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Age: 66 Years
Death Cause: Heart Attack
Death Date: 06/01/2017
| Bio/Wiki | |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Om Rajesh Puri |
| Nickname | Guddu |
| Profession | Actor |
| Physical Stats | |
| Height (approx.) | 5' 7" (170 cm) |
| Eye Colour | Dark Brown |
| Hair Colour | Grey |
| Career | |
| Debut | Film (Kannada): Kalla Kalla Bachitko (1975)  Film (Marathi): Ghashiram Kotwal (1976) as Ghashiram Kotwal  Film (Gujarati): Bhavni Bhavai (1980) as Malo Bhagat  Film (Punjabi): Chann Pardesi (1981) as Tulsi  Film (Bengali): Chokh (1983) as Jadunath  Film (Malayalam): Puravrutham (1988) as Raman  Film (English): Sam & Me (1991) as Chetan Parikh  Film (Telugu): Raatri (1992) as Sharji  Film (French-Hindi): Mon Petit Diable (1999) as Tom  Film (Singaporean Thai): Trafficker (2015) as Supreme Court Judge  Film (Pakistani): Actor In Law (2016) as Rafaqat Mirza  TV Film (Hindi): Sadgati (1981) as Dukhi  TV Series (British): The Jewel in the Crown (1984) as Mr De Souza  TV (Hindi): Khandan (1985) in a supporting role; aired on Doordarshan  |
| Last Film | Film (Hindi): Prakash Electronic (2017) as a narrator  Film (Hindi; Posthumous release): Khela Hobe (2023) as Fareek Bhai  |
| Awards & Honours | Awards • 1981: Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor for the film ‘Aakrosh’ (1980) • 1982: National Film Award for ‘Best Actor’ for the film ‘Arohan’ (1982) • 1984: National Film Award for ‘Best Actor’ for the film ‘Ardh Satya’ (1983) • 1984, he won the Best Actor Award for his role in the film ‘Ardh Satya’ (1983) at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. • 1990: Padma Shri Award for his contribution to the field of art • 2009: Lifetime Achievement Award at the Filmfare Awards  Honours • 1998: Grand Prix Special des Amériques at the Montreal World Film Festival for exceptional contribution to the cinematographic art • 2004: Honorary Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to The British Film Industry  |
| Personal Life | |
| Date of Birth | 18 October 1950 (Wednesday) |
| Birthplace | Ambala, Haryana, India |
| Date of Death | 6 January 2017 |
| Place of Death | His residence in Andheri, Mumbai |
| Age (at the time of death) | 66 Years |
| Death Cause | Heart Attack |
| Zodiac sign | Libra |
| Autograph |  |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Hometown | Ambala, Haryana |
| School | Government High School, Sanaur, Patiala, Punjab |
| College/University | Khalsa College Patiala, Punjab |
| Educational Qualification | Graduation in Arts (1965-1968) |
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Food Habit | Non-vegetarian |
| Controversies | • Alleged of Having Physical Relationship with Maid and Care Taker In 2009, his first wife Nandita Puri authored a biography of Om Puri titled ‘Unlikely Hero: The Story of Om Puri.’ In the book, she wrote that at the age of 14, Om Puri had a physical relationship with his maid who was 55 years old. In the book, she also mentioned that Om was once physically involved with his father’s care taker. check sources India Today • Demeaning Comments on Politicians In 2011, during his speech at the anti-corruption campaign ‘Jan Lokpal’ at Ramlila Maidan, Delhi, he called politicians “anpadh” (uneducated). Various notices of privilege motion against him was issued by a few Indian politicians. Later, he apologised for his comments. check sources The Times of India • Supported Naxals In 2012, he was seen supporting naxals. He also said that kidnapping of the Sukma District Collector Alex Paul Menon by the maoists was justified. check sources News 18 • Opposed Beef Ban in India In 2015, he was criticised for opposing the ban of beef in Maharashtra. check sources The Times of India • Insulted Indian Soldiers In October 2016, during a live news show, he said, "Who had asked the soldiers to join the army? Who told them to pick the weapons?" for which, he was criticized. Later, an FIR was filed against him. check sources The Times of India • Case of Domestic Violence In 2016, his second wife filed a domestic violence case against him. check sources India Today |
