Nana Patekar’s advice to graduates takes on new meaning after his death

Veteran actor Nana Patekar’s words to graduating students at the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Agartala in 2016 are drawing fresh attention following his death in Goa at the age of 75.

Patekar died on October 8 after suffering a cardiac arrest. He was taken to hospital after being found unresponsive, but doctors could not revive him despite prolonged resuscitation efforts. A post-mortem examination is expected to establish the exact cause of death.

Nearly a decade earlier, Patekar had stood before the graduating students of NIT Agartala and delivered a message that went beyond the usual celebration of academic achievement. His advice was less about degrees and careers and more about what young people choose to do with the opportunities education gives them.

‘This is just the beginning’

Addressing the institute’s ninth convocation in November 2016, Patekar reminded students that earning a degree did not mark the end of their educational journey.

“You have completed your formal education by obtaining this degree but this is just the beginning,” he told the graduating batch.

He urged the students to approach their careers with responsibility and keep the larger interests of the country in mind.

Integrity was at the heart of his message. Patekar encouraged the graduates to build lives they could look back on without shame, stressing that professional success should never come at the expense of personal values.

He also described work as a form of worship and spoke about restraint and austerity, urging the students to use their abilities and resources not only for themselves but also for people in need.

A degree comes with a responsibility

Patekar’s message also focused on an often-overlooked aspect of higher education: the public investment behind it.

Students at institutions such as NITs, he pointed out, receive education supported substantially by public resources. With that opportunity, he said, comes a responsibility to give something back to society.

His advice to the young engineers was simple but demanding: do not allow a degree or a first job to become the destination. Keep learning, remain hopeful, think independently and use creativity and innovation to address problems that matter.

NIT Agartala, which began as Tripura Engineering College, received National Institute of Technology status in 2006. It has since developed into a major technical education institution in the Northeast, offering undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in engineering and related fields.

A career built beyond the conventional path

Patekar’s own journey offered a powerful backdrop to that message.

He studied at Mumbai’s Sir J.J. School of Art before entering theatre and cinema. His film career began with his 1978 debut in Gaman, and he went on to become one of the most recognisable performers in Hindi and Marathi cinema, known for his work across drama, action and comedy.

His journey was not defined by a conventional degree-to-career path. Instead, it was shaped by persistence, talent and the choices he made along the way.

That makes his words to the NIT Agartala graduates resonate differently today.