About Us
About Us
The Om Puri Foundation is a Trust formed in the name of the late actor, Om Puri. This Foundation aims to take his legacy, his philosophy, and the values he stood for all his life forward. Some he fulfilled in his lifetime, and some were left unfinished by his untimely passing away.
Om Puri came from an extremely humble background with not even a wooden spoon in his mouth nor a proper roof over his head. It was his sheer will, determination and hard work that fulfilled his single ambition of becoming an actor. He could never have imagined even in his wildest dreams that his incredible acting talent would take him to the heights he eventually reached.
The path he chose was not easy. It was filled with obstacles. It required assistance by way of hard-won scholarships to join the National School of Drama and later the Film and Television Institute of India. He was initially hesitant to join the latter because he lacked the resources. Despite this he managed somehow, but till date, he still hasn’t got his diploma certificate because he could not clear his fees. This humiliating deprivation strengthened his determination that nobody from a background such as his should suffer like he did. Hence the Om Puri Foundation.
Vision & Mission
The Foundation’s mission is to help those who are deserving and in need from all walks of life, especially during times of crisis.
Om Puri especially wanted to reach out to struggling theatre students, and children of disadvantaged farmers, weavers and artisans of India.
”The farmers are the backbone of our society and the artisans will help us to be a self-reliant society,” Om Puri.
Our Resolve
Scholarships and Fellowships
The Foundation has introduced Scholarships and Fellowships in Om Puri’s name. The Om Puri Scholar: For the most deserving student at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune. The Om Puri Fellow: For the most deserving theatre student at the National School of Drama (NSD), New Delhi.
Cinema with a Social Purpose
Om Puri believed in cinema with a social purpose. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the Foundation to take his films to schools, colleges, and universities as well as to various countries through film festivals.
Work with Communities
The Foundation works to identify farmers, weavers and artisans who are struggling to make ends meet in order to financially support the education of their children, in order to equip them, empower them to continue to pursue their traditional occupations by better means and methods and be able to negotiate for better life options.