Veteran actor Om Puri died at the age of 66 this morning following a heart attack. The development has left many in the film world shocked. Om Puri was born in Ambala, Haryana, to a Punjabi family in 1950. Om Puri was our true blue crossover artist who has worked who has appeared in Pakistani, Indian, British, and Hollywood, Independent films and art films. His credits also include appearances in American films. He is also the recipient of Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award of India. He received critical acclaim for his performance in Govind Nihalani’s television film Tamas (1987) based on a Hindi novel of the same name. He also remembered for his role in Hindi films like Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro.
People from the Bollywood fraternity and across the nation are expressing their condolences on twitter:
Here are the major highlights of his illustrious career as an actor.
He made his film debut in the 1976 Marathi film Ghashiram Kotwal.
He was among the main actors who starred in what was then referred to as art films such as Bhavni Bhavai (1980), Sadgati (1981), Ardh Satya (1982), Mirch Masala (1986) and Dharavi (1992).
He has appeared with Amrish Puri as well as Naseeruddin Shah, Shabana Azmi and Smita Patil in art house films such as Bhavni Bhavai (1980), Sadgati (1981), Ardh Satya (1982), Mirch Masala (1986) and Dharavi (1992). He is known for his 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 stands up against social, cultural and political evil.
He also got the national award for his role in Ardh Satya. He is also remembered for his role as the leader of a cell of Sikh militants in Maachis (1996); as a tough police official again in the commercial film Gupt in 1997; and as the father of a martyred soldier in Dhoop (2003).
