Interview: Om Puri
By: Simran Mody, India Correspondent
It took five years for Om Puri’s latest film, The Hangman, to finally be released, which probably makes one of India’s most versatile actors happy that he is in front of the camera instead of behind it. After all, as an actor, he just has to be in character for a given film, then move on to the next one.
As an actor, there is no wasting time worrying about issues like release dates, funding, film critics or any other matter thrown toward the production.
To his credit, Puri, who has crossed over and starred in many major Hollywood productions – including a recent appearance in Charlie Wilson’s War – did acknowledge directing can be a very powerful tool, if used properly. Unfortunately, he feels no one is properly using film direction in a manner, therefore preventing productions from realizing their true value.
Accordingly, Puri has ruled out the possibility of taking the helm behind the camera. Instead, he prefers stage direction.
“It is very sad that such a powerful medium, which can help us to grow better, is being wasted,” he said in a recent talk with reporters here in India, adding Bollywood is focused more on churning out a high volume of movies at the expense of qualitative film-making. “I can direct plays, but not films.”
A winner of the Filmfare 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award, Puri, 59, seems content with being the face of a given production and has indeed closed the door on directing film, adding cinema direction just is not what it used to be.
In his chat with reporters, Puri explained how some of the best cinema to come out of India were Malayalam films of the 1970s and 1980s, where he observed movies were more literary and leading directors, such Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Shaji N. Karun and Late Aravindan, operated with what he thought were higher standards than that of today’s filmmakers.
Still, Puri is lending himself to display his talents in front of the camera, recently wrapping up West is West, which is the sequel to East is East, as well as the just-released NRI production of The Hangman and Road to Sangam.
Besides, Puri probably does not want to worry about wasting his time directing right about now anyway, since he is reportedly splitting up with his second wife, Nandita.
“Nandita and I are separating. As reported, I had approached a lawyer to get the proceedings going,” Puri told reporters earlier this week. “Our differences have been building up for eight or nine years.”
Puri added he wants to reunite with his first wife, Seema, while trying to maintain a steady acting career.
“I want to spend my old age with Seemaji,” he frankly said. “I’ve done her wrong in the past. I need to make amends.”
In addition to questioning the qualitative state of Indian film directing and going through the motions of separating from his second wife, Puri also told reporters he is struggling with his acting career, despite his otherwise solid resume that included films like City of Joy and Chan Pardesi.
“Personally, I’ve been going through a painful period — career-wise too,” he humbly told reporters. “I’m not happy with the roles coming my way. If this continues, I’ll leave Mumbai and live a life of anonymity in any small town.”
Whether he ultimately does head into anonymity remains to be seen, and odds are audiences will not see a film directed by him.
But still, no one can argue with a career that resulted in a Padma Shri, two Best Actor nods and an Officer of the Order of the British Empire designation.
