Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Happy birthday to Om Puri.


Happy birthday to Om Puri.

The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birthday to Om Puri on 18th October, 2009. Om Puri had been considered to be one of the greatest actors of Indian cinema by critics, eminent directors, international film journalists, etc.

Oscar winning director Satyajit Ray experimented with Om Puri in the film Satgati in the early 80s. Om Puri played the role of a cremator who was employed by the zamindar played by Mohan Agasi to cremate a dead body in a village in North India. Om Puri died at the end of the film as he worked with extreme bad health. Om Puri’s expression relating to pain and misery expressed the exploitation of lower strata of the society in North Indian villages as written by Munshi Premchand.

Om Puri became the automatic choice of renowned directors like Shyam Benegal, Govind Nihalini, Sai Paranchpe, Sudhir Mishra, and many other directors who enriched parallel cinema in India. The range of roles of Om Puri included the role of a villager in the film Aakrosh whose tongues were cut to prevent him from speaking, the role of a poor person who donated his eyes in the film Chokh, the role of a police officer who found corruption at every level of the police force in the film Ardha Satya.

Amongst the different directors Govind Nihalini probably made the best use of Om Puri. The performance of Om Puri in the film Tamas in the role of a victim of partition of 1947 requires special mention. The film created controversy as it was related to hindu-muslim riots and when it was featured in TV, its transmission was stopped for certain period of time.

Om Puri made very valuable contribution in commercial films over the last 20 years. His successful films included Ghayal opposite Sunny Deol, Krishna opposite Sunil Shetty, China Gate opposite Naseeruddin Shah, Gupt opposite Bobby Deol, Malamaal Weekly opposite Paresh Rawal, Raat, etc. It is difficult to mention the national and international awards won by Om Puri in his illustrious career in a small article.

The viewers expect him to continue the great work in the years to come.

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