Nana Patekar, 75, has passed away. The news, confirmed by multiple outlets including Koimoi, has triggered an outpouring of grief across the industry. Tributes have poured in from stars like Akshay Kumar, Smriti Irani, and Boman Irani, with many calling him a force of nature — both on screen and off. His legacy isn’t just in films like Parinda, Krantiveer, or Natsamrat, but in the choices he made when no one was watching. He once saved ₹1.5 crore for a car. Then, after seeing a farmer’s suicide on TV, he gave it all to families in drought-hit Vidarbha. That moment birthed the NAAM Foundation in 2015, a move that redefined his life’s work. He didn’t just act roles. He lived them. In 1999, during Kargil, he paused his career at its peak to serve in the Territorial Army. He trained with the Maratha Light Infantry, lost 20 kg over 60 days, and returned from Dras and Leh not as a star, but as a soldier. His brother died in the 1993 Bombay blasts. He never forgave Sanjay Dutt for being linked to the case. For 22 years, he refused to work with him. Not because of religion. Not because of politics. Because of justice. He said it plainly: “I’m doing it for everybody who got killed that day.” And then there was the funeral wood. He kept 12 manns of dry wood ready. “Don’t use wet wood,” he joked. “Or they’ll think I’m crying.” Dark humor. Practical. Unapologetic. Even about death. He was also the original choice for Khalnayak. Subhash Ghai had him in mind before casting Sanjay Dutt. But the script evolved. Ballu needed a different energy. Patekar’s intensity would’ve shaped a different kind of antihero. One less flamboyant, more haunted. A what-if that lingers. His final role? Probably already written. In heaven, they say, he’ll be the best Nat Samrat. No doubt.