Hema Malini has said she regrets missing Nana Patekar’s last phone call, placed a week before his death. “I was shocked,” the veteran actor said, according to a report on October 9.

Patekar, one of Hindi cinema’s most intense performers, died at 75 after a cardiac arrest in Goa. His passing has drawn tributes from across the film industry.

Hema Malini’s remark captures the grief of an unfinished conversation. The two actors belonged to a generation that shaped modern Bollywood.

Patekar’s last rites were held at his Pune farmhouse. Fans have flooded social media with memories of his most powerful roles, from intense dramas to unexpected comic turns.

The industry continues to mourn one of its most distinctive voices. Colleagues remember a man who spoke his mind on screen and off.

Patekar was admired for his intense roles across four decades. He often kept a low profile away from the cameras. The industry held prayer meets in Mumbai. His co-stars described him as honest and fearless. The loss feels personal to millions of fans.