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The late Amrish Puri had been Bollywood's favourite go-to guy when it comes to having someone play a baddie. Be it Mr India's Mogambo or Nagina's Bhairav or Nayak: The Real Hero's Bhairav Chauhan and many more such memorable antagonist roles, Amrish Puri, with his intimidating presence, piercing eyes and deep baritone, left an indelible impression with every character of his. So much that even regional cinema came calling when they need a larger-than-life baddie. Case in point, Mani Ratnam's Thalapathi or Priyadarshan's Kala Pani. Not to mention, also Hollywood with Steven Spielberg's Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom. Amrish Puri Birth Anniversary: Netizens Remember the Iconic Villain of Hindi Cinema With Heartfelt Messages!
But it is not just the negative roles where Amrish Puri left a mark. In this special feature, we look at seven favourite characters of the legendary actor where he wasn't being a bad guy (though some of the characters had him troubling the hero without being menacing...).
Purushottam Sathe in Gardish
Priyadarshan remade the Malayalam classic Kireedam with Jackie Shroff stepping into Mohanlal's shoes, and Amrish Puri played his father. It is an emotional story of the fractured relationship between a police constable and his son, after the latter gets reluctantly sucked into the world of crime. The beautiful song "Hum Na Samjhe The" belongs to this underrated film.
Chaudhry Baldev Singh in Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge
Of course, how can 'Bauji' not feature in this list? Sure, he was a thorn in Raj and Simran's relationship, and was a narrow-minded disciplinarian. Just like most Indian fathers. But how can we not love him when he keeps feeding pigeons every morning, sing "O Meri Zohra Jabeen" lovingly to his wife and finally telling his daughter to go live her life? Amrish Puri Birthday Special: 7 Iconic Roles of this Veteran Actor that are Immortalize in our Minds and Hearts Forever.
Shambu Nath in Ghatak
Shambu Nath in this Rajkumar Santoshi action entertainer is one of those cracky old relatives in your family, who keep pestering you with one question after another. But he has a golden heart, who has been a good father to both his sons. Puri won Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award for his performance in this movie.
Durgaprasad Bhardwaj in Chachi 420
Technically, Durgaprasad Bhardwaj is the villain of story, after all he was trying to drive a wedge in the marriage of his daughter and his son-in-law enough to get them separated. But it is the transformation that earns him a spot in this list, triggered by his love for the titular 'Chachi' (who, in reality, was his son-in-law disguised as their family help). It was definitely one of the actor's funnier roles. Amrish Puri Birth Anniversary: 5 Interesting Facts About The Legendary Actor That Will Baffle You.
Raja Thakur in Virasat
The remake of Tamil classic Thevar Magan has Amrish Puri essay the role that the late Sivaji Ganesan played in the original. He plays the respected head of a village, who puts the priority of the village above his own. Virasat, also starring Anil Kapoor and Tabu, was a hit at the box office, and earned Puri a Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award.
Jojo Pinto in Doli Saja Ke Rakhna
Puri has been a favourite for many directors, including Priyadarshan who has cast the actor in many of his Hindi films. In this remake of the Malayalam film Aniyathi Pravu, starring Akshaye Khanna and Jyothika (in her acting debut), Puri played a kind-hearted fisherman who helps the lead star-crossed lovers with refuge when they elope from their families. Interestingly, the actor who essayed the role in the original - Innocent - was part of the remake too, playing the hero's crazy landlord.
Colonel Puri in China Gate
Rajkumar Santoshi gave the actor some very great characters, be it negative (Damini) or positive (Ghatak). In China Gate, he made Puri into one of the action heroes, though through most of the runtime, he was quite cantankerous, irritating nearly every character in the film, to nicely redeeming himself in the third act.
Balram Singh in Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai
This Satish Kaushik film was Tusshar Kapoor's launchpad, and Kareena Kapoor's second film (and her first hit). Amrish Puri plays Tusshar's fun-loving grandfather, who supports him in his pursuit of his dream love, but offers all sorts of wrong advice.
Angaar Chand in Hulchul
The Hindi remake of the Malayalam entertainer Godfather has Puri play the strict father of his four single sons. The cold enmity that he has with another family never allows him to see that damage he is doing to his kids by not allowing them to marry. That is, until the ending, where he accepts his mistake and welcomes the idea of having daughters-in-law in his family whole-heartedly.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 22, 2021 04:18 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
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