Amrit V. Patel (Oct. 22,1952 – May 29, 2021)

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Renaissance man and versatile entrepreneur Amrit V. Patel of Chicagoland, Illinois, part of the famous family which started the U.S.-based Patel Brothers grocery chain, passed away May 29, 2021.

He came to the United Stats with a high school education in 1973. Over the years, he began many successful ventures in the business world and in the entertainment field.

He started his career as a yellow cab driver; He owned and operated Sure Save grocery store in Rogers Park; He filmed the first-ever full-length Bollywood production “Car Thief” in Chicago.

Amrit V. Patel purchased and ran Bharat Theater (1979-1982) which is now named The Vic. He also purchased Rupali Theater, a successor of the famous Kedzie Avenue Theater of 1912.

He started the company Air Tours.

He was one of the organizers of the first Bollywood shows to premier in U.S.

He established and started 1st Bankcard services in 1996, his family noted.

He was friends with film and music producers Bushan and Kishan Kumar; He started Amrit Ganga Water bottled in Himalayan mountains 2001-2005.

In 2016, Amrit V. Patel brought religious leader Giri Bapu to Bhandu village in Visnagar Taluka, Gujarat in 2016 and fed the whole village for ten days during the sermons delivered by Giri Bapu.

In his final years, he started an importing business, Alia and Riyan Exports, and ran it through his cancer diagnosis and Covid.

The family remembers him for his love of going for long walks, and how much he loved and took are of the children and grandchildren in the large extended family.

List of Amrit V. Patel’s extended family as provided by his son Andy Patel: