Nana Patekar, born Vishwanath Patekar on January 1, 1949, in Murud-Janjira, (now Raigad district) of Maharashtra (then Bombay State), hails from a Marathi family. His parents are Gajanand Patekar and Nirmala Patekar.

• Parents:
  Gajanand Patekar (Father)
  Nirmala Patekar (Mother)
• Siblings:
  Ashok Patekar
  Dilip Patekar
• Spouse:
  Neelakanti Patekar
• Children:
  Durvasa
  Malhar Patekar
• Relatives:    
  Manya Surve (Maternal Cousin) 

Nana Patekar married Neelkanti in 1978. The couple had two sons. 

Their first son, Durvasa, tragically passed away at the age of two and a half. Their second son is named Malhar Patekar.

• Nana Patekar made his acting debut in the film Gaman (1978), marking the beginning of his career in Indian cinema.
• During his initial years, he appeared in several small but impactful roles in Marathi cinema, showcasing his talent in regional films.
• In 1986, he gained recognition on the international stage by portraying Nathuram Godse in the British television series Lord Mountbatten: The Last Viceroy.
• Between 1984 and 1988, Patekar delivered notable performances in films like Aaj Ki Awaz (1984), Ankush (1986), Pratighaat (1987), Andha Yudh (1987), Mohre (1987), Trishagni (1988), Awam (1987), and Sagar Sangam (1988).
• His compelling performance in the film Andha Yudh (1987) earned him his first nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor, cementing his position as a talented actor in the industry.

• Nana Patekar gained recognition for his role in Salaam Bombay! (1988) and earned critical acclaim for his portrayal of a crime lord in Parinda (1989).
• He made his directorial debut with Prahaar: The Final Attack (1991). He also appeared in Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman (1992) and Tirangaa (1993).
• His role in Krantiveer (1994) won him multiple accolades. He also appeared in Abhay (1994), Hum Dono (1995), and Agni Sakshi (1996).
• Nana portrayed a deaf father in Khamoshi: The Musical (1996), a gangster in Ghulam-E-Mustafa (1997), and a maverick cop in Yeshwant (1997). He also starred in Kohram (1999) with Amitabh Bachchan and delivered strong performances in Yugpurush (1998) and Hu Tu Tu (1999).
• In the 2000s, Nana appeared in Tarkieb (2000), and after a brief break, returned in Shakti: The Power (2002). His roles in Ab Tak Chhappan (2004) and Apaharan (2005) earned him critical acclaim and he also starred in Taxi No. 9211 (2006).

• Nana Patekar was a chain smoker until he quit smoking at the age of 56.
• He developed a love for acting due to his father's encouragement to watch plays.
• Vijaya Mehta directed his first play.
• In 1990, he was commissioned as a Captain in the Indian Territorial Army after three years of training for the film Prahaar.
• He worked with General V. K. Singh, a Colonel at the time who appeared in a cameo role in Prahaar.
• During the 1999 Kargil War, Patekar served as a Major in the Maratha Light Infantry regiment, operating the Bofors Howitzer Guns.
• He retired from the Territorial Army in 2013 with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

Nana Patekar also ventured into playback singing, lending his voice to songs in the films Yeshwant (1997), Wajood (1998), and Aanch (2003).

• The year 2007 marked a highly successful period for Nana Patekar, with his acclaimed performance in Welcome (2007), where he portrayed a powerful crime lord in Mumbai with aspirations to become an actor.
• In 2009, he acted in Sangeeth Sivan's Ek.
• He began the 2010s with a role as a school headmaster in Paathshaala (2010) and also appeared in Prakash Jha's Raajneeti (2010).
• In 2011, Patekar starred in Shagird and the Marathi film Deool.
• In 2013, he portrayed Joint Commissioner of Police Rakesh Maria in The Attacks of 26/11, based on the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
• In 2014, he appeared in the Marathi film Dr. Prakash Baba Amte – The Real Hero.
• In 2015, he reprised his roles in two sequels: Ab Tak Chhappan 2, which was not commercially successful, and Welcome Back, a successful sequel to Welcome.
• In 2016, Patekar starred as Ganpatrao "Appa" Belwalkar in the critically and commercially successful film Natsamrat.
• He did voice acting for Shere Khan in the Hindi version of The Jungle Book (2016).
• Patekar played a supporting role in the Tamil film Kaala (2018), starring Rajinikanth, which had moderate success at the box office.

• In 2008, Tanushree Dutta accused Nana Patekar of sexually harassing her on the sets of Horn 'Ok' Pleassss.
• She filed a complaint with the Cine & TV Artists Association (CINTAA) in March 2008, but no action was taken at that time.
• Dutta repeated her allegations in interviews in 2013 and 2018.
• In late 2018, CINTAA apologized to Dutta, admitting that her grievance of sexual harassment wasn't properly addressed in 2008 but could not reopen the case due to it being over three years old.
• Dutta's 2018 statements led to the Me Too movement gaining traction in Bollywood.
• She filed a complaint with the Maharashtra Women Commission, seeking an investigation into the allegations against Patekar, choreographer Ganesh Acharya, producer Samee Siddiqui, director Rakesh Sarang, and MNS party workers.
• On 1 October 2018, an FIR was registered against Patekar and three others, charging them with molestation and obscenity under the IPC.
• In June 2019, Patekar was cleared of the charges, with the Oshiwara police station filing a B-Summary report, suggesting the complaint might have been "malicious" and driven by "revenge."
• Dutta expressed intentions to approach the Bombay High Court to reopen the case.

• Nana Patekar is known for his simple lifestyle and generosity towards charitable causes.
• He contributed towards rebuilding flood-ravaged villages in Bihar through the charitable organization Anubhuthi.
• Patekar donated all the money he earned from his role in Paathshaala to five different charitable organizations.
• Upon receiving the Raj Kapoor Award, which included a cash prize of Rs 1,000,000, he donated the entire amount to drought relief efforts in Maharashtra.
• He also provided financial aid to families of farmers who had committed suicide due to indebtedness caused by drought.
• In August 2015, he distributed cheques worth Rs 15,000 each to 62 families of farmers in the Vidarbha region and helped 113 more families in Latur and Osmanabad districts of Marathwada in September 2015.
• In September 2015, Patekar co-founded the Naam Foundation with actor Makarand Anaspure to aid farmers affected by drought in Maharashtra.
• Patekar launched a Twitter campaign, using the hashtag #IcareIsupport, to raise funds for drought victims in Maharashtra.

• After appearing in It's My Life (2020) and Tadka (2022), Nana Patekar headlined The Vaccine War (2023), directed by Vivek Agnihotri.
• The film, which tells the story of the development of Covaxin during the COVID-19 pandemic in India, was both a commercial and critical failure.
• Despite the film's reception, Patekar's performance was highly praised. Renuka Vyavahare of The Times of India wrote, "Nana Patekar is outstanding, but the film reduces itself to being a government mouthpiece parading as a medical drama."