Harrison Ford remembers Indiana Jones co-actor Amrish Puri: A very charming man

Harrison Ford had some wonderful words to share about veteran Indian actor Amrish Puri. The late actor had starred alongside Ford in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom in 1984. Ford, who will be reprising his iconic role of archaeologist Indiana Jones one last time in the upcoming film Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, called Puri a charming and sophisticated man.

In Temple of Doom, Puri starred as the antagonist Mola Ram, an occult priest who is into human sacrifices and was pitted against Ford's character. Set in India, it was the second film in the popular action-adventure franchise, directed by Steven Spielberg.

During a recent interaction with the press, Ford was asked about his experience working with Amrish Puri, considered one of India's most celebrated actors. "He was a wonderful person, a very charming man. (He was) nothing like the character that he played in our film. Very sophisticated. I really admired him and enjoyed working with him. We had a good time together. And yes, I remember when he passed,” Ford, 80, told PTI in a virtual roundtable interview.

Puri passed away in 2005. Though known primarily for his negative roles in hit films like Mr India, Vishwatma and Tridev, Puri also left a lasting impression in movies such as Mandi, Pardes and Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge.

In his autobiography The Act of Life, Puri revealed that he was initially disinterested in the part of Mola Ram. Interestingly, Temple of Doom didn’t release in India and the media at home criticised Puri and actor Roshan Seth for being “anti-national” for appearing in the film.