Thaindian News

By Subhash K. Jha
Mumbai, Sep 19 (IANS) Veteran actor Om Puri plays a terrorist who masterminds a massive attack in the US in Rensil d’Silva’s “Kurbaan” and says he has no reservations about playing a ‘jehaadi’ as audiences are mature enough to differentiate between an actor and a film character.

Irrfan Khan had apparently said no to playing a terrorist in “Kurbaan”. But Om Puri has no fears of playing villain.

“I’m also aware other actors turn down parts of terrorists. But I’ve no such reservations. A role is a role. We cannot be moral and judgemental about the characters we play. In ‘Kurbaan’ I play the terror mastermind, a fully committed ‘jehaadi’ who is ready to sacrifice everything, including his wife (Kirron Kher) for the cause,” the actor said.

“I played a radical mullah mouthing rabid dialogues in Jagmohan Mundhra’s ‘Shoot On Sight’. It was just a role. I think our audiences are mature enough to understand this,” he added.

Om Puri has apparently received warnings from fundamentalist organisations about playing an extremist. But he says he won’t be deterred.

“I played a Pakistani in Charlie Wilson’s ‘War’ and ‘East Is East’. And now in October I go into the sequel ‘West Is West’ with the same cast. This time Vijay Raaz and Ila Arun have been added. Is it dangerous to experiment with morality in your actors? Let it be.

“In my new release ‘Baburr’, I played a corrupt colourful cop who doesn’t think tweaking the law is a big deal. It’s good to enter the hearts and minds of people who live by their own weird morality,” he said.

Rensil d’Silva’s “Kurbaan” also features Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor and Vivek Oberoi.