akshay shah

A passionately written piece on one of my favorite all time heros of Indian cinema!!! I’ve been meaning to do a piece on Puri sir for a long time…hopefully will get to it before the year ends:-)!

PFC

By: Shailesh Limbachiya
Was one sentence in the post of George Thomas on Dhaal “It is with Pilot Baba that this film strikes gold” made me desperate to think and write about Amrish Puri.

Very few actors have that capability that when they come on screen, then concentration of audience immediately shift to them. You forget the opposite actor; your eyes ignore other actors and just concentrate on that particular actor. Amrish Puri was such an actor.

I have grown up watching Amrish Puri’s films, seeing him as bad guy and then turning to loving father and grand father. Whenever I used to surf channels, and if I come to see Amrish Puri, I just can not escape that scene. He is one of the my all time favourite actors of hindi cinema.

If 60s was the era of Pran, 70s was Amzad Khan then 80s and 90s was dominated by one and only Amrish Puri.

He started his filmy career in his 40s and till death he worked and till date he is known as one of the best villains and character artists hindi films have.

He played sophisticated villains like J.K. Verma in Shakti, Balwant Rai in Ghayal, Nageshwar in Phool Aur Kaante and over the top very dramatic villains like Mogambo (Mr. India), Dong (Tehelka), Chuniya (Saudagar), Paasha (Hero), Tau (Divya Shakti) etc.

Give him any damn role irrespective of length; he turned it into the golden performance. In Jaani Dushman his performance in a small role made movie more horrible (it was a horror movie so horrible) than any other actor.

If you cast Amrish Puri as villain, then the opposite actor should be capable enough to perform as well as Amrish Puri. You should have Amitabh Bachchan, Dilip Kumar or any actor having same powerful performance as Amrishji.

Oh… if you think he could not do comedy… than just watch Chachi 420 and China Gate. you have to change your opinion. I loved Thakur Durjan Singh more than Karan and Arjun when he shakes his head in the song ”Mujko raanaji maaf karma”. Dong was more lovable and comic than any other actor in Tehelka.

If you think he has done only over the top highly dramatic roles then watch Shyam Benegal’s movies like Zubeidaa, Bhumika, Manthan or just see amrish puri in a small role as Khan in Gandhi. Amrish Puri was as intense as Om Puri in Ardh Satya. Can you imagine any other actor in role of Sunny Deol’s father in Ghatak? I could not resist my emotions while watching his acting in scenes of hospital and when Danny made him act like dog. In DDLJ, amrishji’s intensity of anger was such that i felt that “kahi amrishji ki aankhen bahaar na nikal aaye!”.

Just think… whom do you think to play J.K. Verma’s role in Shakti in front of the power houses Dilip Kumar and Amitabh Bachchan…. Only few names come in my mind Pran, Amjad Khan, Danny and Amrish Puri. But Amrish Puri must be stand first in options. You just miss his absence in Nigaahein (the sequal of Nagina in which he palyed role of madari Bhairon naath). He was one of the main reasons to watch Nagina and his absence was one of the main reason not to watch Nigahein.

You just can not ignore Amrishji’s performance in Muskuraahat (1992) or Viraasat (1997) or Ghatak (1996) or Gardish (1993) as character artist. He played arrogant but lovable father in all above mentioned films. You have to love that character. The main reason was the appropriate performance given by Amrishji by honesty.

Agreed…that he has done so many faltoo stereo typed roles. In most of the roles he played roles of thakur, chaudhary or Zameendaar- harassing poor hero and villagers e.g Aaj ka Arjun, Hum Paanch, and lots many 80s movies. But it is also fact that he was best in those roles. Can’t forget Hatimtai or Alibaba Marjinaa. Amrish Puri was only remembered and worth to watch in those films. He simply beat others in those films.

He also tried various get ups in various roles like Mogambo, Chuniya, Chadhdha. Anyone who is watching the hindi films, at any time he can recognise Baal Jatkaooing style of Chadhdha in Damini, unforgettable dialogues like “mogembo Khush Huaa” in Mr. India, “Dong kabhi wrong nahi hota” in Tehelka “Is shehar me sabhi goondo ka ek hi baap hai.. naageshwar”, long teeth of Chuniya in Saudaagar, long chootiya of paasha in Hero, the parda faad laugh of Ajgar jurrat and bhujang in vishwatama and tridev.

I personally feel that if Amrish Puri was there for the role of Dr. Dang in Karma, the character might had been more interesting. If Amitabh Bachchan was not there for the role of Narayan Shankar in Mohabattein, then Amrishji would be the second best choice for that role. If Amrishji was there for the role of Koka in Trimurti, then the film might have got new dimensions.

So here I am listing some of the memorable performances by Amrish Puri

• Mogambo – Mr. India
• Madari Bhairo Nath – Nagina
• Bhujang- Tridev
• Ajgar Jurrat- Vishwatma
• Om Puri’s father- Ardh Satya
• Hanumant Singh-Batwaara
• Inspector Ratan Singh- Dayavaan
• Mahaprabhu- Jaadugar
• Balwant Rai- Ghayal
• Chuniya – Saudagar
• Dong- Tehelka
• Jusice Verma- Mukuraahat
• Thakur- Viraasat
• Mahesvar- Suraj kaa satvaan Ghoda
• Tau- Divya shakti
• Indrajit Chadhdha- Damini
• IGP- Drohkaal
• Thakur Durjan Singh- Kran Arjun
• Baldev Singh- DDLJ
• Mirza Khan- Kaala Pani
• Shambhu Nath- Ghatak
• Pilot Baba- Dhaal
• Pintoo- Doli Sajaa ke Rakhna
• Col. Puri- China Gate
• Jusitce Bhardwaj- Chachi 420
• Abhyankar- Jhooth Bole Kauwa Kaate
• Suleman Sheth- Zubeida
• Chief Minister- Nayak- The real hero
• Zameendar- Hum Paanch
• Raaka- Qurbaani
• Vinayak Kale- Bhumika
• Zamindaar- Nihssnat
• Manthan
• Rehmat Khan- Reshma Aur Shera
• Tamas
• Paasa- Hero
• Khan- Gaandhi
• Thakral- Meri Jung

If I have to make Pirates of Caribbean, Amrish puri would be my first choice for the role of Barbossa. May be today’s villains are more closed to reality, but as far as effect of Amrish Prui on the screen and audience is concerned, till date he is unbeatable. I don’t know about others, but i am missing him in hindi films. I am feeling absence of larger than life villain and arrogant but lovable father or grand father like him in hindi films.