Pakistani cricketer Basit Ali recalls friendship with Nana Patekar, shares how he supported him after mother's death: ‘He was a wonderful human being’

Nana Patekar , one of Indian cinema's most recognisable actors, died at the age of 75 on October 8 after cardiac arrest. The veteran actor was rushed to the hospital but he could not be revived. The news has left fans mourning the veteran performer, whose career spanned nearly five decades and included some of Hindi and Marathi cinema's most memorable films. Tributes have also come in from Pakistan, where the actor had a strong following.

Pakistani cricketer Umar Akmal remembered Nana in a social media post, while former cricketer Basit Ali shared memories of his personal bond with the actor. Basit spoke about a friendship that began in 1994 and lasted for years, recalling how Nana checked on him and his family during difficult times.

Basit Ali shared a video after hearing the news of the death of the actor. The news brought back years of memories. The former Pakistan cricketer recalled first speaking to Nana in 1994 and described him as someone who remained in touch long after their initial meeting.

“Early in the morning I heard sad news. Our very dear brother, friend, and living legend is no longer in this world—Nana Patekar Sahab has passed away. What a person he was; he acted in movies exactly as he was in real life. We had nicknamed Latif as 'Nana'. Because of Nana Patekar, we first talked back in 1994, and it all started from there,” Basit said.

He remembered how Nana regularly checked on his family, particularly when his mother was in hospital. He said the actor continued to offer support after her death and reached out again when Ali faced health problems of his own.

“Now there are so many memories. Usually, we spoke once or twice every month. When my mother was alive and in the hospital, Nana Ji called every week. He offered many prayers, talked at length with my mother, and listened to old stories. When my mother passed away, he told me, ‘Hey Basit, take care of yourself now’. And when I had my heart issue and returned home, I received a message asking about my health and telling me to call when I felt better. When I called him back, he inquired about how everything went, including the stent placement,” he added.

Basit recalled their conversations about the actor's films and the easy familiarity they shared, including the moments when Nana would jokingly dismiss his questions about particular scenes. “He was such a wonderful human being. For people who only knew him through movies, he was the exact same person in real life as well. People praised him, and we were fortunate to have many conversations. Sometimes we would ask him about a specific scene in a movie, and he would playfully say, ‘Shut up, what do you know?’. The love and affection he gave as an elder was truly incredible,” he said.

He also spoke about how difficult it was to accept the news, recalling that he often called Nana a 'young man' because the actor did not seem his age. He said Patekar enjoyed considerable affection among Pakistani audiences, just as he did in India and elsewhere.

“I still can't believe this news. The man did not look 75 years old. I used to always call him ‘young man,’ and he would reply, 'Forget it, both you and I are old now'.