Om Puri(1950-2017)
- Actor
- Additional Crew
- Music Department
Om Puri was an Indian actor who has appeared in both mainstream Indian
films and art films. His credits also include appearances in British
and American films. He has received an honorary OBE.
Puri was born in Ambala, Haryana. His father worked on the railways and
served in the Indian Army. Puri graduated from the Film and Television
Institute of India. He is also an alumnus of the 1973 class of National
School of Drama where Naseeruddin Shah was a co-student.
Puri had worked in numerous Indian films and in many films produced in
the United Kingdom and the United States. He made his film debut in the
1976 film Ghashiram Kotwal, based on a Marathi play of the same name.
He has claimed that he was paid "peanuts" for his best work. He had
collaborated with Amrish Puri as well as Naseeruddin Shah, Shabana Azmi
and Smita Patil in art films such as Bhavni Bhavai (1980), Sadgati
(1981), Ardh Satya (1982), Mirch Masala (1986) and Dharavi (1992). He
had been active in cinema. He was critically acclaimed for his
performances in many unconventional roles such as a victimized tribal
in Aakrosh (1980) (a film in which he spoke only during flash-back
sequences); Jimmy's manager in Disco Dancer (1982); a police inspector
in Ardh Satya (1982), where he revolts against life-long social,
cultural and political persecution and for which he got the National
Film Award for Best Actor; the leader of a cell of Sikh militants in
Maachis (1996); as a tough cop again in the commercial film Gupt in
1997; and as the courageous father of a martyred soldier in Dhoop
(2003). In 1999, Puri acted in a Kannada movie A.K. 47 as a strict
police officer who tries to keep the city safe from the underworld - it
became a huge commercial hit. Puri's acting in the movie is very
memorable. He has rendered his own voice for the Kannada dialogues. In
the same year, he starred in the successful British comedy film East is
East, where he played a first-generation Pakistani immigrant in the
north of England, struggling to come to terms with his far more
westernized children. Om Puri had a cameo in the highly acclaimed film
Gandhi (1982, directed by Richard Attenborough). In the mid-1990s, he
diversified to play character roles in mainstream Hindi cinema, where
his roles are more tuned to mass audiences than film critics. He became
known internationally by starring in many British 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) alongside 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, which stars Tom Hanks and
Julia Roberts. He has worked in Hindi television serials like Kakkaji
Kaheen (1988) (roughly meaning "Uncle says") as a paan-chewing
'Kakkaji', which was a parody on politicians, and Mr. Yogi (1989) as a
suave 'Sutradhaar' who enjoys pulling the protagonist's leg. These two
serials underlined Om Puri's versatility as a comedian. He received
critical acclaim for him performance in Govind Nihalani's television
film Tamas (1987) based on a Hindi novel of the same name. He essayed
comic roles in Hindi films like 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). His more recent Hindi film
roles include Singh Is Kinng, Mere Baap Pehle Aap and Billu. Puri was
seen in the role of Mohammad Ali Kasuri in Road to Sangam (2009). In
2010, he appeared in The Hangman. In 2011 he was in the Indian action
movie Don 2. He had also worked in Aahat TV Series in some episodes
during second season which was aired between 2004-2005 on Sony channel.
films and art films. His credits also include appearances in British
and American films. He has received an honorary OBE.
Puri was born in Ambala, Haryana. His father worked on the railways and
served in the Indian Army. Puri graduated from the Film and Television
Institute of India. He is also an alumnus of the 1973 class of National
School of Drama where Naseeruddin Shah was a co-student.
Puri had worked in numerous Indian films and in many films produced in
the United Kingdom and the United States. He made his film debut in the
1976 film Ghashiram Kotwal, based on a Marathi play of the same name.
He has claimed that he was paid "peanuts" for his best work. He had
collaborated with Amrish Puri as well as Naseeruddin Shah, Shabana Azmi
and Smita Patil in art films such as Bhavni Bhavai (1980), Sadgati
(1981), Ardh Satya (1982), Mirch Masala (1986) and Dharavi (1992). He
had been active in cinema. He was critically acclaimed for his
performances in many unconventional roles such as a victimized tribal
in Aakrosh (1980) (a film in which he spoke only during flash-back
sequences); Jimmy's manager in Disco Dancer (1982); a police inspector
in Ardh Satya (1982), where he revolts against life-long social,
cultural and political persecution and for which he got the National
Film Award for Best Actor; the leader of a cell of Sikh militants in
Maachis (1996); as a tough cop again in the commercial film Gupt in
1997; and as the courageous father of a martyred soldier in Dhoop
(2003). In 1999, Puri acted in a Kannada movie A.K. 47 as a strict
police officer who tries to keep the city safe from the underworld - it
became a huge commercial hit. Puri's acting in the movie is very
memorable. He has rendered his own voice for the Kannada dialogues. In
the same year, he starred in the successful British comedy film East is
East, where he played a first-generation Pakistani immigrant in the
north of England, struggling to come to terms with his far more
westernized children. Om Puri had a cameo in the highly acclaimed film
Gandhi (1982, directed by Richard Attenborough). In the mid-1990s, he
diversified to play character roles in mainstream Hindi cinema, where
his roles are more tuned to mass audiences than film critics. He became
known internationally by starring in many British 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) alongside 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, which stars Tom Hanks and
Julia Roberts. He has worked in Hindi television serials like Kakkaji
Kaheen (1988) (roughly meaning "Uncle says") as a paan-chewing
'Kakkaji', which was a parody on politicians, and Mr. Yogi (1989) as a
suave 'Sutradhaar' who enjoys pulling the protagonist's leg. These two
serials underlined Om Puri's versatility as a comedian. He received
critical acclaim for him performance in Govind Nihalani's television
film Tamas (1987) based on a Hindi novel of the same name. He essayed
comic roles in Hindi films like 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). His more recent Hindi film
roles include Singh Is Kinng, Mere Baap Pehle Aap and Billu. Puri was
seen in the role of Mohammad Ali Kasuri in Road to Sangam (2009). In
2010, he appeared in The Hangman. In 2011 he was in the Indian action
movie Don 2. He had also worked in Aahat TV Series in some episodes
during second season which was aired between 2004-2005 on Sony channel.