movies in the 1970's and 80's, including Mira Nair's award-winning "Salaam Bombay" before moving to mainstream Bollywood.

He played a variety of roles, sharing screen space with actors such as Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan and excelling in both serious and comic roles.

His performances, marked by trademark aggression and forceful dialogue, won him several national and regional film awards.

"He was one of those rare actors who never needed to do too much to make you sit up and watch. That voice, that intensity, that honesty in every performance...he was completely his own," said actor Akshay Kumar, who acted with Patekar in several movies.

Patekar is survived by his wife, from whom he was separated, and a son.

- Shilpa Jamkhandikar; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan/Reuters