‘Mogambo khush hua!’ The lines recited by late Amrish Puri in cult film ‘Mr India’ is still considered as one of the most iconic dialogues of Bollywood. And today marks the 89th birth anniversary of the legendary actor who is still remembered for his enigmatic screen presence and his acting prowess.
Born on June 22, 1932, Puri is regarded as one of the greatest actors of Hindi cinema with some of his characters like Mogambo still afresh in fans’ mind.
But did you know, Amrish Puri was not the first choice for the role of ‘Mogambo’? Yes, you read that right! According to a report in etimes, the iconic role was first offered to Anupam Kher. Kher had earlier revealed that he was approached for the role by the makers back then. However, the makers decided to replace him later with Amrish. Anupam Kher further added that he was a little upset about losing the movie, he admitted that he was spellbound with Amrish’s performance as Mogambo.
Puri has acted in more than 350 films between 1967 and 2005, and was the most successful Villain in Bollywood.
On a related note, filmmaker Ali Abbas Zafar is reportedly making the sequel of the iconic movie Mr India. Ali had earlier told Mumbai Mirror in an old interview that it is a completely new movie and that they are just calling it ‘Mr India’. He added that his film is about a common man fighting a mighty villain, but done in a cool, hip way, using science and technology and being relevant to today’s social scenario.