Acclaimed Indian actor Om Puri dies aged 66
Puri was famous for his role as 'George' Khan in East Is East, as well as Hollywood films including Wolf and Charlie Wilson's War.
Friday 6 January 2017 12:47, UK
Acclaimed Indian actor Om Puri has died aged 66 at his home in Mumbai.
Puri, star of British hit comedy East is East, suffered a heart attack after returning from a film set on Thursday.
Born in Haryana state to a Punjabi family in 1950, Puri made his film debut in a Marathi-language movie when he was in his 20s and went on to become one of India's most famous crossover stars.
He appeared in Richard Attenborough's Gandhi as well as several Hollywood films, including City of Joy, Wolf, Charlie Wilson's War and, most recently, The Hundred-Foot Journey with Helen Mirren.
In the UK, he was best known for playing Zaheed 'George' Khan, patriarch of the Khan family, in the 1999 comedy drama East Is East.
It was a role that saw him nominated for a best actor Bafta.
Throughout his career, Puri won a slew of international awards and was also honoured with the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award of India, for his services to the film industry.
In 2004, he was awarded an honorary OBE for his contribution to British cinema.
Tributes from co-stars, celebrities and politicians have poured in, with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi recalling his "long career in theatre and film".
Indian actress and singer Priyanka Chopra, who appeared with Puri in the 2006 Hindi film Don, said his death marked "the end of an era" but that his "legacy lives on".
Lion star Nawazuddin Siddiqui paid tribute to "the best actor in the world".
Actor Jimi Mistry, who worked with Puri in East Is East, called the late star an "inspiration".
In a tweet in December, Puri himself reflected on his career, writing: "I have no regrets at all. I have done quite well for myself.
"I didn't have a conventional face, but I have done well, and I am proud of it."