Artiste of international repute,
Om Puri, passed away following a massive heart attack on Friday. The actor, who has worked on films across languages, made his presence felt in Sandalwood as well, with films like A.K. 47,
Dhruva and the yet-to-be released
Tiger
. A name to reckon with in the theatre sphere as well, Om was closely associated with people like
Anant Nag and Girish Karnad, among others.
In fact, he was all set to go to Mysuru next week to inaugurate the Bahuroopi Theatre Fest, but that is not to be. BT spoke to people in the industry who have closely interacted with him about their memories of the actor.
In what could be one of his last onscreen outings, Om was part of the under-production
Nanda Kishore directorial, Tiger. 'One part of the film transpires in Mumbai. We needed a strong artiste to play the Commissioner of Police and who better than Om sir? When we approached him, he readily agreed and was such a sport that on many occasions that we had 7.30 am shoot schedules, he would be on the set right on time. Despite his age, he never complained about early hours or extended shoots. In fact, one day, we had to request him to stay back to finish certain portions and he ended up shooting for 15 hours continuously. It was a great pleasure working with him and we are honoured that he's a part of our film.'
We worked together in Shyam Benegal's Kalyug, way back in the early 80s, and after that, we met on and off at various functions. He was a friendly and helpful person. He always used to interact positively with the people around him. He made acting look so easy. But one had to be very alert when you worked with him, because he could easily steal the scene from you. He was a marvellous actor; his talent could not be suppressed. I am only sorry that we didn't work together more.
' Anant Nag, actor
Om Puri was a remarkable actor, who added new dimensions to films as well as theatre. He was one the most distinguished personalities of Indian parallel cinema, who, through his definitive performances, proved that even unconventional faces can carve a niche on the silver screen. Even though I personally never worked with Om, Shankar (Nag) had associations with him. He was a great cross-over artiste, who made a mark in British films as well. It takes years to create an artistE, and his death has definitely left a void.
'
Arundhati Nag
, theatre personality
One part of the film (Tiger) transpires in Mumbai. We needed a strong artiste to play the Commissioner of Police and who better than Om sir? When we approached him, he readily agreed... It was a pleasure working with him and we are honoured that he's a part our film.
' Nanda Kishore, director
I worked with Om sir on Dhruva, which was one of my earliest Kannada films. While I had only a couple of scenes with him, we spent a lot of time together on the set. He was very down-to-earth and spoke to me often about various things. We would also have lunch together and share each other's meals. I also had the pleasure of meeting his son, who was quite young back then. But what I will cherish from my
interactions with Om sir was that he taught me so many things about acting, including how to face the camera and judging the best angles, as well as how to react to your co-star's lines, and so much more.
' Sherin Shringar, actress
Girish Karnad's role in Om Puri's career
Om Puri sought admission at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), but was rejected by the board of selectors because they felt that he did not look like a hero, villain or comedian. Filmmaker and playwright Girish Karnad was then the director of FTII, and ensured that Om secured admission in the institution. It was Girish who recommended him to BV Karanth for the children's film Chor Chor Chhup Jaaye, which was Om's first screen appearance.
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