Om Puri is happy with the way things have shaped up for him this year. West is West , the comedy-drama sequel to the hit East is East, has earned him good reviews and even better response at the box office. Days before the film's release in India (scheduled for June 10), Om Puri talks about the making of the film and how Bollywood refuses to recognise that he is a commercially bankable actor.
West is West takes a five-year leap from East is East and shows George Khan (Om Puri) at loggerheads with his youngest son (Aqib Khan) for not adhering to his Pakistani origins and culture. “Though it was a decade since East is East , I was glad that the makers realised the potential the movie had for a sequel. I read Ayub Khan Din's script and told him that the film lacks in humour, which was what drove the first one to success. The script was reworked and now, though the premise and the issue are serious, the genre is comedy. Around eighty per cent of the film is humorous and rest is an emotional drama. I take my son back to Pakistan to get him to learn about his native culture. We shot these portions near Chandigarh,” says Om Puri.
Haven't we seen enough number of movies focusing on the immigrant population and identity crisis? “It's still an issue that's relevant; isn't it? asks Om Puri. “George Khan is from the 60s, the generation that was not very well educated and hence felt insecure. The next generation that was born and brought up in the new country adapted and learnt things faster. That's where the clash between the generations began,” he explains.
While talking about the film at its success, Om Puri refutes reports that he has received one per cent of the box office remuneration as payment. “That's not true at all. I received a portion of the profits for another film 20 years ago.”
Mainstream Bollywood, he says, has helped him economically while parallel cinema stoked the actor in him. “I am recognised even in small villages when I travel. Yet, mainstream filmmakers fail to recognise me or Naseer (Naseeruddin Shah) as bankable actors. And with mainstream heroes wanting to do meaningful roles that fetch them awards, we have very little to choose from. A film like Malamaal Weekly proved that Paresh Rawal and I could pull off a hit, but such films are very few,” he says.
Despite this sour note, Om Puri has words of praise for the recent crop of filmmakers. “We have some sensible filmmakers who make good films that are also commercially viable. We only lack scripts that are tailor made for middle-aged actors, which we see in the West.”
This year, Om Puri will also be seen in Don 2, Agneepath, Khap and Bin Bulaye Baarati . He is excited to be part of Farhan Akhtar's Don 2 and Karan Johar's production Agneepath . “It's a pleasure to work with young filmmakers who know your potential and have respect for your work,” he signs off.
