Why Amrish Puri refused to audition for Steven Spielberg's Indiana Jones?

On Amrish Puri's birth anniversary, fans are recalling the time  he refused to audition for Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.

The star, who played antagonist Mola Ram in the movie, detailed in his autobiography The Act of Life that initially he said no to audition for director Steven Spielberg and asked the makers to come and see him perform live on set.

To his surprise, Spielberg joined him on the sets of Amrish's ongoing movie and cast the actor instantly.

Amrish later described Spielberg as 'very boyish, an unassuming kind of person', as reported by Hindustan Times.

The actor also praised the crew saying, “None of them had any ego, problems or reservations about my being an Indian. Unlike many of our actors in Indian films, there was expertise at all levels, and you couldn’t just do anything and get away with it.”

Spielberg, as well, described Amrish Puri as his "favorite villain, the best the world has ever produced and ever will."