I had a great honour of being directed in an upcoming project Eklavya by Seema Kapoor, wife of Om Puri and sister of Anu Kapoor.
We shot near Raipur a few months ago. I fondly remember dining with the whole cast and crew of Eklavya during the shoot and workshops. There was delicious food for all. But Om Puriji is one of the most generous human beings I have ever known. He would get all the special yummy Biryani, Palakkisabzi, Gheewaaleparaathe and insist on us to eat without any hesitation as this is how Punjabis live life happily and stay healthy he would say it loud. And when Om Puriji insists who are we mortals to say no to the food. I seriously would be at a crossroads in a funny way. He loved to cook yummy food for us to relish.
Om Puri also loved to make us laugh. He lived life to the fullest and added vibration and laughter to the atmosphere around him. With him around, there was never a dull moment. Even Seema mam, usually a calm and collected woman of few words, would burst into endless laughter when Omji would enact for us all of his favourite moments with Seema mam. He was full of admiration for her dedication to her work.
Puriji did give me important inputs after watching my performance and blessed me before we filmed the scenes. Eklavya remains one of my favourite roles. I had the honour of acting with a few of the best actors around like Misha (was my hero and is Om Puri’s nephew), Piazza, Pushpendraji and Sangitaji.
I was on cloud nine after Omji gave his esteemed input regarding my performance which he found was endearing, particularly applauded my expressiveness via eyes and the innocence I managed to bring to my title role.
At times, we actors seek validation from the best. And when we get wise inputs, acting tips from one of the best and one of my directors Seema mam and one of the greatest influential actors of all time Om Puri, it definitely helped me regain my confidence in my acting abilities. I felt validated and strong enough to take on the world. And after that, I have been confidently shooting for five films and there is no looking back.
The legacy of Om Puri lives on as he touches and blesses our lives with random acts of kindness and generosity that lights up our lives forever.C