Om Puri: Movies, Awards & Box Office

Om Puri was an Indian actor whose career spanned more than four decades, earning him a reputation as one of the most versatile and respected performers in world cinema. Born on 18 October 1950 in Ambala, Haryana, India, he rose from an impoverished background—his father a railway employee who was imprisoned when Om was six—to study at the National School of Drama and later the Film and Television Institute of India, despite often lacking basic clothing and struggling with tuition fees. His breakthrough came with the Marathi film Ghashiram Kotwal (1976) and, soon after, he became a fixture of parallel cinema, delivering powerful performances in Aakrosh (1980), Ardh Satya (1983) and Bhavni Bhavai (1980), for which he won two National Film Awards for Best Actor. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s he balanced art‑house projects with mainstream commercial hits, appearing in cult classics such as Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro (1983), Hera Pheri (2000) and Chachi 420 (1997), while also breaking into international markets with roles in Gandhi (1982), City of Joy (1992), My Son the Fanatic (1997) and the British comedy‑drama East Is East (1999), the latter earning him a BAFTA nomination. In recognition of his contributions he was awarded the Padma Shri in 1990 and was made an honorary Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 2004. He continued to work prolific­ly until his sudden death from a heart attack on 6 January 2017 in Mumbai, leaving behind a legacy of over 300 film and television credits that showcased his ability to embody everything from ruthless police inspectors to endearing fathers, cementing his status as a true global acting icon.