Bollywood and film aficionados across the world mourned the loss of veteran actor Om Puri in January this year. The tragic incident not only left a deep void in Indian cinema, but also his last film, which couldn't be completed owing to his untimely death. Not many know that the movie, Mr Kabaadi, is helmed by his ex-wife Seema Kapoor and the satire marks her directorial debut.

BT has now learnt that Satish Kaushik has been roped in to fill the shoes of the iconic actor as a narrator in the film. A source informed, “Om Puri has not only acted, but has also done a voice-over in the film as he doubles up as its narrator. While he had finished shooting for his scenes in the movie, the voice-over was left incomplete when he passed away. Seema thought of roping in a voice-over artiste who could mimic his voice, but she eventually decided to alter the script and introduce a new narrator (Satish Kaushik's character), who speaks in third person.“

Confirming the news, Satish Kaushik said, “Om Puri was a dear friend. We have struggled together as actors and I have seen his growth. This film is special to me for that very reason. Seemaji is like a sister to me and it's an honour to be offered this part. I've finished dubbing, but it wasn't easy as matching up to Om can never be easy.“

Seema Kapoor added, “I still cannot believe that he (Om Puri) is not with us. This movie is very close to my heart and I am thankful to Satishji, who flew from Delhi to Mumbai for a couple of hours for the dubbing. I was initially looking for a voiceover artiste who can mimic Om Puri's voice, but I realised that even the voice needs a certain performance, which only an actor can deliver. So, I requested Satishji to do it.“