The late actor was once married to Kapoor’s sister Seema, but the duo never let their personal equation affect the shooting of the 2015 comedy.
Ex-brothers-in-law Om Puri, Annu Kapoor never spoke while shooting Miss Tanakpur: Director Vinod Kapri
Mumbai - 06 Jan 2017 14:35 IST
Mayur Lookhar
Om Puri (66), who passed away early today, had become something of a controversial figure in the past few years, given the mess in his personal life and his controversial comment on the death of Indian soldiers in the 2016 attack on Uri in Jammu & Kashmir. But the actor did not allow these issues to affect his performances.
In 2015, it was quite surprising to see Puri sharing screen space with Annu Kapoor in first-time director Vinod Kapri’s Miss Tanakpur Haazir Ho. The stalwarts had come together for the first time since 1994, when they had worked together in Govind Nihalani’s critically acclaimed Drohkaal.
Puri had married Kapoor’s sister Seema in 1991 but their marriage lasted just eight months. Puri then married journalist Nandita Puri in 1993, before filing for judicial separation from his second wife in 2013 and returning to his first wife.
In an interview to The Times of India newspaper in 2013, Annu Kapoor had stated that Om Puri was never a friend and his sister had suffered a lot because of her failed marriage. So it was something of a shock to see the former brothers-in-law come together for Miss Tanakpur Haazir Ho (2015).
“Om Puri had liked the script, but I wasn’t sure whether he would accept it as Annu Kapoor was the other actor in the film," Kapri recalled in a telephone conversation with Cinestaan.com. "However, Om Puri sir categorically told me that one should forget about one's personal issues. He assured me that everything would go smoothly."
The director said, "While he looked disturbed, given what had transpired in his personal life, he never let it affect his work. They [Puri and Kapoor] never spoke off camera, but I was amazed how the moment the cameras rolled, they were completely different persons.”
The director was all praise for the late actor who supported him throughout the making of the film. “This was my first film. Puriji didn’t chip in as director, but he was very supportive. He never made me feel as if it was my first film. More than a great actor, he was a fine human being, He will be missed dearly."
