Panaji: On Sunday, four days before his sudden death, veteran actor Nana Patekar spoke at an event in Goa and recalled his close friendship with former defence minister and Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar as he paid tribute to his humility.In what was likely Patekar’s last public speech, he described Parrikar as a friend he was proud to have had — someone he admired and looked up to.“Manohar Parrikar has been my friend. One should be proud of such a friend,” Patekar said.He noted that Parrikar was younger than him, yet exceptional in a way that left a lasting impression. “He was a close friend and younger than me in age. But it is our good fortune that such a person was born among us, as he saw such things that he felt moved to do them. In such a small life, he did so many great things with humility,” Patekar said.Parrikar last served as Goa’s chief minister. He died in Goa on March 17, 2019, at the age of 63, after battling cancer. Even as his health deteriorated in his final months, Parrikar continued to attend official engagements.Patekar highlighted that determination, recalling how Parrikar kept working with an “oxygen cylinder attached to him”. His remarks offered a personal view of Parrikar beyond politics, focusing on the qualities that stood out to those who knew him as a friend.
