10-04-2006, 08:06 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Om Puri cast as General Zia in Tom Hanks movie </b>
New Delhi: Veteran actor Om Puri has been chosen to play Pakistan's former military ruler, General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, in a Hollywood production about the CIA's role in arming Mujahideen rebels in Afghanistan.
Om Puri, known for playing strong, serious characters, said he had been cast in Universal Pictures' "Charlie Wilson's War" alongside Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts.
The film, based on a book of the same name, revolves around Charlie Wilson, a charismatic, wheeler-dealer Texas Congressman, played by Hanks.
Wilson teams up with a rogue CIA agent to manipulate US Congress, the CIA and a host of foreign governments in a covert operation.
"The film discusses the entire political scenario of the time," 56-year-old Puri told Reuters.
"I appear as a well-settled Pakistani President who strikes a deal with the Americans that money and arms to the Afghans must flow through his country," said Puri, adding that he loved the character of Zia.
Zia ruled Pakistan from 1977, when he took power in a bloodless military coup, until 1988 when he died in a still unexplained plane crash.
His reign witnessed the enforcement of strict Islamic law in the country and was instrumental in providing US-backed military aid to the Afghan resistance against the Soviet occupation.
Puri has starred in several Hollywood productions in the past, including "Gandhi", "City of Joy", "East is East" and "The Ghost and The Darkness" in a career spanning about 30 years.
"Charlie Wilson's War" is directed by Mike Nichols, who made "The Birdcage" and "Closer", and also stars Julia Roberts who plays Wilson's aide.
The movie is slated for release next year and Puri said he was looking forward to working with Hanks and Roberts in locations such as Morocco later this month.
"Most of my scenes are with them. I expect to have a wonderful time with them as they are very talented professionals," he said.
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New Delhi: Veteran actor Om Puri has been chosen to play Pakistan's former military ruler, General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, in a Hollywood production about the CIA's role in arming Mujahideen rebels in Afghanistan.
Om Puri, known for playing strong, serious characters, said he had been cast in Universal Pictures' "Charlie Wilson's War" alongside Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts.
The film, based on a book of the same name, revolves around Charlie Wilson, a charismatic, wheeler-dealer Texas Congressman, played by Hanks.
Wilson teams up with a rogue CIA agent to manipulate US Congress, the CIA and a host of foreign governments in a covert operation.
"The film discusses the entire political scenario of the time," 56-year-old Puri told Reuters.
"I appear as a well-settled Pakistani President who strikes a deal with the Americans that money and arms to the Afghans must flow through his country," said Puri, adding that he loved the character of Zia.
Zia ruled Pakistan from 1977, when he took power in a bloodless military coup, until 1988 when he died in a still unexplained plane crash.
His reign witnessed the enforcement of strict Islamic law in the country and was instrumental in providing US-backed military aid to the Afghan resistance against the Soviet occupation.
Puri has starred in several Hollywood productions in the past, including "Gandhi", "City of Joy", "East is East" and "The Ghost and The Darkness" in a career spanning about 30 years.
"Charlie Wilson's War" is directed by Mike Nichols, who made "The Birdcage" and "Closer", and also stars Julia Roberts who plays Wilson's aide.
The movie is slated for release next year and Puri said he was looking forward to working with Hanks and Roberts in locations such as Morocco later this month.
"Most of my scenes are with them. I expect to have a wonderful time with them as they are very talented professionals," he said.
Copyright 2004 Reuters Limited. Click for Restrictions <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd--> <!--emo&
--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo-->