Veteran actor Nana Patekar, who reportedly died in Goa on October 8, had a lesser-known chapter in his life beyond cinema: his association with Indian soldiers during the 1999 Kargil War. The actor recalled spending around 60 days in the region and becoming part of the Quick Reaction Team (QRT), while a contemporaneous report from August 1999 described him moving between army posts to boost soldiers’ morale.
Patekar spoke about his experience in a 2024 interview with The Lallantop, recalling how he approached then Defence Minister George Fernandes with a request to visit Kargil.
“George Fernandes was the defence minister and I wanted to go,” Patekar said. Although he was initially discouraged, he said he spoke to Fernandes and was sent to the war zone the same day.
“I was there for 60 days,” the actor recalled. Asked about his specific duties, he declined to elaborate, saying, “Don’t ask that. I can’t tell you.”
Patekar said he eventually became a member of the Quick Reaction Team, or QRT. Recalling the physical toll of his time there, he said he weighed 76 kg when he arrived and 56 kg when he returned, a loss of 20 kg in two months.
“Itna sa toh kuch hum kar sakte hain desh ke liye,” he said, meaning that this was at least something he could do for the country.
An August 1999 report offered another account of the actor’s presence at the front. It said Patekar lived with soldiers “for over a fortnight”, moving from post to post as an “unofficial cheerleader of sorts” to encourage troops during the conflict.
The report also noted that Patekar had undergone intense training with the Maratha Light Infantry for his film Prahaar: The Final Attack. The 1991 film, which starred Patekar, was also directed by him and featured him as an army officer.
Speaking about the importance of soldiers in the country’s defence, Patekar was quoted as saying: “Our greatest weapon is not the Bofors, nor the AK, but our jawans.”
His experience during the Kargil conflict was a striking extension of his association with military life on screen. While Prahaar required him to prepare for the role of a soldier, his time with troops during the Kargil War placed him alongside service personnel in a real conflict.
Patekar’s account of those days has resurfaced following reports of his death, highlighting a lesser-known aspect of the actor’s life beyond his celebrated career in Hindi and Marathi cinema.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: deccanchronicle.com
