Om Puri: My contribution will be visible once I leave this world

January 6, 2017

Mumbai, Jan 6: Did Om Puri have a premonition about his death when he spoke about it just a fortnight ago? In retrospect, it would seem so, because he talked about 'leaving the world' and that his legacy would be 'visible' once he departed.

OmPuriHis comments on leaving the world have become a reality too soon. In one of his last interviews, which took place at a hotel on December 23, 2016, Om Puri said: "My contribution as an actor will be visible once I leave this world and the young generation, especially film students will watch my films."

The 66 year-old actor died of a heart attack at his residence early morning on Friday. Today, as he leaves a void in the world of cinema with his untimely demise, the film fraternity is looking back at his vast contribution to showbiz. Theater, television, Indian and British films, Hollywood and Pakistani cinema -- he did it all and left a lasting impression. His legacy, celebrities said, will live on.

A lover of alternate cinema with socially relevant themes at its core, Om Puri said: "For me, the real hard-hitting cinema was between 1980s and 1990s where Shyam Benegal, Govind Nihalani, Basu Chatterjee, Mrinal Sen and Gulzar made some remarkable films."

He worked in multiple projects with Nihalani and Benegal -- films like 'Aakrosh', 'Ardh Satya' and 'Tamas' which catapulted him into the realm of great actors. Both the directors were overcome by emotions when contacted them after news of Om Puri's death broke. In shaky voices, both said it was too early to talk.

Just days earlier, he was happily interacting with young scribes to promote his upcoming political satire 'Rambhajan Zindabad'. Casually dressed in a pair of baggy jeans and a black shirt, he was, as was his style, devoid of any airs about his stardom -- a position not defined by fanatical, frenzied fans, but by the sheer following of his nuanced performances and undying passion for art.

He was -- as the biography by his former wife Nandita Puri -- rightly says, an 'Unlikely Hero". The veteran actor, a recipient of Padma Shri, started his journey as an actor with a Marathi film 'Ghashiram Kotwal' in 1972. If he featured in some intense dramas, he also balanced out his filmography with movies like 'Mirch Masala', 'Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro', 'Chachi 420', 'Hera Pheri', 'Malamaal Weekly' and more.

"There are two kinds of cinema -- one is just for entertainment, the other touches your heart. Both have their own purpose," Om Puri said. When he was chairman of the National Film Development Corporation, Om Puri was focused on encouraging meaningful films. The National School of Drama alumnus was also president of Cine and TV Artistes Association.

More recently, he featured in Bollywood films like 'Ghayal Once Again' and 'Mirzya', as well as in Pakistani film 'Actor In Law'. He even used his distinct baritone for the voice of black panther Bagheera in the Hindi dubbed version of Hollywood film 'The Jungle Book'.

Age did not slow him down. He was busy dabbling in multiple projects like 'Viceroy's House', 'Tubelight' and 'Manto'. The two-time National Film Award winner was bestowed the Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian award, in 1990.

His international career took off as early as 1982 when he featured in a small role in Oscar-winning film 'Gandhi'. It also set the stage for him to explore more on foreign shores -- his British films were 'My Son the Fanatic', 'East Is East' and 'The Parole Officer', and his Hollywood movies included 'City of Joy', 'Wolf', 'The Ghost and the Darkness' and 'The Hundred-Foot Journey'.

In 2004, he was made an honorary officer of the Order of the British Empire for services to the British film industry. While he had a glorious journey in the film world, his personal life went through turbulence. In 2013, his wife had filed a case against him, alleging domestic violence. They separated, leaving him with only visitation rights to their son, Ishaan.

He was frank and blunt about his views -- and just last year, he faced the brunt of it when a police complaint was filed against him for his comments that were found to be insulting to Indian soldiers. In 2015, he spoke on the issue of cow slaughter in India. In 2012, he had landed in a bit of a soup after he called Naxals 'fighters not terrorists'.

But Om Puri remained fearless till the end -- in his works and his words.

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News Network
June 16,2020

Mumbai, Jun 16: The International Space University (ISU) in France has paid homage to Sushant Singh Rajput in a statement, saying the news of the actor's death was "deeply saddening".

