Om Puri was one of the most gifted and versatile actors in the history of Indian and British cinema. With a career spanning five decades, he brought extraordinary depth, humanity and power to every role he played — in Hindi commercial films, arthouse cinema, British films and television.
His performances in films including Ardh Satya, City of Joy, East is East, The Ghost and the Darkness and Charlie Wilson's War demonstrated a range and command that few actors in world cinema could match. He was equally at home playing a Kolkata street worker or a Pakistani patriarch in a Bradford curry house.
A recipient of the Padma Shri — one of India's highest civilian honours — he was recognised with an OBE for his services to British cinema and theatre. He passed away in January 2017, just months before this award was presented in his memory at the 7th Asian Awards.