Born as Vishwanath Patekar on January 1, 1951, in Murud-Janjira, Maharashtra, Nana Patekar is an acclaimed actor, screenwriter, and filmmaker, primarily working in Hindi and Marathi cinema.

He began his career in the film industry in 1978. Initially, he worked as a commercial artist and visualizer at Strusa Advertising before quitting his job to pursue theater. He made his acting debut with the Bollywood film “Gaman” in 1978 and his Marathi film debut with “Sinhasan” in 1979.

Despite his success, Nana Patekar is known for his modest lifestyle and down-to-earth approach to life. He lives a life of luxury, indulging in multiple properties and prestigious cars like BMW and Audi.

However, he remains grounded and actively engages in philanthropic endeavors to make a positive impact in society. He also maintains a farm where he cultivates wheat, rice, etc., and reportedly sells the produce and donates the money to needy farmers.

Nana Patekar was married to Neelkanti Patekar. They had a son together named Malhar Patekar. However, Neelkanti passed away in 2009.

After separating from his wife Neelkanti, Nana Patekar was rumored to be in a relationship with actress Manisha Koirala. He was also linked with actress Ayesha Jhulka.

Nana Patekar has appeared in over a hundred Hindi films. Some of his notable films include "Gaman" (1978), "Parinda" (1989), "Krantiveer" (1994), "Agni Sakshi" (1996), "Ab Tak Chhappan" (2004), "Welcome" (2007), and "Natsamrat" (2016).

Nana Patekar is the recipient of numerous awards for his acting performances. He has won three National Film Awards, four Filmfare Awards, and two Filmfare Awards Marathi. He was also bestowed with the Padma Shri award in 2013 for his contribution to cinema and arts.