| Relationships & More | |
| Marital Status (at the time of death) | Separated |
| Affairs/Girlfriends | • Mala Dey (costume designer; engaged) • Jyoti Deshpande (sister of writer Govind Deshpande; engaged) • Seema Sawhni (daughter of director Shaheed Latif; engaged) • Nandita Puri (writer & journalist) |
| Marriage Date | First Marriage- Year, 1990 Second Marriage- Year, 1993  |
| Family | |
| Wife/Spouse | First Wife- Seema Kapoor (divorced in 1991; actress & writer)  Second Wife- Nandita Puri  |
| Children | Son- Ishaan Om Puri (from his second wife)  |
| Parents | Father- Tek Chand Puri (served in the Indian Army, worked as a railway employee) Mother- Tara Devi (homemaker) |
| Siblings | Brother- Ved Prakash Puri (railway porter) Sister- Vedvati (died of mental illness) Note: He had seven siblings including Gyan, Kabli, and Baby out of which six died of smallpox. |
| Favourites | |
| Actor(s) | Anupam Kher , Naseeruddin Shah , Kamal Haasan , Amitabh Bachchan , Alec Guinness, Paresh Rawal , Pankaj Kapur |
| Actress(es) | Shabana Azmi , Smita Patil , Nutan , Kajol , Madhuri Dixit , Priyanka Chopra , Rani Mukerji |
| Film(s) | Fiddler on the Roof (1971), Nayakan (1987), Pushpaka Vimana (1987), Dev (2004) |
| Food | Brain Curry |
| Cuisine(s) | Thai and Mexican |
| Restaurant(s) | Legacy of China for Chinese, Pop Tate’s for Continental, Satranj Napoli for Italian, and Urban Tadka for Punjabi food |
| Author | Eknath Easwaran |
| Book | Lust for Life by Irving Wallace |
| Sport(s) | Swimming, Cricket |
| Money Factor | |
| Salary/ Income (approx.) | Rs 35 lakh to Rs 45 lakh a month |
In his childhood, his family’s financial condition was not good as his father was arrested in a cement stealing case.
When he was two years old, he was infected with smallpox due to which he had marks on his face.
At the age of 5, he used to collect coal from railway tracks so his mother could use it for cooking. He also worked in a tea stall to support his family financially.
He once shared that his parents did not have any record of his birthdate. Earlier, his maternal uncle used to consider 9 March 1950 as his birth date. Later, when his mother told him that he was born two days after Dussehra in 1950, he changed his date of birth accordingly.
When he was 8 years old, he moved to his maternal uncle’s home to continue his schooling.
While studying in college, he worked as a lab assistant for a salary of Rs 100 a day and used to take tuition in the evening. He travelled on a bicycle for more than 30 km a day to reach his college.
Om Puri in his teens
During his college days, he developed an interest in theatre acting and later, started participating in theatre drama competitions. After watching his work in one of such competitions, Harpal Tiwana, a Punjabi playwright, invited him to join his theatre group Punjab Kala Manch, with an offer of 150 rupees.
Om Puri performing in the theatre play Kanak Di Balli
A supporter of Harpal’s theatre group then offered Om a government job as a clerk.
Om then applied for the National School of Drama, New Delhi and got selected. In 1973, he completed an acting course there.
Om Puri in a theatre play at the National School of Drama
There, he became good friends with the Indian actor Naseeruddin Shah . He started a theatre group Majma along with Naseeruddin Shah. Later, it was shut down.
Om Puri and Naseeruddin Shah in 1970s
He once shared that earlier, he was a vegetarian when he joined NSD, but turned non-vegetarian because of Naseeruddin Shah.
Reportedly, once Naseeruddin Shah’s former friends stabbed him with a knife at a restaurant, watching it, Om Puri jumped across their table, stopped the attacker to avoid further attacks, took Shah to the hospital in a police van, and saved his life.
