The night before death: 'Om Puri's spirit was shattered by his family, friends'

Om Puris wife Nandita and son IshaanTo those who knew him the downslide for Om Puri started some time ago when his outspokenness invited a backlash he had never imagined and never recovered from Smita Singh who had recently been brought on board for his image correction tells midday about how in the days before he died Puri poured his heart out on everything that was troubling himOver the last few weeks he wouldnt stop saying Jab main chala jaunga tab duniya ko meri value hogihellip He never got over the public humiliation on Arnab Goswamis show His pride was bruised more so because of his army lineage He was never the same after that night He publicly admitted that he had said those words Did we force them to join the army but that wasnt all what he saidAlso Read Its all over for me says Om Puris driver seeks fair probeThe nature of news in this country especially in the Twitter age is such that only a part of the statement is shown to the world Yes he apologised We started talking about that show He was telling us how he went to Etawah UP to meet the parents of Nitin Kumar the soldier martyred in the Baramullah attacks He hosted a hawan at their home and gave them a huge sum of money When he apologised to the family Kumars father had said Omji insaan uttejna mein bohot cheezein bol jata hai Aapko afsos hai aur humein aapse koi shikwe nahin hai That was solace for him to a certain extent till the media made a mockery of that as well He was patriotic After that episode he wanted to start his own political party called Insaniyat but could never muster strength for it His spirit was shatteredOm Puri File picLosing a friendSingh also talked about how a fallout with his best friend stung him That evening we even got to know how he fell out with his best friend who had been with him through college and drama school After he spoke out against Aamir Khanrsquos intolerance statement vociferously his dearest friend sent him a text message saying F you That was that between them He made multiple attempts to reconcile but never got a reply she saidWifes betrayalPersonally too his life was turbulent The evening before he passed away he talked about how his wife Nandita Puri had made a public joke of him after she published his biography that had some salacious details about his life He was doing his best to move on He was vulnerable that evening gurgling down pegs of whiskey like he did every day but he had the haunted look of a broken man The producer of his next film Rambhajan Zindabad Khalid Kidwai offered to drop him to his friend Manoj Pahwas house she saidRead Story Om Puris exwives hold two separate prayer meets Bollywood left dividedHis estranged wife Nandita tells us We were supposed to go for Pankaj Kapurs daughter Sana and Pahwas son Mayanks engagement ceremony Om called me and by the time we got there he reached my house He went up to my mom and said Kya budhia kyun sadd rahi hai yahan Tu bhi mere saath swarg chal He was in high spirits He called me again and said Tum aur Ishaan jaldi aa jao I told him wed see him later When he called me again I told him Its too late wersquoll see you tomorrow Ishaan and I still regret not seeing him that day Ishaan was going to be with him on January 8 9 and 10 for the shooting of Tubelight and they were to head to Khandala from thererdquo says NanditaNandita adds We were not divorced and are still legally married We had a separation Trishul is his home and my marital home By the Hindu law he was allowed one wife It can be an exwife and a current wife Om had only one wife He helped his nephews and strangers but now when his son needs him he is gone Irsquoll miss him terribly because he is a habit I have spent the longest part of my life with him more than my son or my parentsWaited for sonManoj told us He came for barely 15 minutes and left soon after I donrsquot know where he was headed Khalid drove him down to Nanditarsquos house but by the time they reached Ishaan was already at the party Omji didnrsquot want to go back to the party and asked Ishaan to return home But when Ishaan didnrsquot come for a bit we left I dropped him home said KhalidBuddhism beckonedSingh said Buddhism and its values had immensely influenced Om in his last days He wanted to take a 15day trip to Lumbini Nepal the birthplace of the Buddha He was scheduled to be there for 15 days later this month Smita said