Months before his death, Nana Patekar gave social media a reminder that fitness does not always have to be complicated. In April 2026, a video of the veteran actor working out went viral after photographer and producer Atul Kasbekar shared it on Instagram. Patekar, then 76 according to reports at the time, could be seen performing tricep dips on parallel bars while dressed in a white vest, tan shorts and a gamcha around his neck. The clip was short, casual and far removed from the polished gym videos usually seen on social media. Yet it quickly caught people's attention because of the ease with which Patekar completed the exercise. Following his death on October 8, 2026, the old video resurfaced online, with fans looking back at the actor's remarkable energy and fitness..
Nana Patekar Did 15 Tricep Dips
The video was shared by Atul Kasbekar, who appeared impressed by what he had just witnessed. According to Kasbekar's caption, Patekar completed 15 tricep dips, although the photographer said he had started recording late and therefore did not capture the entire set. He jokingly described the actor as a legend and said the workout had made him rethink his own fitness goals. Patekar finishes the exercise with a smile, making the clip feel less like a staged fitness demonstration and more like a spontaneous moment captured on camera. That simplicity was part of what made it memorable..
The Gamcha Became Part of the Viral Moment
Patekar was not dressed in typical gymwear. He was wearing a white vest and shorts, with a traditional gamcha casually wrapped around his neck. There was no elaborate setup or obvious attempt to create a social-media fitness moment. Instead, the actor simply got on the bars and started exercising. The contrast between his relaxed appearance and the demanding movement quickly became one of the talking points surrounding the video..
Why Tricep Dips Are Not an Easy Exercise
The exercise Patekar was performing is known as a tricep dip. It primarily works the triceps while also involving the shoulders and chest. Fitness experts who commented on the video noted that bodyweight dips require upper-body strength, control and stability. The Indian Express reported that the movement can help maintain upper-body strength, although full-bodyweight dips may not be suitable for everyone, particularly older adults or people with existing shoulder or joint problems. In other words, the impressive part of Patekar's video was not simply the number of repetitions. It was the level of control he displayed while performing a demanding bodyweight movement..
Bollywood Celebrities Reacted
The video also received attention from within the film industry. Actor Shilpa Shetty reacted to the clip, while rapper Badshah described Patekar as the "OG." Actor Jaaved Jaaferi also joined the conversation with a playful reaction. Fans were similarly impressed, with many comments focusing on Patekar's strength and discipline. For an actor already known for his intense screen presence, the workout video revealed a different side of him — one that was relaxed, energetic and physically active away from the camera..
A Fitness Moment That Looks Different in Retrospect
The video became particularly emotional for many fans after Patekar's death on October 8. The actor died at the age of 75 after suffering a cardiac arrest at his home in Dona Paula, Goa. He was taken to Manipal Hospital, where doctors attempted to revive him but could not save him. That has led many people to revisit older photographs, interviews and videos from his final months. The tricep-dips clip stands out because it captured Patekar in an ordinary moment — exercising, smiling and seemingly enjoying the moment. It is important, however, not to connect the workout video to the cause of his death. The clip was recorded months earlier, and there is no evidence that the exercise was related to his later cardiac arrest...
Atul Kasbekar’s Later Memory of Patekar
The workout video was not the only time Kasbekar remembered Patekar's fitness. Following the actor's death, Kasbekar shared another personal recollection from a photo session at Patekar's farmhouse near Pune. He recalled visiting the actor's gym and seeing him casually perform around a dozen tricep dips without a warm-up. That memory makes the viral April video feel less like a one-off display and more like a glimpse into Patekar's everyday attitude toward physical activity..
Nana Patekar’s Final Months
Patekar remained professionally active during his final year. He appeared in O'Romeo earlier in 2026 and was also associated with Subedaar. His long career had already established him as one of the most recognisable actors in Hindi and Marathi cinema. But the tricep-dips video offered fans something different. There was no dialogue, no dramatic scene and no film character. There was simply Nana Patekar, a pair of parallel bars, a gamcha around his neck and a surprisingly strong set of dips..
The Video That Fans Are Watching Again
When the video first appeared in April, it was largely celebrated as a fitness moment. Months later, following Patekar's death, it carries a different emotional weight. For fans, the clip has become another snapshot of the actor's personality — physically active, understated and unmistakably himself. Atul Kasbekar's camera captured only a few seconds, but those seconds now offer a glimpse of Nana Patekar away from the movie set: smiling after a workout and quietly demonstrating that age had not stopped him from staying active. That is perhaps why the old video has returned to social media with such force. Not because it tells us anything about his death, but because it preserves a small, lively moment from the final chapter of a remarkable life..