The late veteran actor Om Puri had a troubled relationship with his fellow countrymen for some remarks he had made during the political flare up between India and Pakistan last year. He was titled traitor and subjected to ridicule and hostility in his last days before an unexpected heart attack claimed his life.
The late veteran actor Om Puri had a troubled relationship with his fellow countrymen for some remarks he had made during the political flare up between India and Pakistan last year. He was titled traitor and subjected to ridicule and hostility in his last days before an unexpected heart attack claimed his life.
This is perhaps why Puri was not acknowledged by any Bollywood award shows after his death even though the 89th Academy Awards ceremony made sure to pay a musical tribute to the late actor in the “In Memoriam” segment. He was included in the annual montage along with Carrie Fisher, Prince, Gene Wilder, Michael Cimino, Patty Duke, Garry Marshall, Anton Yelchin, Mary Tyler Moore, Curtis Hanson and John Hurt. The Grammy and Tony-nominated singer and songwriter Sara Bareilles delivered an emotional performance remembering all the actors and their contributions to cinema.
One Bollywood actor also noticed Bollywood’s blunder and made sure to point it out on social media: “The Academy Oscars paid homage to late Om Puri, but in Bollywood award functions nobody converse single word for his contribution… SHAME” wrote Nawazuddin Siddiqui. Nawazuddin and Om Puri had briefly shared screen space in Salman Khan’s Bajrangi Bhaijaan and the two actors were going to make an appearance together in Nandita Das’s Manto.
