The Act of Life

Last updated

The Act of Life
The Act of Life.jpg
Book cover
Author
CountryIndia
LanguageEnglish
SubjectAmrish Puri
GenreAutobiography
Published24 May 2006
PublisherStellar Publishers
Media typePrint
Pages407 [1]
ISBN 978-81-90224-74-1
OCLC 608443071

The Act of Life is a 2006 autobiography about the Indian theatre and film actor Amrish Puri. Co-authored by Puri himself with Jyoti Sabharwal, the book chronicles his birth in 1932 and his 38-year-long theatrical and film career. The book was published on 24 May 2006 by Stellar Publishers, and critics were generally appreciative to the book.

Contents

Development and release

The Act of Life (which was written by the Indian theatre and film actor Amrish Puri along with Jyoti Sabharwal and previously titled Act One) [2] was released by Stellar Publishers on 24 May 2006, one year after the actor's death, at the Oxford Bookstore in Churchgate. [1] :iv [3] The filmmaker Girish Karnad described it as "one of ... rare autobiographies written by a craftsman that showed no trace if self-indulgence". [4] After reading the book, the actor Anupam Kher (who was Puri's close friend) admitted that he felt nostalgic. [3]

The book met with positive critical reviews. V. Gangadhar from The Hindu wrote: "The Act of Life comes from the heart; one can condone the Punjabi-English. But it is an important work on the Indian stage and cinema and the excellent photographs are additional plus points." [5] Another articles by an anonymous writer from the same publication called it "a graphic account of his struggle to the top". [2] In his column for India Today , the critic and film director Khalid Mohamed thought that the autobiography "makes the actor's rigidity more than palpable". [6]

Publication history

RegionRelease dateFormatRef(s)
India24 May 2006Hardcover [3]
18 June 2013 Amazon Kindle [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shekhar Kapur</span> Indian filmmaker (born 1945)

Shekhar Kulbhushan Kapur is an Indian filmmaker and actor. Born into the Anand-Sahni family, Kapur is the recipient of several accolades, including a BAFTA Award, a National Film Award, a National Board of Review Award and three Filmfare Awards, in addition to nomination for a Golden Globe Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amrish Puri</span> Indian actor (1932–2005)

Amrish Puri 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, established himself as one of the most popular actors in Indian Cinema. Puri is remembered for playing various roles in variety of film genres, specially iconic villainous roles in Hindi Cinema, as well as International Cinema. He reigned supreme in villainous roles in the 1980s and 1990s, his dominating screen presence and distinctive deep voice made him stand out amongst the other villains of the day. Puri was active in both, art cinema such as in some of Shyam Benegal and Govind Nihalani's films and mainly in mainstream cinema. Puri won three Filmfare Awards for Best Supporting Actor in eight nominations. He also holds most Filmfare Award for Best Villain nominations.

Events in the year 1932 in India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rajkumar Santoshi</span> Indian film director

Rajkumar Santoshi is an Indian film director, producer and screenwriter of Hindi films. Having received several accolades including three National Film Awards and six Filmfare Awards, he made his directorial debut with the crime film Ghayal (1990), starring Sunny Deol, Meenakshi Sheshadri and Amrish Puri. Which was a huge critical and commercial success, it made Santoshi a household name in Hindi cinema. The film won him the National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment as well as the Filmfare Award for Best Director.

<i>Mohabbatein</i> 2000 film by Aditya Chopra

Mohabbatein is a 2000 Indian Hindi-language musical romantic fantasy film that was written and directed by Aditya Chopra and produced by Yash Chopra of Yash Raj Films. The film stars Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, and Aishwarya Rai, and newcomers Uday Chopra, Shamita Shetty, Jugal Hansraj, Kim Sharma, Jimmy Sheirgill, and Preeti Jhangiani. It narrates the story of Narayan, the strict principal of Gurukul college whose daughter Megha, commits suicide after he opposes her relationship with Raj, a music teacher at the college. The story follows Raj aiding with three Gurukul students and their love interests to rebel against Narayan's intolerance of love.

