Journey of the villain of Indian cinema
When effective villains in Indian cinema are discussed, Amrish Puri’s name comes first. His deep voice, charming personality and amazing acting have given him an identity that is still alive today. The journey of Amrish Puri, born on June 22, 1932, was not easy. He had to struggle for many years to achieve success. After completing his studies in Shimla, he got a government job in the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation. Although this job was stable, his mind was always towards acting. Despite there already being a film environment in the family, he did not get any special benefits. His elder brother was in the film industry, yet Amrish had to move forward on his own. This was the reason why he ventured into acting along with his job.
Got recognition on stage
Amrish Puri started his acting career with an amateur drama troupe. While performing at Prithvi Theatre, he honed his acting skills. At that time he remained continuously active in theater and gradually gained respect in the theater world. However, initially he got small and anonymous roles in films. Many times, despite hard work, he did not even get proper remuneration.
Got recognition from parallel cinema
He got small roles in a few films in the 1970s, but the real change came when director Shyam Benegal recognized his talent. Films like ‘Nishant’, ‘Manthan’, ‘Bhumika’ and ‘Kalyug’ established him as a serious actor. After this, his acting in Govind Nihalani’s films was also appreciated. Gradually, his identity in the film industry started becoming stronger.
From villain to ideal father
Amrish Puri reached new heights as a villain in the 1980s. Characters like Pasha in the film ‘Hero’, Jaguar in ‘Vidhaata’ and Veer Pratap Singh in ‘Hum Paanch’ became very popular among the audience. Then came the character that made him immortal – Mogambo of ‘Mr. India’. This character is still counted among the most iconic villains of Hindi cinema. His dialogue delivery and screen presence made this role historic. Amrish Puri’s talent was not limited to India only. His small role in the film ‘Gandhi’ caught the attention of famous director Steven Spielberg. After this he got the role of Mola Ram in ‘Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom’. He shaved his head for this role, and this look later became his identity. This film brought him international fame.
Amrish Puri’s legacy
In the 1990s, Amrish Puri changed his image and started playing positive characters. His performance as Baldev Singh in ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’ touched the hearts of the audience. The ‘Ja Simran Ja Jee Le Apni Zindagi’ scene is still one of the most memorable moments of Hindi cinema. After this he played strong father roles in films like ‘Pardes’, ‘Virasat’ and many others.
Amrish Puri worked in more than 450 films in his career. Apart from Hindi, he also made his mark in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Marathi films. He died on 12 January 2005 due to blood cancer, but his characters are still alive in the hearts of the audience. Characters like Mogambo, Pasha, Mola Ram and Baldev Singh will also be remembered by the coming generations.
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