Movie Notes

Indian actor Om Puri dies after suffering heart attack

by Charlie Smith on January 5th, 2017 at 9:21 PM
    1 of 1 2 of 1

      One of India's most skilled actors has suddenly passed away.

      Om Puri, best known for his work in East Is East and The 100-Foot Journey, was 66.

      He reportedly suffered a heart attack at his home in Mumbai.

      Puri, who also appeared in Richard Attenborough's Gandhi, was a versatile actor who excelled in arthouse and commercial films in India, Pakistan, and the West.

      His loss has caused some of the biggest names in Bollywood to express their respects over Twitter.

      Puri was also known for his advocacy for honest government and better treatment of the poor.

      During a 2012 visit to Vancouver, Puri told local journalist Gurpreet Singh that some members of India's national parliament were "uncivilized" and "corrupt".

      When he made these remarks in India, he was accused of "unparliamentary language".

      "Go to every ordinary citizen across India to ask what he or she thinks about our politicians," Puri said in Vancouver. "I am sure each one of them will swear at them."

      One of his films, Chakravyuh, focused on the Maoist insurgency in tribal areas of India. He told Singh that too often, corporate executives and Indian politicians painted too rosy a picture of how the poorest people lived in his country.

      "No doubt India has progressed over the years, but not everyone in India has benefited out of this development," Puri said.

      Puri separated from his wife Nandita in 2013. They have one son, Ishaan.

      Comments