The ‘Shahenshah’ of all Villains left an indelible impression in the film industry and redefined the role of ananti-hero with his notable characterization and portrayal of iconic negative characters. Director Steven Spielberg, who directed the power house actor in the Hollywood movie Indiana Jones shared a very warm equation with him and thought that he is the best villain that he has ever seen. In the upcoming episode of Zee Bollywood’s Classic Legends, Javed Akhtar will take the audience through this veteran’s incredible Bollywood journey, shedding light on some very little known facts. Commemorating his 14th death anniversary, Classic Legends Season 5 will celebrate the life of Amrish Puri on Zee Bollywood on Saturday 12th January at 8pm.
Before entering Bollywood, Amrish Puri took up a job of a salesman in a matchbox factory. He soon started voicing characters in plays for the AIR (All India Radio) and briefly hosted the popular show Hawa Mahal. He started his acting career at Prithvi Theatre which led to television ads and eventually films. He followed in the footsteps of his elder brothers Madan Puri and Chaman Puri, who had made a mark for themselves in Bollywood. With over 400 films credited to his name, Amrish Puri attracted a great deal of attention for his striking bass voice, captivating eyes and sharp features thus making him stand out among the other villains in the industry. His portrayal of the character Mogambo in the 1987 hit film Mr. India got him immense popularity and the dialogue ‘Mogambo khush hua’ till date remains one of his most famous dialogues. He was not only seen in Hindi films but also Kannada, Marathi, Hollywood, Punjabi, Malayalam, Telugu and Tamil. Puri reigned supreme in villainous roles during the 1980s and 1990s. In those decades, there was hardly any Bollywood film that did not feature Puri as a villain. The western audience best remembered him as Khan in Richard Attenborough’s Gandhi and Mola Ram in Steven Spielberg’s Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. Amrish Puri.
Reminiscing about the old times Javed Akthar said,“AmrishPuri will be remembered as a great actor. But people like me, who have known him personally, will remember him as a great actor and a great human being. Amrish Puri was a mix of both. Noted filmmaker Steven Spielberg had once mentioned that he had seen many films in his lifetime, but he has never seen such a good villain.”
Although he was known for his villainous roles, the actor also did some notable positive roles in blockbuster movieslike Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, Phool Aur Kaante, Gardish, Pardes, Virasat, Ghatak and China Gate.
Celebrate the life of AmrishPuri with the upcoming episode of Classic Legends Season 5 on Saturday 12th January on Zee Bollywood at 8pm.
