Bollywood actor Om Prakesh Puri was known for his talent and versatility. Born on October 18, 1950, Puri has acted in nearly 300 films which include mainstream commercial films, independent films and art films in Indian, British, Hollywood and Pakistani Cinema.

Here are 5 interesting facts from the life of Om Puri:

1. Born in Ambala, Haryana, Om Puri studied movies academically. He graduated from the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune and was also an alumnus of the National School of Drama where he studied alongside Naseeruddin Shah in the class of 1973.

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2. Om Puri was considered to be one of the main actors who starred in art films such as Bhavni Bhavai (1980), Sadgati (1981), Ardh Satya (1982), Mirch Masala (1986) and Dharavi (1992) along with actors Amrish Puri, Naseeruddin Shah, Smita Patil and Shabana Azmi.

3. During his filmy career, Om Puri has acted in movies in 8 different languages: Marathi, Kannada, Punjabi, English, Malayalam, Telugu, Hindi and Urdu.

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4. In his personal life, when Om Puri and his wife Nandita divorced in 2013 and she got custody of their son Ishaan, Puri wrote a long personal letter to his son, assuring that he was not deserting Ishaan.

5. Om Puri has won several awards, including Padmashri, India’s fourth highest civilian award, 2 National Film Awards for Best Actor, Lifetime Achievement Award from International Film Festival of Prayag, Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award and Honorary Officer of the Order of the British Empire for services to The British Film Industry.

Om Puri passed away on Jan 6 due to heart attack at the age of 66 years.