Om Puri – A legend whose versatility knew no borders!

The year 2017 seems to have started off on a note which has not just shook the Hindi film industry but also created a huge void as veteran actor Om Puri left this world suffering a cardiac arrest on Friday morning (January 6).

The legend of an actor that Puri was, puts him on a pedestal like none. He was an example of how an actor can comfortably blend into what the masses and classes call parallel and commercial cinema. He was born in Ambala, Haryana, to a Punjabi family and graduated from the prestigious Film and Television Institute of India, Pune. Puri was also an alumnus of the 1973 class of National School of Drama where another veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah was a co-student.

Puri got married to Nandita Puri in the year 1993. However, the couple separated in 2013, together have a son named Ishaan.

Om Puri’s immense contribution to Indian cinema got him many awards and recognitions. He was honoured with a Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award of India. His debut happened in the 1976 Marathi film Ghashiram Kotwal, which was based on a Marathi play of the same name by Vijay Tendulkar. Early in his filmography, commendable projects such as Bhavni Bhavai (1980), Sadgati (1981), Ardh Satya (1982), Mirch Masala (1986) and Dharavi (1992) were hailed as the solid examples of what constituted the parallel cinema.

His critically acclaimed performance of a victimised tribal in Aakrosh (1980) got him immense praise. His versatility could be measured with films which followed like Disco Dancer (1982) where he played lead character Jimmy’s manager. The powerful portrayal of a police inspector in Ardh Satya (1982), where his constant fight against the lifelong social, cultural and political persecution got him the National Film Award for Best Actor that year.

Then he played the leader of a cell of Sikh militants in Maachis (1996); then he was seen in a tough cop’s role in 1997 film Gupt, and as the courageous father of a martyred soldier in Dhoop (2003) to name a few.

His contribution was not just restricted to Hindi cinema, Puri acted in several regional as well as international ventures as well. In 1999, Puri acted in a Kannada movie A.K. 47 as a tough police officer who tries to keep the city safe from the underworld. Puri had a cameo in the highly acclaimed film Gandhi (1982, directed by Richard Attenborough.

In the West, he got great roles as well. He acted in a number of Hollywood films such as My Son the Fanatic (1997), East Is East (1999) and The Parole Officer (2001). He appeared in Hollywood films including City of Joy (1992), opposite Patrick Swayze; Wolf (1994) with Jack Nicholson; and The Ghost and the Darkness (1996) opposite Val Kilmer. In 2007, he appeared as General Zia-ul-Haq in Charlie Wilson’s War, starring Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts.

He even made his presence felt in the small screens medium early in his career with Kakkaji Kaheen (1988) and Mr. Yogi (1989) besides several other appearances on TV which followed. His notable performance in Govind Nihalani’s television film Tamas (1987), Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro which reached a cult status, followed by Chachi 420 (1997), Hera Pheri (2000), Chor Machaye Shor (2002) and Malamaal Weekly (2006), Road to Sangam (2009), ‘The Hangman’ and ‘Don 2’ shall remain etched in public memory forever.

He even starred with Hollywood legend Helen Mirren in the comedy-drama The Hundred-Foot Journey in 2014.

Awards and Recognition:

• 1981: Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award for Aakrosh
• 1982: National Film Award for Best Actor for Arohan
• 1984: National Film Award for Best Actor for Ardh Satya
• 1984: Karlovy Vary International Film Festival Best Actor for Ardh Satya
• 1998: Brussels International Film Festival Best Actor for My Son the Fanatic
• 1990: Padma Shri, India’s fourth highest civilian award
• 1998: Grand Prix Special des Amériques Montréal World Film Festival for exceptional contribution to the cinematographic art
• 2004: Honorary Officer of the Order of the British Empire for services to The British Film Industry
• 2009: Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award
• 2015: Lifetime Achievement Award International Film Festival of Prayag

With Om Puri’s demise, the world of cinema is now bereft of an unmatched pool of talent whose craft knew no borders!

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