Veteran Indian actor Nana Patekar, known for his intense performances and distinctive dialogue delivery, died of cardiac arrest at his residence in Goa on Thursday at the age of 75, BBC and Hindustan Times reported.

Patekar was found unconscious at his home in Dona Paula in the early hours of Thursday and was rushed to Manipal Hospital in Goa. Doctors attempted to revive him for around 45 minutes but were unsuccessful. He was declared dead at around 5:20am.

“Despite 45 minutes of continuous CPR, he could not be revived,” Dr Shekhar Salkar of Manipal Hospital told ANI.

One of the most recognisable faces of Indian cinema, Patekar won three National Film Awards during a career spanning nearly five decades. He was also a prominent figure in Marathi cinema and theatre.

Patekar made his film debut with Gaman in 1978 before taking on several smaller roles. He rose to national prominence with his portrayal of the volatile gangster Anna in Parinda (1989), a performance that earned him his first National Film Award and a Filmfare Award.

He went on to deliver memorable performances throughout the 1990s, portraying soldiers, gangsters, policemen, villains, politicians and patriots.

His performance as Major Chauhan in Prahaar, which he also directed, drew widespread praise. He also played Majid Khan in Angaar, a patriotic firebrand in Tirangaa and Pratap Narayan Tilak in Krantiveer, for which he won the National Film Award for Best Actor.

Patekar later showed his versatility in Khamoshi, playing a character who could neither hear nor speak. His performance as an astute politician in Prakash Jha’s Rajneeti in 2010 further demonstrated the range of his acting.

His three National Film Awards came for Parinda, Krantiveer and Agni Sakshi.

Beyond cinema, Patekar had a long association with Marathi and Hindi theatre. Plays such as Purush and Hamidabai Chi Kothi established him as a respected theatre performer before he became a household name through films.

Patekar was also known for his outspoken activism, particularly on issues affecting farmers. In 2015, he and fellow actor Makarand Anaspure founded the Naam Foundation, which has worked on farmer welfare and water conservation in Maharashtra.

His career, however, was not without controversy. In 2018, actor Tanushree Dutta accused Patekar of sexual harassment over an alleged incident on a film set a decade earlier, helping trigger India's #MeToo movement. Patekar denied the allegations.

In 2019, police cleared him after saying they had found insufficient evidence to substantiate the allegations.