New Delhi: Late actor Om Puri was one of the versatile actors of the Indian cinema but he had his share of struggles and financial hardships. The actor’s family often dealt with extreme poverty and Om Puri had to even work as a child labourer to make his family’s ends meet. Despite the extreme challenges he faced, Puri was determined to make his life better and come out of poverty.
On Om Puri’s birth anniversary, we look at the hardships that the actor went through to support his family financially. From working at a roadside tea stall to collecting coal from railway tracks, he did everything to survive the tough days.
Om Puri’s father worked at Indian Railways and also served in the Indian Army. However, his family went through a dark phase when his father was put behind bars for alleged cement theft and his family became homeless. During this time, he worked in a local tea shop and even used to collect coal from nearby railway tracks to support his family.
At the age of seven, the late actor also used to wash dishes at a roadside food stall and later, he got a job as a clerk at a government office in Punjab where he used to earn Rs 600 per month.
Om Puri had a passion for acting since his school days. One day, he decided to quit his job as a clerk and pursued his passion by enrolling himself in the National School of Drama (NSD) in New Delhi. To hone his acting skills, he joined the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in Pune but he even experienced hardships to enter the film industry because he did not fit the stereotypical image of a Bollywood hero. Despite his rugged appearance, his talent could not be ignored for long and he got his first break in a Marathi film Ghashiram Kotwal (1976). It was his performance in Aakrosh (1980) that made him earn widespread recognition. He not only received critical acclaim for his performance as a mute tribal man but it also marked his entry into parallel cinema.
After showcasing his skills in Indian cinema, his talent caught the eyes of international filmmakers and he became one of the few Indian actors to work in western cinema.
Late actor Om Puri worked in notable films including Ardh Satya (1983, I am going to do it my friends (1983), Chilli Masala (1987), Matches (1996), 420 gauze (1997), and Gupt (1997), among others. He also worked in Hollywood movies including City of Joy (1992), East Is East (1999), The Ghost and the Darkness (1996), and Charlie Wilson’s War (2007).