<i>Filmfare</i> Indian film magazine

Filmfare is an Indian English-language fortnightly magazine published by Worldwide Media. Acknowledged as one of Indias most popular entertainment magazines, it publishes pieces involving news, interviews, photos, videos, reviews, events, and style. The magazine also annually gives the Filmfare Awards, the Filmfare Awards South, the Filmfare Awards East, the Filmfare Marathi Awards, the Filmfare Awards Punjabi, the Filmfare OTT Awards, the Filmfare Short Film Awards, and the Filmfare Style & Glamour Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Om Puri</span> Indian actor (1950-2017)

Om Prakash Puri was an Indian actor who appeared in mainstream commercial Hindi films as well as Bengali, Kannada, English, Punjabi and one Telugu film, as well as independent and art films and also starred in several international cinema. He is widely regarded as one of the finest actors in the world cinema. He won two National Film Awards for Best Actor, two Filmfare Awards and India's fourth highest civilian award Padma Shri in 1990. In 2004, he was made an honorary Officer of the Order of the British Empire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Juhi Chawla</span> Indian actress (b. 1967)

Juhi Chawla is an Indian actress. She established herself as one of the leading actresses of Hindi cinema from the late 1980s through the early 2000s. Recognised for her comic timing and vivacious on-screen persona, she is the recipient of several accolades, including two Filmfare Awards.

<i>Zubeidaa</i> 2001 film by Shyam Benegal

Zubeidaa is a 2001 Indian film directed by Shyam Benegal and written by Khalid Mohammed. It stars Karisma Kapoor, Rekha, Manoj Bajpayee, Surekha Sikri, Rajit Kapoor, Lillete Dubey, Amrish Puri, Farida Jalal, and Shakti Kapoor. A.R. Rahman has scored the background music and memorable soundtrack for the movie.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rekha</span> Indian actress (born 1954)

Bhanurekha Ganesan, better known by her stage name Rekha, is an Indian actress who appears predominantly in Hindi films. Acknowledged as one of the finest actresses in Indian cinema, she has starred in more than 180 films and is the recipient of several accolades, including one National Film Award and three Filmfare Awards. She has often played strong and complicated female characters—from fictional to literary—in both mainstream and independent films. Though her career has gone through certain periods of decline, Rekha has gained a reputation for reinventing herself numerous times and has been credited for her ability to sustain her status. In 2010, the Government of India honoured her with Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian honour.

<i>Thalapathi</i> 1991 film by Mani Ratnam

Thalapathi (transl. Commander) is a 1991 Indian Tamil-language gangster drama film written and directed by Mani Ratnam, and produced by G. Venkateswaran. The film stars Rajinikanth and Mammootty with Arvind Swamy in his feature-film debut, Jaishankar, Amrish Puri, Srividya, Bhanupriya, Shobana and Geetha in supporting roles. This marks the Tamil debut of Bollywood actor, Amrish Puri. It is about a courageous slum dweller who befriends a powerful don and the attempts of a district collector to thwart them.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Asha Parekh</span> Indian actress

Asha Parekh is a retired Indian actress, film director, and producer who appeared in many commercially successful films throughout her career. She was the highest paid actress of her time and was one of the most successful actresses of the 1960--70s. She is considered one of the most influential actresses of all time in Hindi cinema. In 1992, she was honoured with the Padma Shri by the Government of India for her contribution to the field of cinema and also honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for 2020.

<i>Mr. India</i> (1987 film) 1987 film by Shekhar Kapur

Mr. India is a 1987 Indian Hindi-language superhero film directed by Shekhar Kapur and produced jointly by Boney Kapoor and Surinder Kapoor under the former's banner Narsimha Enterprises, with the story and screenplay written by the duo Salim–Javed in what was their last collaboration before their split. Starring Anil Kapoor, Sridevi, and Amrish Puri, the film tells the story of Arun Verma (Kapoor), a humble violinist and philanthropist who receives a cloaking device that grants him invisibility. While renting out his house to pay his debts, he meets the journalist Seema Sohni (Sridevi) and falls in love with her. Meanwhile, the criminal Mogambo (Puri) has plans to conquer India.