In 1974, he enrolled for a two-year acting diploma at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in Pune. His fees of Rs 300 there was paid by one of his NSD junior’s friends. However, he could not complete the diploma as he could not afford the fees. He didn’t even have money to buy a shirt for the interview there.
At FTII, he was a roommate of the Indian film director David Dhawan . However, David wanted to change his room as he considered Om humourless.
In 1975, he appeared in the film, Chor Chor Chhup Ja (Robber Take Care), for which he was paid rupees 3000.
Amitabh Bachchan was the first choice for the film Ardh Satya, but he refused the offer. Later, the film was offered to Om Puri.
He acted in many popular Hindi films including ‘Aakrosh’ (1980), ‘Arohan’ (1982), ‘Ghayal’ (1990), ‘Maachis’ (1996), and ‘OMG: Oh My God!’ (2012). In 1984, he bought his first flat in Mumbai after his Hindi film ‘Ardh Satya’ became a hit.
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Aakrosh
In 1982, he acted in the Gujarati film ‘Naseeb Ni Balihari.’
He also appeared in various Punjabi films such as ‘Long Da Lishkara’ (1986), ‘Jatt Boys Putt Jattan De’ (2013), ‘Bhaji in Problem’ (2013), ‘Buniyaad’ (2015), and ‘Leather Life’ (2015).
Jatt Boys Putt Jattan De
Some of his English films are ‘Sam & Me’ (1991), ‘City of Joy’ (1992), ‘Wolf’ (1994), ‘Brothers in Trouble’ (1995), and ‘The Mystic Masseur’ (2001).
The Mystic Masseur
In 1992, he learnt to pull a rickshaw for around three months for his role in the English film ‘City of Joy’ (1992).
In the same year, he appeared in the Telugu film ‘Ankuram.’
Om Puri was once one of the most popular Indian actors in art movies.
His first wife, Seema Kapoor, is the sister of actor Annu Kapoor .
When Om Puri left his first wife, she was pregnant with his child. However, she later had a miscarriage.
He once said that had he not been an actor, he would join the Indian Army. He also thought of starting his dhaba or becoming a farmer.
His mentor in acting Qaidi Saheb motivated him to improve his English by reading newspapers and observing people speaking English.
He used to smoke cigarettes and consume alcohol. In 2014, he quit smoking after he was diagnosed with a white patch in his mouth.
In 2011, he purchased a farmhouse in Khandala, Maharashtra and named it Ishaan Kutir after his son’s name.
In 2013, a biography titled Unlikely Hero: Om Puri was published which was written by his then-wife Nandita C. Puri.
Unlikely Hero Om Puri
He lent his voice to the role of Bagheera in the Hindi version of the animated film ‘The Jungle Book’ (2016).
In 2017, his second wife started ‘Om Puri Foundation’ at the British Film Institute (BFI) pavilion in the UK.
He used to love farming and cooking in his leisure time.
The North Indian food restaurant named ‘Urban Tadka’ in Mumbai serves a dish named Om Puri ka Mutton Saagwala as an honour to him.
In 2017, a day before his demise, he wanted to meet his son. However, he could not meet him and drank all night. Some media sources claimed that he was murdered. However, in the post-mortem report nothing suspicious was found. It was said that in his last phase, he was in depression.
After his demise, some of his films which were released are ‘Viceroy’s House’ (2017; English), ‘The Ghazi Attack’ (2017; Hindi), ‘Tubelight’ (2017; Hindi), ‘Load Wedding’ (2018; Pakistani), and ‘Gul Makai’ (2020; Hindi).
Tubelight
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Om Puri saved Naseeruddin Shah when he was attacked with a knife at a restaurant, stopping the attacker and taking Shah to the hospital in a police van.
Om Puri received a payment of ₹3000 for his role in the 1975 film Chor Chor Chhup Ja.
Om Puri worked as a lab assistant for ₹100 a day and took tuition in the evenings to support his family during his college years.
Om Puri's first wife, Seema Kapoor, was pregnant when he left her, and she later had a miscarriage.
Om Puri was a vegetarian when he joined the National School of Drama but turned non-vegetarian due to Naseeruddin Shah's influence.