He may not have a hysterical fan following, may not earn big bucks but he has consistently given us some of the finest performances on screen and is the face of Indian cinema in the West.

Recently honoured with the Order of the British Empire for his contribution to British cinema, he received a BAFTA nomination for East Is East in 2000 and has along the way, won two National Awards and the Padma Shri for his acting.

His recent film King Of Bollywood sunk at the box office but Om Puri, as always, shone.

On his birthday, rediff.com celebrates this truly great actor with an exclusive interview.

Om Puri in Govind Nihalani's Dev.

Interview: Archana Masih
Design: Uday Kuckian