✦ Celebrity stories, facts and career updates. Explore F4U now →

Home › Biography › Om Shivpuri (Actor)

Om Shivpuri (Actor) photo for featured biography, wiki and actors profileFeatured Biography

Image source: StarsUnfolded

Actors

Om Shivpuri (Actor) Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated October 6, 2026 • 3 min read

Request CorrectionClaim Profile

Quick Info

Date of birth14 July 1936

Age54 (at time of death)

BirthplacePatiala, Punjab, British India

ProfessionActor

NationalityIndian

Marital statusMarried

SpouseSudha Shivpuri

FamilyChildren: Vineet Shivpuri (son), Ritu Shivpuri (daughter)

Om Shivpuri (Actor) Biography

Om Shivpuri was an Indian stage and film actor, a pioneering figure at the National School of Drama who went on to appear in over 150 Hindi films, best‑reg

Early life and background
Om Shivpuri was born on 14 July 1936 in Patiala, Punjab, during the period of British India. He came from a Kashmiri Pandit family and spent formative years working at All India Radio in Jaipur, where he met his future wife, Sudha Shivpuri. He later earned a scholarship to attend the National School of Drama in New Delhi, a training ground that shaped his theatrical outlook and launched his career in stagecraft.

Career
After completing his studies at the National School of Drama, Shivpuri became closely associated with the institution’s repertory activities. He served as the first chief of the National School of Drama Repertory Company in 1964 and was active in directing and staging plays in the years that followed. In 1965 he directed Tuglaq, a play by Girish Karnad, which was first presented at the National School of Drama.

Shivpuri moved between theatre and cinema, making his film debut in 1971 with Ashadh Ka Ek Din, in which he played the character Vilom. He established himself as a reliable character and supporting actor in Hindi films and built a prolific screen career, appearing in more than 150 films. One of his early notable film appearances came with Gulzar’s Koshish in 1972, a role that helped him secure further work in Bollywood. Over his screen career he worked frequently alongside major stars; he appeared in thirty-one films that featured Rajesh Khanna in the lead.

He was offered the role that Pran ultimately played in Heer Raanjha (1970), a part he declined. Plans were also made at one point for him to direct a film titled Aadhe Adhure for producer Basu Bhattacharya, but the project did not come to fruition after the two had a disagreement.

Public profile
On screen Shivpuri was known for playing strong character parts rather than lead hero roles, and his filmography includes a wide range of supporting performances across genres. He continued to work in films into the later years of his life; although his last listed film credit is for Aakhri Sanghursh (1997), his body of work is primarily associated with the decades from the 1960s through the 1980s and early 1990s.

Personal life
Om Shivpuri was married to Sudha Shivpuri, an actress who later gained wide recognition for her television role as “Baa” in Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi. The couple had two children: a son, Vineet Shivpuri, who worked as a director, and a daughter, Ritu Shivpuri, who pursued acting and played a lead role in Aankhen (1993).

Later years and death
Shivpuri remained connected to theatre and film until his death. He died on 16 October 1991 in Bombay, Maharashtra. He was 54 years old at the time and the reported cause of death was a heart attack.

Legacy
Shivpuri’s contribution to Indian theatre and cinema is remembered through a recurring theatre event held in his honour: the Om Shivpuri Memorial Drama Festival, a five-day festival that commemorates his work for the stage. His long list of supporting roles in Hindi cinema and his pioneering work at the National School of Drama Repertory Company are frequently cited as central parts of his professional legacy.

Latest updates
No recent projects are reported; the memorial theatre festival continues to reflect ongoing recognition of his contributions to Indian theatre and drama.

Editorial Review and Sources

This F4U profile is written from publicly available career and profile information, then reviewed for clarity before publication. If you spot an outdated detail about Om Shivpuri (Actor), send the page URL and a reliable correction source to f4udotin@gmail.com.

Reference context: StarsUnfolded

Accuracy

Request a Correction

Tell us what needs to be updated and share a reliable source so the editorial team can review it.

Ownership

Claim This Profile

If this profile is about you or your client, send your contact details and verification context.

◈

Recent Work

Aakhri Sanghursh

Appeared as Patel's Partner (listed as his last film credit)

1997
✦

Career Highlights

  1. First chief of the National School of Drama Repertory Company (1964)
  2. Directed Girish Karnad’s Tuglaq at NSD (1965)
  3. Film debut in Ashadh Ka Ek Din (1971)
  4. Appeared in Gulzar’s Koshish (1972)
  5. Acted in over 150 Hindi films
  6. Appeared in thirty-one films starring Rajesh Khanna
Reviewed by F4U Editorial Desk

F4U profile pages are prepared from public career information, checked for readability, and updated when reliable correction sources are shared with the editorial team.

People Also Search For

Indian TV ActressesBollywood ActorsTV ActressesSouth Indian ActorsActors biographies
?

Frequently Asked Questions

When was Om Shivpuri (Actor) born?

Om Shivpuri (Actor) was born on 14 July 1936.

What is Om Shivpuri (Actor) known for?

Om Shivpuri (Actor) is known for actor.

What is Om Shivpuri (Actor)’s marital status?

Om Shivpuri (Actor)'s marital status is listed as Married.

Who is Om Shivpuri (Actor) married to?

Om Shivpuri (Actor) is publicly listed as married to Sudha Shivpuri.