Om
Puri's
latest
international
project
Charlie
Wilson's
War
directed
by
Mike
Nichols
of
Silkwood
and
Closer
fame
has
just
been
released
abroad.
In
this
war
epic,
Om
plays
the
former
Pakistani
President
Zia-Ul-Haq.
"It
turned
out
to
be
a
very
small
role.
But
Mike
Nichols
is
a
'huge'
director.
At
first,
I
refused
the
role
because
of
its
brevity.
But
he
insisted,
and
I
couldn't
say
no.
Besides
when
would
I
get
a
chance
to
work
with
Hollywood
legends
like
Julia
Roberts,
Tom
Hanks,
and
the
enormously
gifted
Philip
Seymour
Hoffman?"
Incidentally,
Irrfan
Khan
is
also
a
great
admirer
of
Seymour.
Says
Om,
"Hoffman
is
a
real
talent…Charlie
Wilson's
War
is
doing
well.
And
though
I
had
just
two
scenes
I
put
in
full
preparation
for
the
role
of
Zia-ul-Haq." Om
watched
video
footage
on
Zia-ul-Haq
and
even
spoke
to
Shatrughan
Sinha
who
knew
the
Pakistan
president
personally.
Om
has
been
traveling
outside
India
for
three
months.
"I
recently
returned
from
Australia
where
I
was
shooting
for
Anees
Bazmi's
Singh
Is
Kinng.
Then
I
shot
in
Goa,
Cochin
and
Chennai
for
Priyadarshan's
Mere
Baap
Pehle
Aap.
I
play
a
guy
in
his
40's
desperate
to
marry.
I
play
the
role
in
a
black
wig," Om
says
poker-faced.
"It
was
fun.
Then
I
was
in
Jaipur
for
Rakeysh
Mehra's
Dilli
6.
Rakeysh's
film
is
very
hard
to
shoot.
We're
shooting
all
night
in
the
freezing
cold."
Om
has
just
signed
a
film
with
Piyadarshan's
assistant.
"It's
a
light-hearted
story
of
two
former
'pehelwaans' played
by
me
and
Sharat
Saxena.
I
shoot
this
film
until
March.
But
after
that
I've
kept
April
completely
free.
I
need
to
spend
time
with
my
family.
"In
the
meanwhile,
the
comprehensive
'Om
Puri
biography'
by
Aparajita
Krishna
is
also
being
prepared.
"
It's
taking
time
because
the
author
is
trying
to
talk
to
everyone
closely
associated
with
me,
from
Shyam
Benegal
and
Govind
Nihalani
to
Dominique
Lapierre
and
Mike
Nichols.
It's
hard
to
contact
some
of
my
foreign
associates.
I
am
personally
contacting
some
of
these
people.
The
portions
pertaining
to
my
childhood
have
me
particularly
interested."
In
the
meanwhile,
Om's
10-year
old
son
shows
every
inclination
to
grow
into
a
chip
of
the
old
block.
"He's
very
sincere
and
acquiring
a
lot
of
skills.
He's
learning
classical
Indian
music.
He's
the
head-boy
in
his
class.
Let's
see
where
life
takes
him."
Story first published: Friday, February 15, 2008, 13:13 [IST]