✕ CLOSE Online Special City News Entrepreneurship Environment Factcheck Everything Woman Home Front Islamic Forum Life Xtra Property Travel & Leisure Viewpoint Vox Pop Women In Business Art and Ideas Bookshelf Labour Law Letters
Click Here To Listen To Trust Radio Live

Bollywood Actor Om Puri, Star of ‘East is East’, Dies at 66

A veteran of Indian cinema, Puri worked on a number of films in the U.S. and especially the U.K. 

Om Puri, the prolific Bollywood actor who also starred in several British and Hollywood films, has died. He was 66.

SPONSOR AD

Indian media reported Puri’s close friend, filmmaker Ashok Pandit, confirming the actor had died from a heart attack. Pandit later took to Twitter to pass on his condolences. 

Over a career that stretched almost half a century, Puri starred in over 100 films. His craggy features and penchant for taking unusual roles made Puri a critics’ favorite, and he gave award-winning performances in the films Aakrosh (1980) and Arohan (1982). In recent years he had roles in more mainstream Bollywood films like Singh Is Kinng (2008) and Don 2 (2011).

As well as working in Bollywood and several of the regional Indian film industries, Puri starred in many British films later in his career, most notably 1997’s My Son the Fanatic, the hit comedy East is East (1999) and the Steve Coogan comedy The Parole Officer (2001). Puri also had a cameo in the Oscar-winning film Gandhi and worked on television shows Jewel in the Crown and The Canterbury Tales. Though not a citizen, Puri was awarded an honorary OBE in 2004 for his services to British film.

Puri also appeared in a number of Hollywood films including City of Joy (1992), Wolf (1994), The Ghost and the Darkness (1996) and notably played Pakistani General Zia-ul-Haq in the 2007 Tom Hanks film Charlie Wilson’s War. In 2014, he appeared alongside Helen Mirren in the comedy The Hundred-Foot Journey. 

Born in the northern Indian state of Haryana to a Punjabi family in 1950, Puri would later attend the Film and Television Institute of India as well as National School of Drama, where he was a classmate of actor Naseeruddin Shah. In addition to the honorary OBE, Puri was awarded the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award of India.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

Sponsored

Discover the latest trends on Temu! Shop mobile phones, fashion, beauty, home essentials & more. Start exploring now!


Click here to learn how it works.

Sponsored

Unlock AI's potential! Get top prompts for content, blogs, social media, research, draft proposals and more. Boost creativity start using AI tools today!


Click here to learn how it works.

Sponsored

Start Affiliate Marketing Today! Learn step-by-step how to set up a blog, find programs, create links, and earn money—beginner-friendly guide inside!


Click here to learn how it works.

Sponsored

Join our FREE WEBINAR! Discover the 3-step formula to turn WhatsApp into a cash-generating machine. Sign up now and start earning!"


Click here to learn how it works.

Sponsored

Master Facebook Ads! Learn to set up Business Manager, run campaigns, optimize budgets, and drive sales. Start your journey to ad success today!"


Click here to learn how it works.

Sponsored

Unlock your confidence and attract the love you deserve! Learn how to become irresistible to women—start your transformation today!"


Click here to learn how it works.

Join Daily Trust WhatsApp Community For Quick Access To News and Happenings Around You.