Meet Nana Patekar's wife, quit IIT for films, won many awards, left acting after..., made a comeback with blockbuster film, her name is...
Screen grab from Agnisakshi (1996)
Nana Patekar is one of the most respected and enigmatic figures in both Marathi and Bollywood cinema. He made debut in 1978 with the film Garman , and gradually established himself as one of the most versatile actors through terrific performances in movies like Salaam Bombay, Parinda, Krantiveer, Prahaar: The Final Attack, Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman, Angaar, Agni Sakshi, and Khamoshi: The Musical (1996) . While a lot is known about the National Award winner, but quite less information is out there about his wife Neelakanti Patekar.
Nana and Neelakanti first during a Marathi play where she was a bank officer, receiving a salary of two and a half thousand rupees. Soon, their friendship blossomed into love, and they decided to tie the knot in 1978. After few years, they stepped into parenthood as their first born son, who tragically passed away at the age of two and a half. Later, the couple was blessed with another son, whom they lovingly named Malhar.
Born in Pune, Maharashtra, Neelakanti's father was in central excise department due to which she had spent most of her childhood in different cities, as her father used to get recurrently transferred. A graduate in Physics, she sat for IIT entrance due to her father's insistence, and was succeeded with a top score. However, her inclination was always towards acting, and she actively worked in many plays thereafter.
Neelakanti won many awards for her immense contribution in theatre and films. She bagged Gold Medal for best actress in the Maharashtra State Drama Competition 1973. Moreover, in 1989, she also won Best actress award from the Maharashtra State Government for film Aatm Vishwas . She starred as a lead actress, opposite Sachin Pilgaonkar who directed the film himself.
Neelam, however, stepped away from acting to focus on her marital life. In 2024, she made a powerful comeback in Vicky Kaushal's historical drama Chhava . With her impeccable portrayal of Dharau, she made an impactful return to the silver screen after nearly a decade.
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