New Delhi [India], Jan. 6 : One of the most versatile actors of Bollywood, Om Puri, died at his residence in Mumbai this morning after suffering a cardiac arrest.
Born in Ambala, Haryana, to a Punjabi family on October 18, 1950, the actor studied at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in Pune.
He was also an alumnus of the 1973 class of the National School of Drama (NSD), where Naseeruddin Shah was a fellow student.
The legendary actor, who featured in more than 100 films, made a name for himself across the globe. He was honoured with the Padma Shri, the fourth highest award in India and two National Film Awards. Making his debut in 1976 with Marathi film 'Ghashiram Kotwal', here are some of the most acclaimed works of the celebrated actor.
1. Aakrosh (1980) The film starred Naseeruddin Shah, Om Puri and Amrish Puri in lead roles went to win 1980 National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi and also landed him Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award.
2. Arohan (1982) Starring Victor Banerjee and Om Puri in lead roles, the flick was directed by Shyam Benegal.
Om Puri got the National Award for Best Actor for his role. 3. Ardh Satya (1983) The film starred Amrish Puri, Smita Patil, Naseeruddin Shah, and Sadashiv Amrapurkar.
'Ardh Satya' won many awards and went on to become a landmark film in Indian film history. It is still considered to be one of the best cop films made in India. The actor won the National Film Award for Best Actor for his role of a police inspector, who revolts against lifelong social, cultural and political persecution.
4. City of Joy (1992) He appeared in Hollywood films including 'City of Joy' opposite Patrick Swayze and Shabana Azmi.
It is based upon the novel of the same name by Dominique Lapierre. 5. Maachis (1996) Directed by Gulzar and produced by R. V. Pandit, the film tasted both critical and commercial success. 6. A.K. 47 (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. The film became a huge commercial hit. 7. Charlie Wilson's War (2007) In 2007, Om Puri appeared as General Zia-ul-Haq in 'Charlie Wilson's War' starring Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts in lead roles.
8. Singh is Kinng (2008) The actor is remembered for giving the film, starring Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif, its most genuine comic moments.
9. The Jungle Book (2016) Most recently, Om Puri gave his voice for the Hindi version of 'The Jungle Book' as Bagheera.
10. Actor in Law (2016) The Pakistani socio-comedy film directed by Nabeel Qureshi is the final appearance of the veteran actor on screen.
Source: ANI
