Indian leaders pay tributes to Om Puri

Mumbai - The actor died at his residence in Mumbai this morning after a massive heart attack.

Tributes poured in for Om Puri with a galaxy of political leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi condoling the demise of the veteran actor, saying the film industry has lost a pillar.
The actor died at his residence in Mumbai this morning after a massive heart attack. He was 66.
The Prime Minister recalled Puri's long career in theatre and films, while Sonia Gandhi remembered him as a versatile actor.
"Om Puri was a gifted actor and socially conscious human being... Indian film industry has lost a pillar," Gandhi said and prayed for peace and strength to his family and admirers.
Describing him as one of the finest talents of Indian cinema and theatre, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi said, "Mr Om Puri will live on through the many unforgettable characters he brought to life."
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee tweeted: "His acting skills were appreciated around the world. Condolences to family, friends fraternity."
Punjab Congress President and former chief minister Amarinder Singh said he was "deeply saddened to hear about sudden demise of veteran actor Om Puri. Condolences to the family".
Puri broke the stereotype of conventional 'good looking' Bollywood hero by setting an example of artistic prowess.
"His greatest contribution has been that when a face like Om Puri was accepted, he actually set a trend. If actors like Nawazuddin Siddiqui are big stars today it is thanks to Om Puri, who convinced audiences to look beyond an actor's face," veteran actor-director Satish Kaushik told PTI.
Born in Ambala, Haryana, to a Railway officer, the multi- talented actor graduated from Pune's prestigious Film and Television Institute of India (FTII). He also studied in National School of Drama (NSD) along with Shah.
Puri made his acting debut with the 1976 Marathi film "Ghashiram Kotwal".
The 66-year-old actor is also remembered for his cameo in Richard Attenborough's Oscar-winning film "Gandhi", which brought him into limelight on international cinema platform.
He appeared in Hollywood films, like "City of Joy" opposite Patrick Swayze, "Wolf" with Jack Nicholson, "The Ghost and the Darkness" opposite Val Kilmer, and was also seen in "Charlie Wilson's War" which had Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts. He last worked with British acting icon Helen Mirren on "The Hundred-Foot Journey".
His biography - "Om Puri: Unlikely Hero" (2009), was authored by his estranged wife Nandita Puri.
The book stirred a major controversy with Puri expressing displeasure over some of the references made in it from his personal life. The book to also led to his split with Nandita.
Apart from Hindi cinema, Puri also acted in films of various Indian languages, including Malayalam.
"Om Puri was one of the versatile actors that India had since 1970s, in the backdrop of the so-called New Wave cinema. In Kerala, he has a large fan following, not just because he had acted in a few Malayalam films but on account of his outstanding contributions to the Indian cinema as a whole," said Balagopal, a film scholar.

• India