Bollywood’s iconic actor Om Puri right before breathing his last in January of 2017 talked about the India-Pakistan partition in an interview which wasn’t aired until now.
The actor had wrapped up his final project ‘Lashtam Pashtam’ a mere six days prior to his death where the director of the film Manav Bhalla had the honors of conducting Puri’s last interview which remained concealed from public until now.
The interview sheds great detail about the avatar of a Pakistani taxi driver being donned by Puri who facilitates an Indian youngster.
Highlighting the sacrifices during the 1947 partition from both sides, the Indian actor treaded ahead discussing his character in the film saying: "My character itself is giving out a message. Manav has written it in such a way that tells people that hatred should end as it has no specific reason and we are fighting forcefully. We are all humans and we have stayed together for years.
Mughal rulers stayed here for almost 600 years. Before independence, we all stayed together, we have learned from all the etiquettes (tehzeeb). Yes, there have been some issues but there is a dialogue in the film that issues happen at home also, among Hindu brothers also and also among relatives."
The East is East actor went on to say: "When the partition happened, brothers thought that let one brother stay this side and other on the other side and this won’t change much as they can come anytime on each other's side. But they never thought the situation would become so bad. So this partition was the partition of relationships, emotions, and feelings and it’s a really painful thing.”
Concluding the discourse with Manav, Puri stated: “People have to reminded of this again and again — that we must live and let live as we have sacrificed a lot during the partition."