<i>Pushpaka Vimana</i> (1987 film) 1987 film by Singeetam Srinivasa Rao

Pushpaka Vimana is a 1987 Indian black comedy film written and directed by Singeetam Srinivasa Rao, who co-produced it with Shringar Nagaraj. The film, which has no dialogue, stars Kamal Haasan leading an ensemble cast that includes Samir Khakhar, Tinu Anand, K. S. Ramesh, Amala, Farida Jalal, Pratap Potan, Lokanath, P. L. Narayana and Ramya. It revolves around an unemployed graduate who encounters a drunk rich man unconscious and takes over his lifestyle after keeping him prisoner. However, he does not realise the dangers he has brought upon himself because a hired killer believes him to be his target.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madan Puri</span> Indian character actor

Madan Puri was an Indian actor of Hindi and Punjabi films. His brothers were actors Chaman Puri and Amrish Puri. As a character actor mainly in negative roles (villain), he acted in about 430 films in a career spanning above fifty years.

<i>Gadar: Ek Prem Katha</i> 2001 Hindi film by Anil Sharma

Gadar: Ek Prem Katha is a 2001 Indian Hindi-language romantic period action drama film directed by Anil Sharma and set during the Partition of India in 1947. Loosely based on the life of Boota Singh, the film stars Sunny Deol and Amisha Patel in lead roles alongside Amrish Puri and Lillete Dubey. Sharma's son Utkarsh as a child artist plays Deol and Patel's son, before his first film as an adult, another Sharma directorial Genius (2018). Patel bagged Sakeena's role out of 500 girls who auditioned for the role.

<i>Marudhanayagam</i> Unfinished Tamil film by Kamal Haasan

Marudhanayagam is an unfinished Indian historical drama film directed and produced by Kamal Haasan under his Raaj Kamal Films International banner. The script was co-written by Haasan, along with novelist Sujatha, and the pair started work on the project in late 1991. Following a test shoot in mid-1997, the film was officially launched at a ceremony held at MGR Film City, Chennai during October 1997.

Puri is an Indian surname from the Khatri community of Punjab.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mukul Dev</span> Indian actor

Mukul Dev is an Indian television and film actor. He is known for his work in Hindi films, Punjabi films, TV serials and music albums. He has also acted in few Bengali, Malayalam, Kannada and Telugu films. He received the 7th Amrish Puri Award, for excellence in acting for his role in Yamla Pagla Deewana.

<i>Simhada Mari Sainya</i> 1981 Indian film

Simhada Mari Sainya is a 1981 Indian Kannada language children's film directed by Rajendra Singh Babu. It stars Arjun Sarja, Amrish Puri and Baby Rekha. The supporting cast features an ensemble of other child actors and top Kannada stars. It won two awards at the 1981–82 Karnataka State Film Awards — Best Editor and Best Female Child Actor. The film is notable for a scene that involves Arjun Sarja clinging onto a helicopter hovering at a height of 500 feet above the ground.

References

  1. 1 2 Puri, Amrish; Sabharwal, Jyoti (24 May 2006). The Act of Life. New Delhi, India: Stellar Publishers. ISBN   978-81-90224-74-1.
  2. 1 2 Siddiqui, Rana. "In memory of a beloved villain". The Hindu . Archived from the original on 26 April 2021. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 Mahindru, Megha (26 May 2006). "Autobiography of Amrish Puri launched". Hindustan Times . Mumbai, India. Archived from the original on 26 April 2021. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
  4. S., Bageshree (17 July 2006). "Ever a class act". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 27 June 2020. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
  5. Gangadhar, V. (24 July 2006). "The art of Amrish Puri". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 26 April 2021. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
  6. Mohamed, Khalid (12 June 2006). "The magnificent Mogambo". India Today . Archived from the original on 26 April 2021. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
  7. Puri, Amrish; Sabharwal, Jyoti (18 June 2013). The Act of Life: An Autobiography. Stellar Publishers. ASIN   B00DHIZJNK.