Amrish Puri: More than a villain, as powerful as the hero

On the occasion of the legendary actor’s 89th birth anniversary, we peep into some of his works where he wasn’t the villain, and yet stood as tall as the hero, and commanded the screen by just being in the frame.

Amrish Puri was called as the World’s greatest villain by one of the greatest filmmakers in the world, Steven Spielberg. The veteran actor’s illustrious career boasts off some incredible films and inimitable performances, with innumerable roles as the antagonist. The joy of watching a usual villain as an unusual good man is inexplainable and that’s precisely what Puri’s certain performances did.

On the occasion of the legendary actor’s 89th birth anniversary, we peep into some of his works where he wasn’t the villain, and yet stood as tall as the hero, and commanded the screen by just being in the frame. Here are some personal favourites: 

Ardh Satya (1983)

The actor played Om Puri’s father, a retired police officer who’s violent and beats his wife. He often has clashes with his son and in one scene when he compels him to get married, the other Puri’s volcanic eruption silences him. He does wrong things in this towering drama, and yet he’s not the villain. He’s a flawed, ordinary man who makes flawed choices. He’s a human.

Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995)

In Aditya Chopra’s directorial debut, the actor essays the role of Chaudhary Baldev Singh, a disciplinarian father and husband who adheres to protocols and Indian traditions despite residing in the UK. Does his family members respect him or are in awe and fear of this austere man? One feels it’s the latter. But Chopra stages a lovely moment of endearment where Puri smells a letter so that he can enjoy the fragrance of his motherland’s soil. And the iconic climax where he asks his daughter to live her life absolves him of being a conflict in the story of Raj and Simran. It’s very rare when Puri resolves conflicts rather than being them.

Ghatak (1996)

Sunny Deol and Amrish Puri often found themselves pitied against one another, sometimes in a courtroom and sometimes in Pakistan. In Rajkumar Santoshi’s intense drama, they mercifully stay together. Mumbai, the city of dreams, turns nightmarish for them as they encounter the ruthless Katiya (played by another intimidating performer Danny Denzongpa). Puri was submissive and gentle in ‘Ghatak’, but his words were just as blazing. As he rightly says, Katiya is not the villain of this story, his fear is. 

Virasat (1997)

Before Priyadarshan majorly moved to comedies, he gazed at stories that were brutal. This is one of them. It is the story of Puri's son Shakti (Anil Kapoor) who comes back to his village with his girlfriend. His father wants him to handle the village crisis, help the people he has grown up with, the son is keen to be a restauranteur in the city. There’s a clash of ideas and ideologies. When Puri passes away, Shakti becomes the new head. Actors who can pull off villainy and vulnerability with equal ease are rare, and Puri was one of them. 

Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai (2001)

This name in the same list as the films above can jitter people but this performance is a personal choice. Puri is thoroughly likable as debutant Tusshar Kapoor’s uncle. It’s a role that he plays mostly for comic reliefs and does succeed in raising many laughs. He’s less of a family, more of a friend. If you can make Amrish Puri your friend, it’s a classic achievement. 

Also Read: Revisiting Ardh Satya with Govind Nihalani at Khar

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