He has been battered online, labelled anti-national, shamed on every platform after his rather insensitive remark against the soldiers who were killed in Uri last month. Not even a desperate plea by actor Om Puri to be punished for his statement cut any ice with angry 'patriots'. So, naturally, tempers soared further when a video started circulating last evening in which Puri was ostensibly seen and heard saying that the world should embrace Islam.
While no one could doubt that it was Om Puri speaking in the video, sane viewers could sense there was more to it than met the eye as the video begins abruptly, as if in mid-sentence, and ends just as abruptly. What was the context in which Puri is heard saying Islam is the only true religion?
As it turns out, the original video from Pakistan’s Awaz TV is out on YouTube, and it provides the context for Puri’s conversation. The actor was asked by anchor Kamran Shahid about the perception of Muslims in India and the West. To this, he replied: "Unfortunately, the image of Muslims [in India and the West] is that they are religious fanatics. They want the whole world to embrace Islam. There should be no other religion in the world except Islam and Islam is the biggest religion in the world.
"This is the unfortunate impression of Muslims. However, this is not the truth. I have met many people in Lahore in the last 3-4 days. I didn’t get that impression. Islam has played a role in shaping Indian culture. India has learnt a lot from Islam – be it poetry, architecture, food. There are many things which Islam has added to Indian culture.”
Watch Om Puri’s actual conversation with Kamran Shahid here.