22 June: Remembering Amrish Puri on his birthday

OV Digital Desk
3 Min Read
Amrish Puri

Amrish Puri (22 June 1932 – 12 January 2005) an Indian actor, who was an important figure in Indian theatre and cinema. He is remembered for playing iconic villainous roles in Hindi cinema as well as other Indian and international film industries. His most remembered roles are Mogambo in Mr India (1987) and Mola Ram in the Hollywood film Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984).

He mainly appears on Hindi language films, but he had also appeared in Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam and Marathi language films. Puri won three Filmfare Awards for Best Supporting Actor.

Life and Career

Amrish Lal Puri was born on 22 June 1932 in Nawanshahr, Punjab.

Puri acted in more than 350 films between 1967 and 2005 and was the most successful Villain in Bollywood. Puri first came to Bombay in early 1950. Mr. Puri wanted to become a Bollywood movie hero but failed a screen test in 1954, and instead found a job with the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation Ministry of Labour and Employment. Meanwhile, he started performing at the Prithvi Theatre, in plays written by Satyadev Dubey, eventually became well-known as a stage actor and won the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1979. This theatre recognition soon led to work in television ads and eventually to films at the age of 40. Puri went on to work in Hindi, Kannada, Marathi, Hollywood, Punjabi, Malayalam, Telugu, and Tamil films. Though he was successful in many regional films, he is best known for his work in Bollywood cinema.

Mr. Puri went on to become one of the most renowned and credible villains in the history of Indian cinema. His most memorable and often quoted role is the character of ‘Mogambo’. It is still remembered fondly from Mr. India (1987).

From the 1990s until his death in 2005, Puri also featured in positive supporting roles in many movies. Some of his notable positive roles are Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, Phool Aur Kaante, Gardish, Pardes, Virasat, Ghatak, Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai, China Gate.

Award and Legacy

Puri won three Filmfare Awards for Best Supporting Actor Meri Jung and Virasat, and He also received Star Screen Award for Best Supporting Actor in Ghatak.

He also nominated for Filmfare Best Villain Award.

Amrish Puri died in Mumbai on 12 January 2005, due to a brain hemorrhage at the age of 72. His body was brought to his residence for people to pay their last respects, and his funeral was on 13 January 2005 at Shivaji Park crematorium.

His autobiography The Act of Life was published in 2006 and is seen as the document of the cinema of his times.

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