Om Puri, the acclaimed Indian actor who appeared in hit films including Gandhi, City of Joy and East is East, died on Friday.
The award-winning character actor, whose career ranged from art-house Indian films to Hollywood epics, died of a heart attack at his home in Mumbai, a family member told the Press Trust of India. He was 66.
“It’s really a great loss,” the veteran scriptwriter Javed Akhtar said.
“Wonderful person, great actor and with such impressive body of work, right from Satyajit Ray to any commercial Hindi film to films in US and Pakistan,” he said, referring to the renowned Indian director.
Bollywood stars tweeted their shock at the news, which broke early on Friday, with Amitabh Bachchan saying he was “shocked” to learn of Puri’s death.
“A dear friend, a lovable colleague and an exceptional talent ... in grief!” he said.