Om Puri's Life In Pictures

Om Puri would have been 75 in October. We look back at his early years through these 16 pictures from his life.

Born in Ambala into a family of modest means, Om stayed as a child with his uncles at Sanaur where he attended the local Government School and played hockey. In the picture, he is seen in the middle row, extreme left.

While in college in Punjab, young Om joined a theatre group. He came with his troupe to perform a Punjabi play at Bombay's Shanmukhananda Hall. He had to share a room with six people and sleep on mattresses.

Om and Naseeruddin Shah studied acting at the National School Of Drama and thereafter at the Film and Television Institute Of India.

After five years of doing small roles in films, Om made a breakthrough with Govind Nihalani's Aakrosh (1980) for which he won the Filmfare Best Supporting Actor award. Years of living a hand-to-mouth existence helped Om retain the physicality required to play an underprivileged labourer.

Om was in awe of Satyajit Ray and couldn't believe the acclaimed director had called him to play the lead in Sadgati (1981). Om didn't understand when Ray asked him to walk gingerly in a scene, so Ray explained, 'How will a dog go into a room to pick up a bone if there are two people sitting next to it?' Om instantly got the body language right.

Ardh Satya proved to be the turning point in Om's life. Co-starring Amrish Puri, above, and Smita Patil, the Govind Nihalani film was a critical and commercial success. For his explosive performance as a troubled cop, Om won the Best Actor National Award.

Wife Nandita was attracted to Om because "he was a very earthy man; also kind and simple. And I think he liked my being well-read and intelligence. He said he liked my combination of modernity and tradition."

Om married Nandita in 1993 in the presence of a few friends. Govind Nihalani is seated next to Om.

Nandita says of their marriage, "We complemented each other. Om would always say 'I may know little but I've deep knowledge about those fields. Yours is a wider knowledge but maybe not so deep'."

Om struck a strong friendship with Patrick Swayze during City of Joy (1992). Nandita reveals: "Patrick told us that before commencing the shoot, he had done a mini Om Puri film festival. They were in touch till Patrick passed away."

Five years before Om signed Wolf co-starring Jack Nicholson, Shyam Benegal had gifted Om Jack Nicholson's biography and had written, 'To a terrific actor about another terrific actor'.

Om and Nandita with their little bundle of joy, Ishaan.

The Puri family with Amitabh Bachchan at the release of Om's biography.

Amitabh Bachchan calls Ishaan 'buddy' and never forgets to wish him on his birthday.

Om looked up to Shyam Benegal as a father figure who lent him a ear if he had any problem. Benegal was a fount of information. If the Puri family had any questions, Ishaan would say, 'Encyclopedia ko phone karo.'

Om used to drink Old Monk rum but because of Shyam Benegal's influence, he shifted to single malt whiskies like Laphroaig and Lagavulin.

To commemorate Om's legacy, the Om Puri Foundation, started by Nandita and Ishaan, plans to have Om Puri memorial lectures, and film festivals around the world.

Photographs curated by Satish Bodas/Rediff