THIS Bollywood actor wore the army uniform for real and fought the Kargil War, and the name is Nana Patekar

Time of India

08-05-2025

Bollywood has given the world of entertainment many war stories, a lot of which took inspiration from real border stories. However, did you know there is a Bollywood actor, a three-time national-award winner, who actually served in the army for real in the time of dire need! This actor wore the army uniform for real during the 1999 Kargil War, and he was none other than Bollywood's veteran actor Nana Patekar.
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The Bollywood star who served in the Kargil War
The 'Tirangaa' star Nana Patekar served in the Indian Army during the Kargil War. During his interaction with Amitabh Bachchan, Nana Patekar on 'Kaun Banega Crorepati 16', Nana shared about his once-in-a-lifetime experience and opportunity to serve the country on the border. When he first reached out to the senior officers from the division, Nana Patekar's request to join the men in uniform was denied, and the actor was told that only the defence minister could approve it.
"I knew our Defence Minister George Fernandes ji, so I called him," Nana recalled. The actor continued, "Even he said it is impossible. I told him that even though the training for commission is six months, I trained for three years. He was surprised and asked me about it. After learning of my experience with the Maratha Light Infantry, he asked me, 'When do you want to go?'
He mentioned that he lived and trained with the Maratha Light Infantry of the Army for three years in the early 90s.
Back then, he was writing his film 'Prahaar.'
Nana dedicated more than two weeks at the front near the LoC in August 1999, assisting the soldiers and even volunteering at the base hospital for a few days. The actor remembered his involvement with the Quick Response Team (QRT) while he was in Kargil.
Nana Patekar recalled that he lost a lot of weight during that time; however, his heart was filled with contentment and satisfaction.
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"I was 76 kg when I reached Srinagar. By the time I came back, I was 56 kg," he shared.
Nana Patekar's cinematic front
After serving in the army in the Kargil War, Nana resumed his work as an actor. He was last seen in Anil Sharma's 'Vanvaas,' which made it to the theatres in December 2024.