Amrish Puri Biography, Age, Family, Movies, Wiki

Amrish Puri was born on June 22, 1932. One of the greatest Indian actors, he is particularly known for negative role powerhouses. Amrish Puri died in the year 2005. Puri graduated with a bachelor's degree from BM University in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh.

Amrish Puri was born into a film-industry-associated family. His father was Lala Nihal Chand Puri, and the mother, Ved Kaur. All his brothers also became actors - Chaman Puri, Madan Puri, and Harish Puri - whereas the sister had a name Chandrakanta. He was married to Urmila Divekar who gave him two children: Rajeev and Namrata.

Personal Interests

Puri loved listening to Indian classical music, traveling, and collecting hats. His favorite singers were KL Saigal and Kishore Kumar.
Acting Career and Theatre Involvement

He became an actor when his screen test flopped. He joined the Employees' State Insurance Corporation to support himself. He, however, never lost interest in acting. It was in 1961 that he met theatre artist Ibrahim Alkazi. He started performing in Satyadev Dubey's plays at Prithvi Theatre, which helped him hone his acting skills. In 1970, with "Prem Pujari," he debuted into films and soon became a name to reckon with, thanks to his distinct voice and expressions. Puri's performances in Aadhe Adhure followed by other plays made him an unstoppable force. 

International and Bollywood Success

He gained international recognition when he played the character of Mola Ram in Steven Spielberg's Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom in 1984. His characters in Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge and other films are etched into the minds of viewers. So the talkies of his dialogues often strike a chord in people's minds- "Ja Simran ja jee le apni zindagi.".

Awards and Legacy

While working in films, Amrish Puri won many awards. Some of his known awards include; Best Supporting Actor, Meri Jung  and Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Ghatak, 1997. In the present, he is one of India's best honored actors with an indelible mark in both Indian films and international productions.