BOMBAY, Jan 12: Veteran actor Amrish Puri, best known for his roles as a villain in Bollywood films, died on Wednesday after suffering a brain haemorrhage, hospital sources said.

Puri, 72, had acted in 221 Bollywood films, with a light-comedy "Hulchul" (Uproar), released in December, his last major hit. The actor, who brought his own distinctive style to the screen, was the bald-headed "Mogambo" in the 1987 sci-fi Hindi flick, "Mr India," directed by Shekhar Kapur of "Elizabeth" fame.

Puri, younger brother of former Bollywood character actor Madan Puri, was rejected during a screen test in 1954, with the producers deciding he had a "crude and harsh face" unsuitable for a main lead.

He then turned his attention to the theatre and also lent his voice to many advertisement jingles. But the Bollywood break came at the age of 40 although for success he had to wait for the 1982 box office hit "Vidhaata" (God).

In the same year, he caught the attention of global audiences with a cameo role in Richard Attenbourough's film "Gandhi." Puri also played minor roles in two Hollywood films - as the high priest in the Steven Spielberg adventure epic "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" (1984) and the sequel to "Raiders of the Lost Ark". -AFP