RIP Om Puri: Domestic abuse to anti-Army statements, major controversies in the actor's life

Om Puri passed away on Friday morning, reportedly after a heart attack. The actor's friends and colleagues thronged to his Andheri residence to pay their final respects to the two-time National Award-winning actor and Padma Shri winner.

Apart for being known for his stellar acting on screen in not just Indian but British, Pakistani, Hollywood and several independent and art-house films, Om Puri was also known for his controversial off the cuff comments on headline-making issues as well as his tumultuous personal life.

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Here are five major controversies that Om Puri had to grapple without throughout his life, and sadly, even in his last years.

1. When Om Puri said that nobody forces any Indian to become a soldier

During a televised debate on IBN-7 in October last year, in the wake of the Uri attack and the surgical strikes that followed, Om Puri said, "Who had asked the soldiers to join the army? Who told them to pick the weapons?", thereby insulting an army soldier and his son who was martyred at Uri.

After the debate, a case was filed against Om Puri for insulting Indian soldiers. Om later apologised for his comments and added, "I want to be tried by the army, I should be court-martialled. I want a constructive punishment. The army should teach me how to use weapons and send me on the same site where that brave man has sacrificed himself for the country. I don't want to be forgiven. I am pleading to the nation I want to be punished."

2. When Om Puri's scandalous fight with his wife made headlines

It all began with Nandita Puri's book on her husband 'Unlikely Hero: The Story of Om Puri'. Om was miffed with his wife Nandita for writing about her husband's past relationships explicitly; these included Om Puri's sexual relationship with his maid when he was 14, followed by another deep, sexual equation with the caretaker of her old father. Om thought that Nandita's book tarnished his image.

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Meanwhile, Om had moved in with his ex-wife Seema Kapoor while Nandita Puri filed a case of domestic violence against Om. Eventually, Om and Nandita were separated.

3. When Om Puri called politicians illiterate at Ramlila Maidan

Back in 2011, Om Puri was a part of team Anna when Anna Hazare and his followers gathered at Ramlila Maidan to launch a vicious attack on politicians.

Om Puri's rant on politicians caused a huge backlash. Speaking to a crowd of thousands, Om said, "Yeh (MPs) anpadh hain,inka kya background hai? Aadhe se zyaada MP ganwaar hain? hum dekhte hain TV pe,yeh kaise ladte hain House mein." (These ministers are uneducated, what is their background? More than half the MPs are illiterate, we see on TV, how the keep fighting in the House.)

Consequently, Om Puri apologised.

4. When Om Puri criticised beef ban

Referring to the controversial Dadri lynching of 2015, speaking to a group of journalists in Pakistan, Om Puri said, "Those who wanted to put a ban on slaughtering cows in the country were hypocrites. We export beef and earn dollars from it." The Dadri lynching case involved a mob of Hindus who attacked a Muslim family on the night of September 28, two years ago, in the village of Dadri in Uttar Pradesh. Om Puri received a lot of flak for this comment.

5. When Om Puri said that Naxals are not terrorists, but fighters for rights

While shooting for Prakash Jha's Chakravyuh in 2012, Om Puri said that Naxals are not terrorists but people who take up arms for the common man. Om went on to justify the kidnapping of District Collector Alex Paul Menon by saying that Naxals kidnapped Menon as he represented the social system that is anti-people.

"They (Naxals) are not terrorists because they don't resort to irresponsible acts of terror by planting bombs on streets. Naxals are fighters who fight for their rights. They don't harass the common man and the poor," Om Puri said. As expected, Om's comments once again sparked furore.