Nana Patekar gets Padma Shri

New Delhi, Jan 25 (IANS) Well-known actor Nana Patekar, known for playing intense roles in "Salaam Bombay" and "Parinda", has been named for Padma Shri award on the eve of 64th Republic Day.

The 62-year-old, who began his career with 1978 movie "Gaman", carved a niche for himself in the Hindi films with 1989 film "Parinda" for which he even won a National Award. Some of his well-known films are "Krantiveer" (1994), "Agni Sakshi" (1996), "Khamoshi: The Musical", and "Ab Tak Chappan" (2005).

After playing a villain and an encounter specialist, he tickled the funny bones of viewers with his comic act in "Welcome" (2007).

The actor also went behind the camera to make his directorial debut with "Prahaar", in which he had cast Madhuri Dixit, the reigning star of the Hindi films, in a pivotal role.

He is equally active in Marathi films and theatre. He has won the National Award thrice.