Nana Patekar has played some of Hindi and Marathi cinema’s most remembered characters. Here are 10 roles, from Parinda’s Anna Seth to Welcome’s Uday S…
Nana Patekar has built a career around characters that stayed with audiences long after the credits rolled. Across decades, he has played gangsters, police officers, fathers, theatre actors and real-life personalities, showing a range that made each role distinct.
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Anna Seth: In Parinda, Nana Patekar played Anna Seth, a ruthless and feared gangster who controls the criminal world at the centre of the film. His performance gave the character a menacing presence and became one of the most recognised roles of his career. Patekar’s portrayal also earned him the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor, cementing Anna as a defining character in his filmography.
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Major Chouhan: In Prahaar: The Final Attack, Patekar played Major Subrata Chouhan, a tough Army officer shaped by discipline and duty. The 1991 film also marked his role as director, placing him on both sides of the camera. His performance centred on military discipline and responsibility, while his direction made Prahaar one of the notable films of his early career.
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Pratap Tilak: Krantiveer saw Patekar play Pratap Narayan Tilak, an angry and alcoholic drifter who discovers a cause worth fighting for. The role became one of his most recognised mainstream performances and won him the National Film Award for Best Actor. Patekar combined anger, vulnerability and conviction as Tilak’s journey turned personal frustration into a larger sense of purpose.
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Vishwanath: In Agni Sakshi, Patekar played Vishwanath, bringing menace and psychological intensity to a character driven by obsession. The role showed his ability to create tension through behaviour and presence rather than relying only on dialogue. Vishwanath was deeply unsettling because Patekar presented the character as psychologically disturbed and unpredictable, making the performance a distinct part of his filmography.
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Joseph Braganza: In Khamoshi: The Musical, Patekar played Joseph Braganza, the father of a deaf-mute daughter. The role gave him space to show a quieter and more vulnerable side of his acting. His performance earned a Filmfare Best Actor nomination. Joseph stood apart from many of Patekar’s forceful characters, allowing emotion, restraint and family relationships to shape the performance.
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Sadhu Agashe: In Ab Tak Chhappan, Patekar played Inspector Sadhu Agashe, a celebrated Mumbai encounter cop caught between professional duty, violence and personal loss. Released in 2004, the crime drama became one of his most remembered later performances. Patekar presented Agashe as a policeman shaped by the demands of his work, while showing the personal cost of that life.
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Uday Shetty: Welcome introduced Patekar’s comic timing to a new generation through Uday Shetty, a gangster whose seriousness became part of the humour. His chemistry with Anil Kapoor, who played Majnu Bhai, turned the two characters into one of Hindi cinema’s most recognised comic gangster pairings. The role demonstrated that Patekar could shift from intense drama to mainstream comedy without losing his screen presence.
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Rakesh Maria: In The Attacks of 26/11, Patekar returned to a policing role as Mumbai police officer Rakesh Maria. The 2013 film was set against the backdrop of the 26/11 terror attacks and focused on the events surrounding the assault on Mumbai. The performance marked another turn towards serious material, with Patekar portraying a real police figure during a national crisis.
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Ganpatrao Belwalkar: In Natsamrat, Patekar played Ganpatrao Belwalkar, an ageing theatre legend whose life reflects the emotional cost of spending a lifetime on stage. The Marathi drama brought him back to Marathi cinema in a role rooted in theatre, ageing and family. Patekar used the character to explore what happens when an actor leaves the stage but struggles to leave his identity behind.
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Prakash Amte: In Dr Prakash Amte: The Real Hero, Patekar portrayed real-life doctor and social worker Prakash Amte. The Marathi biographical film moved him away from familiar fictional personas and required him to represent a living figure. The role added another dimension to his body of work, showing his ability to approach biographical material while portraying a character grounded in real events.