Rajput was found dead in his Bandra apartment on Sunday.

According to an official, Mumbai Police found out during the probe that the 34-year-old actor was under medication for depression.

The official Twitter handle of ISU on Monday tweeted how Rajput was supposed to visit the campus last year but was unable to due to scheduling conflict.

"We are deeply saddened by the dramatic news on the death of well known Indian actor Sushant Singh Rajput. Mr Singh Rajput was a believer and strong supporter of STEM education and was following ISU on social media.

"He had even accepted an invitation to visit ISU's Central Campus in the summer of 2019 but other agenda priorities prevented him from travelling to Strasbourg," the statement by the university read.

ISU paid condolences to Rajput's family and friends, saying the actor's memory will "remain among his thousands of followers across India and all over the world".

Rajput had enrolled at Delhi Technical University (DTU) in 2003, which was then known as Delhi College of Engineering, but left the course to pursue his showbiz dreams.

Even after leaving the four-year degree course, he remained fascinated with science and had a deep interest in astronomy.

As part of his research for the film "Chanda Mama Door Ke", he also visited the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in 2017.

Rajput had stayed in NASA to train for his role as an astronaut for the film, which was eventually shelved.

The actor also owned Meade 14" LX600 telescope.

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News Network
June 4,2020

Mumbai, Jun 4: Casting director Krish Kapur, who had worked on films like Mahesh Bhatt's Jalebi and Kriti Kharbanda-starrer Veere Ki Wedding, passed away at the age of 28 due to brain hemorrhage, his family said.

There was speculation that Kapur died in a road accident but his maternal uncle, Sunil Bhalla, dismissed the reports, saying that the casting director fainted at his home in suburban Mira Road here and suffered brain hemorrhage.

According to Bhalla, Kapur breathed his last on May 31.

"He had no medical history. He was healthy and doing absolutely fine. On May 31, he just collapsed and started to bleed. He died of brain hemorrhage," Bhalla said on Wednesday.

Kapur is survived by his mother, wife and seven-year-old child.

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News Network
April 6,2020

New Delhi, Apr 6:  In an attempt to pump up Indians with positivity amid the testing times of coronavirus, Bollywood's most prominent actors like Akshay Kumar, Kartik Aaryan, Tiger Shroff, Taapsee Pannu, Kiara Advani, joined hands and launched a hope anthem - 'Muskurayega India.'

The song is set on the optimistic theme that sends out the message that the country will smile again if the country supports each other in the current crisis situation.

An initiative of Akshay Kumar's Cape of Good Films, the video of the song features all the lead actors of the industry including Ayushmann Khurrana, Bhumi Pednekar, Sidharth Malhotra, Vicky Kaushal, Raj Kumar Rao, Ananya Panday, Kriti Sanon, Jacky Bhagnani, and Rakul Preet.
Curated by Jackky Bhagnani's music label JJust Music and composed and sung by the talented Vishal Mishra, 'Muskurayega India' is a symbol of India's spirit of solidarity, battling against the coronavirus pandemic.

The soulful song penned by Kaushal Kishore also features cricketer Shikhar Dhawan and famous Mumbai based Radio Jockey Malishka.
The video of the song starts with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's televised address in which he is seen assuring the country that every Indian will come out victorious from the coronavirus crisis.

The video then features all the prominent faces of the cinema industry giving out the message of hope from their balconies, terrace and other spots of their houses.

The song urges people to stay home and support the people who are working to combat the virus, like police officials, and medical practitioners on duty amid the lockdown.

A locked-down view of some of the most prominent spots in the country like the India Gate, Hawa Mahal, and Mumbai's beaches are also featured in the video.

The song also spreads the message of social distancing and washing of hands to keep the infection away.

The video ends with a rhythm of the national anthem with the celebrities standing still to honour it and finally fades away with the Indian national flag.

As the country battles the novel coronavirus, the song is an attempt to uplift the spirit of togetherness of every Indian during the unprecedented crisis.

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