Nana Patekar's advice to graduates: Your degree is just the beginning

Nana Patekar's 2016 convocation address at NIT Agartala has regained attention after his death in Goa. His message framed a degree as the start of responsibility, integrity and service.Nearly a decade ago, Patekar had stood before the graduating students of NIT Agartala with a message that went beyond the conventional advice offered at a convocation. (Image: PTI)New Delhi,Oct 8, 2026 10:57 ISTVeteran actor Nana Patekar’s words to graduating students at the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Agartala in 2016 acquire a different resonance today, October 8, following his death in Goa at the age of 75.Patekar died after suffering a cardiac arrest. He was taken to a hospital after being found unresponsive, but doctors were unable to revive him despite prolonged resuscitation efforts. A post-mortem examination is expected to establish the exact cause of death.Nearly a decade ago, Patekar had stood before the graduating students of NIT Agartala with a message that went beyond the conventional advice offered at a convocation.‘THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING’Addressing the institute’s ninth convocation in November 2016, the actor told students that receiving their degrees marked not the end of their education, but the beginning of a larger responsibility. “You have completed your formal education by obtaining this degree but this is just the beginning,” Patekar told the graduating batch. He urged them to choose their careers with a sense of responsibility and to remain committed to the larger interests of the country.His message was particularly centred on integrity. Patekar asked the students to live in a way that would allow them to face themselves without shame, stressing that professional success should not come at the cost of personal values. He also described work as a form of worship and urged students to practise restraint and austerity so that they could use their resources and energy to contribute to society, particularly towards those in need.'RESPONSIBILITY TO GIVE BACK'Patekar’s appeal to the NIT Agartala graduates was also rooted in the public investment behind higher education. He pointed out that students in institutions such as NITs are educated with significant public resources and therefore have a responsibility to give back to society.For the young engineers leaving the Agartala campus, his advice was straightforward: do not stop at securing a degree or a job. He asked them to keep learning, remain hopeful, think independently and use innovation and creativity to solve problems that matter to the country.NIT Agartala, which traces its origins to Tripura Engineering College, was granted NIT status by the Government of India in 2006. The institute has since grown into a technical education institution in the Northeast, offering undergraduate and postgraduate programmes across engineering and related disciplines.Patekar’s own career was built far from the conventional route of a university degree leading directly to a profession. He studied at Mumbai’s Sir J.J. School of Art before entering theatre and cinema, eventually becoming one of Hindi and Marathi cinema’s most recognisable performers. His film career began with his 1978 debut in Gaman and went on to include performances across serious drama, action and comedy.That journey makes his words to the NIT Agartala graduates especially relevant - education can open a door, but what one does with that opportunity is ultimately a matter of choice and responsibility. As Patekar told the students then, the degree was only the beginning.- Ends