Indo-Asian News Service

Mumbai, Aug 11:  Actor Om Puri, who is 'not very happy with the films' coming his way, criticises the current trend of casting big stars as villains and comedians, leaving little room for artistes like him.

'I think the star system needs to be broken and so too the filmmakers' mindset. If it's the 'Mahabharat', it's got to be Amitabh Bachchan as Bhishma Pitamah, Shah Rukh Khan as Karan, Aamir Khan as Arjun and Salman Khan as Ashwathama. If I'm lucky and if Saif Ali Khan refuses, I get to play the sutradhar (narrator),' he said.

'A character-actor with my experience should be able to do six to seven films comfortably per year without going into multiple shifts per day. But I'm dismayed by the drop in quality work in my career,' Om told IANS.

'So far I haven't allowed myself to get bitter about it. But now it's getting a little frustrating,' he added.

'The good character-roles are being played by saleable stars. The process of taking over the character slots started earlier. The leading men wanted to do the villain's and then the comedian's role. Now they want to play even those roles with four-five scenes that used to come to people like Naseer (Naseeruddin Shah) and me.

'I've begun to doubt my own capabilities. Maybe I've been over-estimating myself as an actor all these years. What's the point of being called a good actor when you aren't taken seriously even by those filmmakers who swore by the capabilities of Naseer and Om Puri?' asked the actor.

Om is especially hurt by the seeming betrayal of avant-garde friends like Govind Nihalani and Prakash Jha.

'I'm not against stars. 'Apaharan' has Ajay Devgan. He's a fine actor. But if Jha moves to stars, what happens to an actor like me?

'All the finest filmmakers of Hindi cinema - Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Raj Kumar Santoshi, Nihalani, Ketan Mehta, Jha - want to work with big stars. We don't get good roles! When was the last time you saw me sink my teeth into a role? How can I, when I've nothing to do?' he asked.

However, he has Farhan Akhtar's 'Don' and Mani Shankar's 'Mukhbir' to look forward to.

Om, who plays a policeman in 'Don', said, 'It's one of the few films I've signed recently. The other is 'Mukhbir' where I play a very intriguing role as Sammir Dattani's mentor. I'm no longer interested in doing a load of work just to be busy and prolific.'

'I'm not very happy with the films that are coming my way,' he admitted. 'A Mani Shankar or a Farhan Akhtar comes to me once in a while. I used to do a lot more work earlier and most of it quite happily.'

But the actor has decided to do away with inane roles in big potboilers.

'I'd rather sit at home doing nothing. When you argue that a Nihalani has to sell his film to distributors through stars, you forget 'Aakrosh' and 'Ardh Satya', which featured me. Didn't these films have to be sold to the public?

'On the other hand Nihalani's 'Dev' had the biggest stars. So, what happened to the film? A film doesn't become successful because of a star or a group of stars. It just has to touch the audiences' heart,' he said.

'I've a grouse against filmmakers like Jha and Santoshi. When they make small budget films, they come running to me or Naseer. But when they've a sizeable budget, they don't even look at us.

'I'm more hurt than angry. Where am I supposed to go? I've proved myself repeatedly as an actor. Hum achcha kaam karne ke liye kahan jaayen? (where do I go to do quality work). This industry is my home,' Om said.

The actor has decided that he will now essay only dignified roles.

'I've no regrets about doing a two-scene role in 'Rang De Basanti'. I had told Rakeysh Mehra that I've nothing much to do. He told me he needed me. And I'm glad.

'People may have reservations about the ending. But 'Rang De Basanti' is a film that knocks the lid off all definitions of art and commercial cinema. It shakes you up. Let's not make unnecessary distinctions between art and commerce,' said Om.

'Earlier an actor like me was sure I'd get work though less money in a specific kind of film. Now that era is gone. 'Apaharan', 'Family' and 'Khakee' aren't hardcore commercial films. They're off-mainstream films brought into the mainstream through the presence of big stars.

'I was lucky to have done 'Aakrosh' and 'Ardh Satya'. If they were made today, I wouldn't stand a chance,' said Om, who is all set to be on the jury of the Monte Carlo Film Festival at year-end.

'Every year there used to be at least two international projects. This year I was supposed to do a Spanish film. But I couldn't honour that commitment due to date problems. But now I've cleared the clutter of commitments.

'Earlier I was afraid to sit at home. No more. No more rubbish, even for big banners in Bollywood. I'm waiting for Bhansali to sign me. At this stage of my career I can't go to him or his colleagues for work. I never did that. I won't go to anyone. I'll wait,' said Om.

About Om Puri:

Om Puri born on October 18, 1950 is a highly regarded and renowned Indian actor. In the course of time, he is fast emerging as India’s first truly International star and the world seems to have woken up to Puri’s versatility.

He was born at Ambala, Haryana. For Om Puri (or Guddu, his childhood name) career in theatre began early in school at Sinnaur, near Patiala. His maiden venture was Zaildar by Kapoor Singh Ghuman. In college he did several plays. It was during that period that he met Harpal and Neena Tiwana at a prize distribution function. Later, he joined their theatrical group, Punjab Kala Manch, and worked with them for three years.

From Punjab Kala Manch he went to the National School of Drama (NSD), Delhi, and thereafter to the Film Institute in Pune from where he graduated in 1976. For a year and a half, he taught at a studio. Then he floated his own theatre group, Majmah.

Puri was highly acclaimed for his ground-breaking performances—as a victimized tribal in Aakrosh in 1981, which won him recognition as an actor (with no dialogue), as a police Inspector in Ardh Satya in 1983, which established his reputation firmly, and as a leader of a cell of Punjabi terrorists in Maachis where he revolts against life-long social, cultural and political persecution. He has worked with great Indian directors like Shyam Benegal, Gulzar, Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Govind Nihalani. He also had a shockingly emotional cameo in the International blockbuster and acclaimed Gandhi film by Richard Attenborough in 1982.

He has worked in hundreds of Indian films and films produced in the United Kingdom and the United States. Om Puri heads West after success of East is East. Even as applause for his role as a boorish British Pakistani in ‘East is East’ pours in from across the globe. He is already halfway through two prestigious International projects-Roger Mitchell’s Parole officers and a Czech film, The Zoo Keeper.

 He had to fight his way out of some of the most bitter and adverse circumstances in his quest for success. But he never compromised with art. He worked in many art movies with Smita Patil, Shabana Azmi and many others. He always stressed on the promotion of art in filmdom. Due to his regional sentiments, he worked in three Punjabi movies Pardesi, Long Da Lashkara and Baaghi.

In the 1990’s, Puri diversified to play different roles in mainstream Hindi cinema, where his roles are more tuned to mass audiences than film critics. Om Puri as an actor has often been the recipient of the prestigious National Award, and the popular Filmfare Awards.

In 2005, he was awarded an honorary OBE (Order of British Empire). Today, he is continuing his future as an actor and doing various roles and his latest comings are Deewane Huye Pagal, Rang De Basanti and Kyunki. From the silent, persecuted tribal in Govind Nihalani’s Aakrosh to the jailbird in Parole Officer for which, he has struggled a lot to achieve this success