Shah Rukh Khan’s co-star once made one of India’s biggest superstars apologise to him: ‘He thought he was throwing….’

It is not easy to admit you were wrong, own up to your mistakes, and issue a sincere apology, especially if you are a superstar. Yet, that’s what Rajinikanth did. In a chat with Vickey Lalwani, Amrish Puri’s son Rajeev opened up about the late veteran actor’s equation with several other stars.

He revealed that his father had a falling-out with superstar Rajinikanth as he thought he was rather arrogant. The ‘Mr India’ star once refused to work with Rajinikanth as he thought the latter was throwing his weight around. Amrish returned from Chennai and told the producer he was uncomfortable working with Rajinikanth. However, what the superstar did next was unprecedented. Instead of doubling down on the arrogance or lashing out against Puri, Rajinikanth issued an apology. The actors then went on to appear in films together, with the 1991 blockbuster Thalapathi (helmed by Mani Ratnam) being their most memorable film. Amrish eventually became fond of the superstar, Rajeev revealed.

Puri earned widespread recognition for his remarkable range as an actor and his ability to portray characters across different shades and genres. His commanding presence on screen, combined with his unmistakably powerful and resonant voice, helped distinguish him from many of his contemporaries. Over the course of his career, Puri appeared in more than 450 movies, earning a reputation as one of the most accomplished and influential performers in Indian cinema.


Although Hindi cinema remained the primary focus of his work, his acting career extended well beyond the Hindi film industry. He also featured in productions made in Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam and Marathi, demonstrating his versatility across several regional film industries. His contribution to negative and antagonist roles was particularly notable, with Puri holding the record for the highest number of Filmfare Award nominations in the Best Villain category.

Puri was one of Bollywood’s most popular villains, best known for the 1987 superhero film Mr. India, where he essayed the role of the villain Mogambo and immortalised the line "Mogambo khush huya!” However, he excelled in various villainous and dramatic roles in several iconic films, such as Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Koyla, Karan Arjun, Nagina etc.

Puri passed away in 2005. He was 72.