Amrish Puri

Amrish Lal Puri was an iconic Indian actor who appeared primarily in negative roles in Hindi movies. His most remembered roles are Mogambo in Mr. India (1987) and Mola Ram in the Hollywood film Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984).

He played character roles and was well-known as a villain. His striking bass voice, the ability to extend his eyes widely out of their eyelids during climactic scenes and outsize acting style made him a convincing villain in even the most melodramatic movies.

Amrish had a passion for collecting hats, and bought a hat or two on every trip abroad. He had a collection of over 200 hats from across the world. Amrish was a very religious person by heart and a Shiva devotee.

Alas, he died in Mumbai in 2005 after a brain hemorrhage at the age of 72. His autobiography The Act of Life was published in 2006 and is seen as the document of the cinema of his times.


 * Death Glare: His role as a villain and/or concerned father was always amplified by his bug-eyed stare that could kill whole continents.