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Indian & Pakistani Fans Pay Tribute To Om Puri In Toronto!
Indian & Pakistani theatre artists pay tribute to Om Puri in Toronto, Canada. The group celebrates Om Puri's close ties to the city as his English films have premiered in Toronto.
A large number of theatre artists and writers from India and Pakistan paid rich tributes to actor Om Puri in Toronto, Canada. They recalled his deep association with the city as some of Om Puri's English movies 'Such a Long Journey' and 'West is West' premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Rajinder
Saini,
who
founded
the
Punjabi
International
Film
Academy
Awards
in
2012
and
who
was
a
personal
friend
of
the
actor,
recalled
how
Om
Puri
offered
him
support
for
the
start
of
the
festival
in
Toronto.
"Om
Puri
was
a
true
friend
indeed
as
he
went
out
of
his
way
to
make
the
first
Punjabi
film
festival
a
success.
He
always
stayed
with
our
family
whenever
he
was
in
Toronto,"
said
Saini.
Saini also recalled his last long chat with Om Puri on the phone after the actor's TV remarks on Indian soldiers created a major controversy. "In a friendly (way), I scolded him for creating unnecessary controversies. He was gracious enough to admit his mistake and he went to give Rs 10 lakh to the widow of the soldier," recalled Saini.
Rajinder Saini also criticised the Pakistani media for spreading rumours about the cause of Om Puri's death. Pakistani writer Tahir Gora paid his tributes to Om Puri by describing him as an artist who transcended boundaries. Some of the speakers, who knew Om Puri since his days as a struggling theatre artist in Patiala, said he was the first-ever Indian actor to make it to Hollywood from theatre. "He had a booming voice and his earthy Punjabi touched us," said one of the speakers. Om Puri's first wife Seema Kapoor also sent a video message to the gathering.
