How Om Puri's choice of cinema set the artist in him apart

No one knew that the Punjabi lad from Ambala (Haryana), whose mother was unsure of his date of birth, would go on to become one of the most known faces of Bollywood. The veteran actor brought depth and dignity to which ever medium he chose: whether it was cinema, stage, and TV.

The Padma Shri awardee, who studied at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) and the National School of Drama (NSD), was a critically acclaimed actor, featuring in path-breaking movies such as Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron, Ardh Satya, and Mirch Masala.

A classmate of another living legend Naseeruddin Shah, Puri started his film career with the Marathi film Ghashiram Kotwal (1976) — a masterpiece play by Vijay Tendulkar, which was directed by K Hariharan and Mani Kaul. He later went on to say he was paid "peanuts" for his work.

Together with Naseeruddin Shah, Amrish Puri, Shabana Azmi and Smita Patil, Puri formed the highly revered coterie of actors who inspired respect from everyone, ranging from commercial movies to off-beat ones, so much so that he began to be considered a staple for what was earlier referred to as “art films”which delivered hits like Ardh Satya (1982), Mirch Masala (1986), Bhavn iBhavai (1980), Sadgati (1981), and Dharavi (1992).

His association immediately elevated the status of the projects that he came to be associated with. Being the versatile genius that he was, the highly acclaimed actor flitted with ease and produced some memorable performances in British, Pakistani and Hollywood films such as those in City of Joy, Gandhi and The Reluctant Fundamentalist.

Watch: Om Puri recites Dilip Chitre's poem Ardh Satya

His forte was unconventional roles and which also reflected his views on society and politics. For example, he played a marginalized and victimized tribal in Aakrosh (1980), an anguished police inspector in Ardh Satya (1982), in which he is shown as rebelling against social, political and cultural persecution; no wonder, he was awarded the National Film Award for Best Actor.

He again surfaced as a leader of Sikh militants in Maachis (1996).

In 1999, the versatile actor starred in the highly successful British comedy East is East, in which he played a Pakistani immigrant in England, who is struggling to come to terms with his diasporic roots and has to face the barbs from his westernised children. He attained international stardom through Hollywood flicks such as City of Joy (1992 opposite Patrick Swayze); Wolf (1994, with Jack Nicholson).

In 2007, he portrayed the role of General Zia-ul-Haq in War, also featuring Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts.

Not one to be left behind, Puri also worked in Hindi television soaps such as Kakkaji Kaheen (1988), a political satire, showing to the world his comic side. He essayed comic roles par excellence in Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro, Chachi 420 (1997), Hera Pheri (2000), and Malamaal Weekly (2006).

He delivered knockout performance in Govind Nihalani's Tamas (1987).

Bollywood too has been left shaken by his demise and condolences have been pouring in incessantly at the loss of its beloved Punjabi son of the soil.