Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar | Behind Nana Patekar's effortless acting, which won him accolades, was a socially conscious citizen committed to helping families of farmers who died by suicide in Maharashtra's Marathwada region.
The veteran actor had come up with the idea of providing 'Aarogya cards' to the wives of about 500 farmers who had died by suicide, enabling them to avail themselves of free medical treatment at the Mahatma Gandhi Hospital in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, recalled an official of MGM University.
Patekar, who died on Thursday, had worked in the drought-prone areas of Marathwada and extended the support through the NAAM Foundation, which he founded along with Marathi actor Makarand Anaspure in 2016.
Talking about Patekar's initiative, Dr Rekha Shelke, a senior MGM University official and head of its journalism department, said the MGM campus, which also houses a hospital, had been associated with the NAAM Foundation since its inception.
"Nana Patekar was always concerned about the families of farmers who had died by suicide and their future. In 2016-17, he came up with the idea of providing 'Aarogya cards' to the wives of farmers who had died by suicide in the Marathwada region," Shelke said.
The cards were distributed to nearly 500 women through the NAAM Foundation, she said, adding that they enabled the beneficiaries to avail themselves of free treatment for various illnesses.
The MGM Hospital then provided free treatment to the women for nearly five years, she said.
"The initiative did not end there. MGM University also went a step further and provided free education to students from families of farmers who had died by suicide," Shelke said.
Shelke also recalled Patekar's association with MGM University chancellor Ankushrao Kadam, saying the actor used to visit him on the campus.
"Six or seven months ago, Nana Patekar came to meet Kadam sir. They had a meeting that lasted nearly an hour. I asked him whether he would interact with the students, and he readily agreed. The students could not believe that they got an opportunity to meet such a big personality out of the blue," she said.
Patekar, known for his versatility and powerful screen presence across films such as "Salaam Bombay!", "Khamoshi" and "Welcome", passed away at his Goa residence in the early hours of Thursday. He was 76.
Patekar is suspected to have suffered a heart attack, according to sources.
