Amrish Puri (22 June 1932 – 12 January 2005) was a leading theater and film actor from India, who was a
key player in the Indian theater movement that picked up steam in the 1960s. He worked with notable playwrights
of the time, such as Satyadev Dubey and Girish Karnad. However, he is primarily remembered for essaying iconic
negative roles in Hindi cinema as well as other Indian and international film industries. To Indian audiences he
is most remembered for his role as Mogambo in Shekhar Kapur's Hindi film Mr. India (1987), and to Western audiences
he is best known as Mola Ram in Steven Spielberg's Hollywood film Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984).
Early life and background
Amrish Singh Puri was born in Nawanshahr (former Tehsil of District Jalandhar),
Punjab to Sardar Nihal Singh Puri and Sardarni Ved Kaur as the third of five children. His siblings include elder
brothers Chaman Puri and Madan Puri (both actors) and elder sister Chandrakanta and younger Harish Puri. He later
moved to Shimla and graduated from B.M. College, Himachal Pradesh.Amrish Puri came to Mumbai in the footsteps of
his elder brothers Chaman Puri and Madan Puri (both actors), who was already an established actor known for playing
negative roles. He failed his first screen test, and found a job with the Employees State Insurance Corporation
(ESIC). At the same time, he started performing at the Prithvi Theatre, in plays written by Satyadev Dubey. He
eventually became well known as stage actor and won the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1979. This theatre
recognition soon led to work in television ads and eventually to films at the late age of 40.He went on to work
in Hindi, Kannada, Marathi, Hollywood, Punjabi, Malayalam, Telugu and Tamil films. Though he was successful in
all of these industries, he is best known for his work in Bollywood cinema. He has appeared in over four hundred
films. His dominating screen presence and baritone voice made him stand out amongst the other villains of the day.
He is best known for his role as Mogambo in the 1987 blockbuster, Mr. India and for his portrayal of Mola Ram, the
antagonist in Steven Spielberg's Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.
National Cinema
In 1971 he appeared in his first film, Prem Pujari although the first film he had signed for was Reshma Aur
Sheraaa which was released in 1971. This was followed by many villain or supporting roles in numerous art films
such as Shyam Benegal's Nishant, Manthan, and Bhumika and Suraj Ka Satvan Ghoda. He also appeared in Govind
Nihalani's film, Party in 1984.Amrish Puri grew to became a staple of Hindi films in the 1980s playing mostly
villainous roles, and attracting the most acclaim for his work in the 1987 hit film Mr. India, directed by
Shekhar Kapur. He played an egotistical international super-villain, Mogambo, who frequently refers to himself
in the third-person, expressing satisfaction at the actions of his underlings with the phrase, Mogambo khush hua
(Mogambo is pleased). Since then the Mogambo catchphrase has become one of the best recognized lines in Hindi
Cinema.He also went on to play many positive supporting roles, including his famous role as Baldev Singh,
the conservative father who eventually lets his daughter marry her love instead of being forced into an arranged
marriage, in the Bollywood blockbuster Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge (1995). Other positive roles include Group
Captain Varghese, a Malayali officer in the Indian Air Force based film Vijeta, an ailing idealistic father in
Ghatak: Lethal. He was a kind-hearted American businessman in Pardes (1997) and a genial grandfather in the films
Chori Chori Chupke Chupke and Mujhe Kuch Kehna Hai. He is also known to play a strict old man in comedy films
like Jhooth Bole Kauwa Kaate, where he played a retired cop and Muskurahat where he played a retired judge.
His last films included Kisna: The Warrior Poet and Kachchi Sadak, which were released some time after his death.
International
He is known to international audiences for his roles as Khan in Richard Attenborough's Gandhi (1982) and as
the main antagonist Mola Ram in the Steven Spielberg's Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984). He shaved
his head for the role, and it created such an impression that he kept his head shaved and became one of the most
popular villains in Hindi Cinema. Amrish and Spielberg shared a great rapport and Spielberg often said in interviews
that, "Amrish is my favorite villain- The best the world has ever produced and ever will!"
Death
He died on 12 January 2005, due to cerebral haemorrhage in Mumbai, Maharashtra, aged 72.
Awards
Wins
- 1968: Maharashtra State Drama Competition
- 1979: Sangeet Natak Akademi Awardfor Theatre
- 1986: Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award,Meri Jung
- 1991: Maharashtra State Gaurav Puraskar
- 1994: Sydney Film Festival, Best Actor Award –Suraj Ka Satvan Ghoda
- 1994: Singapore International Film Festival, Best Actor Award – Suraj Ka Satvan Ghoda
- 1997: Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award - Ghatak
- 1997: Star Screen Award for Best Supporting Actor –Ghatak
- 1998: Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award]- Virasat
- 1998: Star Screen Award for Best Supporting Actor -Virasat
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