Amrish Puri

Amrish Puri (22 June 1932 – 12 January 2005) was an Indian actor, who was one of the most notable and important figures in Indian cinema and theatre. He acted in more than 450 films, and established himself as one of the greatest and iconic actors in Indian cinema. Puri was known for his acting versatility but his villainous roles earned him more recognition. In 1980s and 1990s, he received appreciation for his screen presence and distinctive voice. Puri also worked in art cinema. He won three Filmfare Awards for Best Supporting Actor in eight nominations. He also holds most Filmfare Award for Best Villain nominations.

While he predominantly worked in Hindi-language films, he had also appeared in Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam and Marathi language films. His most well-known roles include Vidhaata (1982), Shakti (1982), Hero (1983), Meri Jung (1985), Nagina (1986), Mr. India (1987), Shahenshah (1988), Ram Lakhan (1989), Tridev (1990), Ghayal (1990), Saudagar (1991), Thalapathi (1991), Tahalka (1992), Damini (1993), Karan Arjun (1995), Kaalapani (1996), Jeet (1996), Koyla (1997), Baadshah (1999), Gadar: Ek Prem Katha (2001), and Nayak: The Real Hero (2001). His notable Telugu films include Kondaveeti Donga (1988), Jagadeka Veerudu Athiloka Sundari (1990), and Aditya 369 (1991). Puri's performance of the main antagonist Mogambo from Shekhar Kapur's Mr. India (1987) is considered as one of the greatest villains of all time in Indian cinema. It was reported that he received a salary of ₹1 crore (US$771,890), making him the highest-paid villain actor of the time. His comic role in Chachi 420 opposite Kamal Haasan, was also well received by critics.