MAINE RAMA SHETTY KO MAAR DIYA (I have killed Rama Shetty). The Award winning movie ARDHYA SATYA (Half Truth) ends with this monologue by an actor who is instantly thrown into limelight by his role of an honest cop played in this movie.
The actor was Om Puri, who has never looked back since this epic movie from 1984 until he passed away last night (incidentally the role of Rama Shetty, a gangster, was played by another eminent Marathi actor Sadashiv Amrapurkar, whose monologue KAAL ANA or come tomorrow to arrest me in that movie also catapulted him into limelight. He passed away not long ago).
After ARDHYA SATYA offers poured in for the Punjabi actor, who since acted in multiple commercial as well as art (non conformist) movies, displaying his immense acting talent. Easily recognizable by his thick, characterstic husky voice and poke marked face, he played all possible roles on screen - good guy, bad guy, good cop, bad cop, comedian and crook to perfection.
A champion of free speech, he didn't hesitate to express his opinion, daring to go against the tide by airing his objection to the war mongering Indians and banning of Pakistani artists on TV. It wasn't an easy thing to do at a time, especially in a surcharged atmosphere, when questioning of government's motive was tantamount to treachery.
Once the cheeky politician from the state of Bihar, Laloo Yadav promised to make the roads of Bihar as smooth as the cheek of actress Hema Malini. But down the road, the roads of Bihar still resembles the small pox pore filled chicks of the actor Om Puri than the cheek of the dream girl of yesteryears.
His trademark poke marked face instantly earned a witty response, which along with his heavy, husky, resounding voice will forever be etched in the memories of tens of millions in a nation where Bollywood is a major religion, along the Cricket. RIP Om Puri.
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