The late legendary actor Om Puri once shared his challenges with the English language during his time at the National School of Drama (NSD).
In an episode of “The Anupam Kher Show – Kuch Bhi Ho Sakta Hai,” Puri recounted his experiences, stating, “I faced significant difficulties with English at NSD because I had studied in Punjabi medium, while the instruction was in English. Some students came from convent schools and had excellent English skills, which made me feel inferior.”
He revealed that when the then-director of NSD, Ibrahim Alkazi, learned about his struggles, he advised others to keep an eye on him. Later, when Puri admitted that he couldn’t speak English like his peers, Alkazi encouraged him to speak in Hindi if he felt more comfortable.
However, he also suggested reading newspapers and conversing in English with friends to improve his skills. “Even if people laugh, don’t worry,” he advised.
After his early education, Puri enrolled at NSD. His classmate Naseeruddin Shah encouraged him to join the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in Pune.
Puri began his acting career with the Marathi film “Ghasiram Kotwal” in 1976, based on Vijay Tendulkar’s play of the same name.
He worked in multiple languages, including English, Punjabi, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, Bengali, Gujarati, Urdu, and Marathi. His notable films include “Aakrosh” (1980), “Arohan” (1982), “Ardh Satya” (1983), “Disco Dancer” (1982), “Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro” (1983), “Chachi 420” (1997), “Hera Pheri” (2000), and “Chup Chup Ke” (2006).