Om Prakash Puri, widely known as Om Puri, was an Indian actor who left an indelible mark in the world of cinema. His career spanned over four decades from 1972 to 2017, during which he appeared in a variety of roles in mainstream commercial Hindi films, as well as Malayalam, Bengali, Kannada, English, Punjabi, Gujarati, Telugu, and Marathi films. He also starred in several international cinema, making him a global icon.

Om Puri's career began with a children's film, "Chor Chor Chhup Ja". He is best known for his author-backed roles in films like "Aakrosh" (1980), "Arohan" (1982), "Ardh Satya" (1983), and television films like "Sadgati" (1981) and "Tamas" (1987). He also played light-hearted roles in "Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro" (1983) and "Chachi 420" (1997), and appeared in several mainstream commercial films throughout his career. His collaborations with directors Shyam Benegal and Govind Nihalani were particularly noteworthy.

Om Puri was born on October 18, 1950, in Ambala, Haryana, to a Hindu family. His father, Tek Chand Puri, worked on the railways and in the Indian Army. He had a brother, Ved Prakash, and a sister, Vedvadi. Om Puri was married to actress/writer Seema Kapoor in 1990, but they divorced in 1991. He then married writer/journalist Nandita Puri in 1993, and they had a son, Ishaan Om Puri. However, they parted ways in 2016 after Nandita filed a case against Om Puri for domestic violence.

Om Puri's filmography is extensive and diverse. Some of his notable films include "Chaar Sahibzaade" (2014), "Maachis" (1996), "Uvaa" (2015), "Project Marathwada" (2016), "Tubelight" (2017), "The Hundred-Foot Journey" (2014), "Don 2" (2011), "Malamaal Weekly" (2006), "Dhoop" (2003), "Ghayal Once Again" (2016), "Chaar Sahibzaade 2: Rise of Banda Singh Bahadur" (2016), "Billu" (2009), "Singh Is King" (2008), "Tere Naal Love Ho Gaya" (2012), "The Ghazi Attack" (2017), "Chup Chup Ke" (2006), "Road to Sangam" (2009), "Baabarr" (2009), "Maharathi" (2008), "Aadupuliyattam" (2016), "East Is East" (1999), "Kucch Luv Jaisaa" (2011), "West Is West" (2010), "London Dreams" (2009), "Mr. Kabaadi" (2017), "My Little Devil" (2000), "Lovesongs: Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow" (2008), "Actor in Law" (2016), "Mathangi" (2017), "Warrior Savitri" (2016), "Droh Kaal" (1994), "Kamaal Dhamaal Malamaal" (2012), "Victoria No. 203: Diamonds Are Forever" (2007), and "Lakshya" (2004).

Om Puri's exceptional acting skills earned him numerous awards and accolades. He won two National Film Awards for Best Actor, two Filmfare Awards, and India's fourth highest civilian award, the Padma Shri, in 1990. In 2004, he was made an honorary Officer of the Order of the British Empire. He also received the Best Supporting Actor Award from Filmfare, the Karlovy Vary International Film Best Actor, and the Brussels International Film Festival Best Actor.

Om Puri came from an underprivileged background. When he was six years old, his father was put behind bars on allegations of theft of cement, resulting in their family becoming homeless.

To make ends meet, Om Puri's brother, Ved Prakash Puri, worked as a coolie (railway porter), and Om Puri worked in a local tea shop, did odd jobs, and collected coal from nearby railway tracks to support his family. Despite these hardships, Om Puri continued to study and eventually enrolled in the National School of Drama and the Film and Television Institute of India.