Entertainment News Desk!!! Om Rajesh Puri (English: Om Puri; born- October 18, 1950, Ambala, Punjab; died- January 6, 2017, Andheri, Mumbai) was one of those famous actors of Hindi films, who could play any character with his acting ability. Were able to bring it to life on screen. He was a timeless actor of Indian cinema. Every style of his acting impresses the audience. When Om Puri’s smiling face is seen on the silver screen, the audience also feels his happiness and the audience also feels sad in his pain. For his valuable contribution to Hindi films, he was also honored with ‘National Film Award’, ‘Filmfare Award’ and ‘Padmashree’ etc. Om Puri was that star of Hindi cinema, whom people loved to see in every role. Be it artistic cinema or commercial cinema, he was successful in leaving his impact everywhere.
Introduction
Om Puri was born on October 18, 1950 in Ambala city of Punjab. Most of his childhood was spent in Ambala. His father worked in the Railways, yet the family was barely able to survive. The house in which Om Puri’s family lived. He had a railway yard. Om Puri was very fond of trains. At night he would often leave the house, go to the railway yard and sleep in any train. This was the time when Om Puri thought that he would grow up to become a railway driver. It is said that Aem’s father was addicted to drinking, due to which his mother took him to her parents’ house in Sannaur in Patiala.
interest in acting
Om Puri also worked at a dhaba to meet the problems and needs of his family. After some time, the owner of the dhaba accused him of theft and fired him from the job. Then after some time, Om Puri came to his maternal home in Sannaur village located in Patiala, Punjab. Completed his primary education there. During this time, he got inclined towards acting and he started becoming aware of the cinema world and gradually started taking part in plays. Then took admission in Khalsa College. During the same time, Om Puri also started working as a clerk at a lawyer’s office.
In one of his interviews, Om Puri himself had revealed that – “In the initial days, he was a scribe with a lawyer in Chandigarh. Once there was a performance of his play in Chandigarh, but the lawyer refused to give him three leaves. Om Puri said- “Keep your job, account for me.” When the college boys came to know that I had left the job, they talked to the principal. Is there any place?” On this he said – “He is a lab assistant, but he is a current student, what does he know about science.” The principal said – “No problem, the boys will automatically say, blue vial. Catch me, catch the yellow bottle.” Along with this job, Om Puri also kept taking part in the plays being staged in the college.
At this time, he met Harpal and Neena Tiwana, with whose support he joined a theater organization called ‘Punjab Kala Manch’. After graduating from ‘Film and Television Institute of India’, Om Puri did an acting course from ‘National School of Drama’ (NSD) located in the country’s capital Delhi. It was here that he also met artists like Naseeruddin Shah. Then with the dream of becoming an actor, he took admission in ‘Pune Film Institute’ in 1976.
Marriage
Om Puri’s personal life has been surrounded by controversies many times. He had married twice. His first wife’s name is ‘Seema’, but this married life did not last long and they got divorced. After this Om Puri married Nandita Puri. Nandita and Om Puri also became parents of a son. His son’s name is Ishaan.
film debut
After receiving formal training in acting from ‘National School of Drama’, Om Puri turned towards Hindi films. He came face to face with the Hindi audience for the first time in the 1976 film ‘Ghasiram Kotwal’. Om Puri gave an effective introduction to his acting ability in the sensitive role of ‘Ghasiram Kotwal’ and gradually he started emerging as the most popular actor of parallel films apart from mainstream films.
Success
In the year 1981, Om Puri got the film ‘Aakrosh’. His acting in ‘Aakrosh’ was highly praised. After this his career in the film world started. In films like ‘Bhavani Bhavai’, ‘Sparsh’, ‘Mandi’, ‘Aakrosh’ and ‘Shodh’, the magic of Om Puri’s solid acting impressed the audience. But ‘Ardh Satya’ proved to be a milestone in his film journey. He proved his mettle in the role of a young, militant and agitating police officer in ‘Ardhsatya’.
Gradually Om Puri became a great need of parallel cinema. Along with making his impactful presence in the parallel cinema world, Om Puri also turned to mainstream films. Sometimes as a hero, sometimes as a villain and sometimes as a character actor and comedian, he came face to face with every audience and became the subject of their praise.
Working with famous artists
Om Puri worked with Naseeruddin Shah and Smita Patil in films like ‘Bhavani Bhavai’, ‘Ardhsatya’, ‘Mirch Masala’ and ‘Dharavi’.
international identity
Om Puri is included in the list of those few actors of Hindi films, who have made their mark at the international level as well. He has also left a mark of his excellent acting in Hollywood films like ‘East is East’, ‘City of Joy’, ‘Wolf’, ‘The Ghost and Darkness’. He worked in about 200 films, including English films like ‘Sam and Me’, ‘City of Joy’ and ‘Charlie Wilson’s War’. In ‘Charlie Wilson’ he played the role of Pakistan President Zia ul Haq. Om Puri, who has acted in serious films like Maqbool and Dev in recent years, is known for his powerful acting as well as his powerful voice.
comedy roles
Om Puri, who has seen many springs of life, is still registering his active presence in Hindi films. The only difference is that these days he is attracting the audience of Hindi films not as a hero or villain, but as a character or comedian. While Om Puri was seen in hilarious roles in ‘Chachi 420’, ‘Hera Pheri’, ‘Mere Baap Pehle Aap’, ‘Chupke-Chupke’ and ‘Malamaal Weekly’, he was seen in ‘Shoot on Sight’, ‘Maharathi’, ‘Dev’. And he appeared in front of the audience as a character actor in ‘Dabangg’.
It is said that Om Puri got peanuts as remuneration for the first film. Om Puri’s film career started in 1976 with the Marathi film ‘Ghasiram Kotwal’. This film was based on Vijay Tendulkar’s Marathi play. Om Puri said that then he had received peanuts for a good work. Apart from being a character actor, Om Puri also played negative characters. His comic timing was amazing. He worked in films ranging from dark comedies like ‘Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron’ to modern day comedy films. Recently, he also lent his voice to a character in the Hollywood animation film ‘Jungle Book’. His last commercial film was ‘Ghayal Once Again’. His famous art films include ‘Ardh Satya’, ‘Sadgati’, ‘Bhavani Bhavai’, ‘Mirch Masala’ and ‘Dharavi’ etc. He made the audience laugh a lot in films like ‘Heraferi’, ‘Singh is King’, ‘Mere Baap Pehle Aap’, ‘Billu’.
awards and honors
In his long film journey, Om Puri has received many achievements and awards through strong acting –
‘Filmfare Award’ – 1981 – Best Supporting Actor (film ‘Aakrosh’) ‘National Film Award’ – 1982 – Best Actor (film ‘Aarohan’) ‘National Film Award’ – 1984 – Best Actor (film ‘Ardhsatya’) ‘Padmashree’ – 1990 ‘Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award’ – 2009
death
Actor Om Puri, who created an indelible mark in Indian cinema with his unmatched acting, died on January 6, 2017 in Andheri, Mumbai.
