A biopic on late actor Om Puri is in the works, says his estranged wife Nandita Puri. Nandita, who penned the critically acclaimed actor’s biography titled “Unlikely Hero: The Story of Om Puri”, told :
“I am adapting the book and making a biopic on Omji. I am taking part of the book and I am putting it as he wanted, as an inspirational story.”
Difficult to cast :
- She said she is yet to cast an actor who can essay Om Puri as “it is difficult to do so”.
- “We are just at the developing stage of the screenplay.
- The script is the most important thing for a film,” said Nandita, a journalist herself.
Also read:Raai Laxmi Starrer Julie 2 Teaser Crosses 4 Million Hits! - Om Puri’s biography was released in 2009, and the actor was upset with his wife for highlighting some of his most private sexual incidents.
- Things started becoming sour between them from thereon.
- The biopic, Nandita says, will have “a few parts from the book and will mostly be throwing light on his struggle, the way Omji wanted”.
Survived in FTII :
- “As a journalist, I had gone to interview him.
- He said, Why don’t you put my life story.
- Furthermore, he came from a very humble background. He worked at a tea stall at the age of six to put food for the family on the table.
- His journey involved facing very difficult circumstances… From literally starving at FTII (Film and Television Institute of India)…
- If it hadn’t been for Girish Karnad who gave him a film and he got Rs 3000
- and managed to get through two years of FTII on that.
- “Even veteran filmmaker Shyam Benegal had told me that when Omji was working in Mumbai,
- he was so poor and thin, he was down with jaundice and they used to think that he did not know whether the next meal was coming or not.
- From that, there are a hundred inspiring incidents from his childhood —
- how he overcame this, how he lived through it, how he surpassed it,” she added.
Also read:I don’t judge a man on how good he’s in bed, says Bhumi Pednekar - Om Puri, whose repertoire as an actor reflected a rare realism, died in January after a heart attack.
- His death had triggered nationwide outpouring of condolences from top leaders, fans and the film fraternity. Furthermore ,he was 66.
- Known for his deep baritone and distinctive acting style, Om Puri had an affinity towards socially relevant cinema.
- This drove him into doing movies like “Aakrosh” and “Ardh Satya” which proved to be box office hits.