The film world has lost one of its most maverick faces in the death of Om Puri, 66. His very unpredictable and volatile dispensation, much akin to some of the characters he portrayed in films, landed him quite a few memorable roles and brought more flak from filmmakers and co-actors who often could not come to terms with his vigorous energy.
The journey was a long and hard one for Om Puri. He joined the Film and Television Institute, Pune, where he acquired some friendships which would later turn the course of Indian mainstream and art cinema.
In 1976, he made his acting debut in a Marathi film, Ghashiram Kotwal, based on a play of the same name by Vijay Tendulkar. The directors, K. Hariharan and Mani Kaul, had to their aid 16 graduates of the FTII. Much to the chagrin of producers, Om Puri then said that he was 'paid peanuts' for his best work.
When sustenance was the biggest question, Om Puri blended art in measured doses with mainstream and started acting in films like Bhavni Bhavai (1980), Sadgati (1981), Ardh Satya (1982), Mirch Masala (1986) and Dharavi (1992). The tough cop in Ardh Satya, caught in between the two conflicting worlds, brought him critical acclaim.
Film critics list his unconventional roles in Aakrosh (1980) and Disco Dancer (1982) as among his best. In Aakrosh, Om Puri portrayed an on-the-fringe tribal and speaks, in the film, only during a flash-back sequence. He also played a cameo in Richard Attenborough's Gandhi in 1982.
He took to the international scene by acting in British films such as My Son the Fanatic (1997), East Is East (1999) and The Parole Officer (2001).
In Hollywood, he was part of City of Joy (1992), opposite Patrick Swayze; Wolf (1994) with Jack Nicholson; and The Ghost and the Darkness (1996) opposite Val Kilmer.
He acted in three Malayalam movies, namely, Aadupuliyattam (2016), Puravrutham (1988) and Samvatsarangal (1988). Aadupuliyattam director Kannan Tharakkulam told Onmanorama that Om Puri was the 'most energetic actor' he had directed. He had promised to come back to Malayalam, but the promise could not be kept, the director reminisced.
Jayaram, who shared screen space with Om Puri in Aadupuliyattam, said, "Initially, we were told that he does not make friends easily. But we had a blast of a time. He was deeply impressed by our work culture and said we were the best team he had ever worked with."
Om Puri's reluctant start, in many roles, was probably due to his inherent doubts on delineation. Film veterans say he would want the finer details of a character explained to him. His demanding nature kept him close to the hearts of movie buffs and distanced him from directors who were not yet ready for a professional actor.
His family front too was not a glossy script. He married Nandita Puri in 1993. The couple had a son named Ishaan. They separated in 2013. Nandita's book, 'Unlikely Hero: The story of Om Puri' was an instant hit. Om Puri had told a newspaper that his wife made him 'look cheap by portraying some of his intimate relationships.' He went on to say that she was speaking of his sexual encounters as though they were his major achievements.' Not a man to stop there, he said, "I don't care if she's my wife. I won't let her get away with it."
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RIP Om Puri
Actress Shilpa Anand with Om Puri on the sets of a movie in Mumbai
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RIP Om Puri
A still from 'Ardh Satya'
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RIP Om Puri
Mammootty releasing biography of Om Puri written by the latter's wife. Photo: Sreekumar EV
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RIP Om Puri
Actors Om Puri and Ila Arun pose, during a London Film Festival photo call of West is West, at a central London cinema. AP
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RIP Om Puri
(L-R) Bollywood director Priyadarshan, actors Paresh Rawal and Om Puri attend a party in honour of the crew of Kanchivaram in Mumbai on September 23, 2009. AFP
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RIP Om Puri
Actors Om Puri and Shahana Chatterjee (L) with dancer Mallika Sarabhai at a premiere show of film 'Love Songs', in Mumbai. PTI
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RIP Om Puri
Om Puri with G Aravindan
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RIP Om Puri
Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan (L) attends the release of the biography 'Unlikely Hero' of veteran Bollywood and international actor Om Puri (R) written by his wife Nandita Om Puri (C) in Mumbai on November 23, 2009. AFP
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RIP Om Puri
A still from 'Aadupuliyattam'
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RIP Om Puri
Veteran theatre personality Shobha Sen (left) being felicitated with "Lifetime Achievement Award" for her distinguished contribution to Bengali theatre by renowned actor Om Puri during 6th "Greenwood Spirit Theatre Festival" felicitation cerermony in Kolkata. PTI
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Om Puri was an unlikely hero, and his wife Nandita Puri was spot on when she titled his biography that. Om Puri was one of the finds of Bollywood's new wave, which was inspired by the parallel cinema movement powered by some raw talents from West Bengal, that hit the Indian theaters in the mid-1970s.
When this wave ebbed away, actors like Om Puri, his National School Drama pal Naseeruddin Shah, Farooq Shaikh, Shabana Azmi, Smita Patil, Amol Palekar, etc., migrated into the formulaic movies of Bollywood and kept raising the bar with their sheer presence.
From Ghashiram of the 1972 film Ghashiram Kotwal to the muni in the 2016 Malayalam film Aadupuliyattam, his filmography is rich. Equally enticing were his television appearances.
Om Puri's television journey started not on India's national television Doordarshan but in a British television series. He was Mr De Souza in the ITV network 1984 series The Jewel in the Crown.
Two years later, Shyam Benegal brought him to the Indian mini-screen with Yatra.
Benegal used his baritone voice to narrate Bharath Ek Khoj, a series telecast on Doordarshan in 1988. Om Puri also brought to life various characters in the series, which was based on the book 'The Discovery of India' by Jawaharlal Nehru. The year 1988 also saw Om Puri getting busy on the mini-screen.
He was the Sutradhar (thread-holder) in Ketan Mehta's Mr Yogi aired in the same year. The new wave that Bollywood witnessed in the late 1970s was now sweeping through the Indian television industry, which only had one player, and Om Puri was in the thick of things. His third series of the year on Doordasrshan was Basu Chatterjee's political satire Kakaji Kahin. The 80s' kids can never forget the pan-chewing, loud Kaakaji who had a fix for all the red-tape problems.
Om Puri returned to the small screen in 1990 as Uncle Sam in the marine drama Sea Hawks, which launched future stars like R. Madhavan and Milind Soman.
The life that Om Puri brought to his characters made him much sought-after on movies and television, but we saw very little of him on the mini-screen after Sea Hawks. By this time the TV serial makers had also struck a formula and no wonder the veteran actor, who was part of the new wave in both Bollywood and Indian television, stayed away from them.
In 2000, however, he returned with Antaral aired on Star TV and two years later, we saw him in the second season of Savdhaan India and Aahat.
Om Puri, we will miss you!
