Om Puri, celebrated as one of the finest actors in world cinema, had a personal life often marred by controversy. The most sensational of these came in 2009 when his ex-wife, Nandita Puri, who authored his biography Unlikely Hero: Om Puri, revealed details of his alleged sexual encounters with his house helps, Shanti and Laxmi, from when he was a teenager. These revelations, reportedly made without Om Puri’s consent, stirred a media storm and were said to be a key factor in their eventual separation.
Nearly 15 years after the controversy, Nandita Puri has addressed the issue once again. Contrary to earlier reports, she claimed that her late husband was not upset by the revelations. In an interview with Siddharth Kannan, Nandita stated, “No, he was not upset.”
She further elaborated on their discussions during the writing process, stating, “When I was interviewing him, my son was very small, I said, ‘You are talking so openly about the maid episode, it wouldn’t be nice.’ He said, ‘why? Why are you being such a hypocrite? I was not married, I was not in a relationship, why can’t I mention that I did have a little affair with the working class person.’ I said, ‘Yeah, but I also have a son,’ and he said, ‘No, he has to know the truth.’”
However, Nandita revealed that Om Puri was deeply upset by how the media sensationalized the story, saying, “What he was upset with was the way it was pulled out. He said, ‘That is not the highlight of my life. The highlight of my life is my career, my childhood, my struggle, but this, I wanted mentioned.’” She maintained that she had not included the information without his consent.
Yet, Om Puri had expressed a different sentiment in a previous interview with Times Entertainment. The actor, who was in Chandigarh at the time, denied having read the manuscript and was shocked by the revelations. “I don’t care if she is my wife, I won’t let her get away with it,” he had said, further calling the revelations “cheap.” He expressed dismay at how a sensitive and private part of his life had been reduced to what he felt was sensational gossip. “How was I to know she would use the incident from my life to sell her book?” he remarked.
Om Puri emphasized that the portrayal of his relationship with the woman in question was deeply personal, stating, “My relationship with this wonderful woman was a homage to her loyalty for looking after me unconditionally.” He felt that his life’s true essence, including his childhood and his struggles as a young actor at FTTI, had been overshadowed by the focus on his sexual encounters.
While Om Puri did not deny the claims, he openly expressed his anger and disappointment after the book’s release. The couple eventually parted ways in 2013, and they share a son, Ishaan. Om Puri passed away in 2017 at the age of 66.
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