The unmistakable baritone of ?Mogambo khush hua? has been silenced.

Actor Amrish Puri died at Mumbai?s Hinduja Hospital this morning, following brain haemorrhage. The 72-year-old actor had been suffering from myclodisplastic syndrome, a blood disorder, and had even undergone a brain invasive surgery. He is survived by his wife, a son and a daughter. The funeral will be held at 2.30 pm tomorrow at the Shivaji Park crematorium.

Shooed away after his first screen test ? for having a ?crude, harsh face? ? way back in 1954, Puri went on to become the greatest Indian ?crossover actor? ? from stage to screen stardom, from small-budget art films to mega-budget blockbusters, from Shyam Benegal to Shekhar Kapur to Steven Spielberg.

As Vinayak Kale (Bhumika) metamorphosed into Mogambo (Mr India) and then Mola Ram (Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom), Puri saab, as he was known throughout Bollywood, grew as a versatile virtuoso like none other.

Having done theatre for more than a decade, Puri made his debut at the age of 40 in Reshma aur Shera and was an integral member of the parallel cinema movement, being a fixture of most Benegal films, including Nishant, Manthan, Mandi and Bhumika. He went on to act in over 200 films in a career spanning more than three decades, striding the screen with sculpted physique and booming voice.

He was mainstream Bollywood?s villain No. 1, playing the bad man effectively in blockbusters like Mr India, Nagina, Ram Lakhan, Karan Arjun, Saudagar and Phool aur Kaante. The Attenboroughs and Spielbergs cast him, too, as Puri received international recognition.

The king of crime crossed over to comedy without a blink, with hits like Chachi 420 and Muskurahat. And it was finally as the father figure in films like Dilwale Dulhaniya le Jayenge and Gardish that Amrish Puri endeared himself to one and all.

As Prime Minister Manmohan Singh put it today in Calcutta: ?Puri made his mark on stage and then went on to become one of the most recognisable faces in Hindi cinema as well as among international audiences. Indian cinema and theatre will, without doubt, miss his commanding and endearing presence.?

The loss within the industry is acute. Says the other bad man, Gulshan Grover: ?He was so physically fit and inspired others to do the same, that I still can?t believe he is no more. When we shot together for his breakthrough film Hum Paanch, the entire cast comprising Naseeruddin Shah, Mithun Chakraborty, Raj Babbar and Shabana Azmi used to follow his exercise routine. And he switched from villainous characters to more emotional roles at his own will. Today, when heroes are snatching character roles, he held his ground maintaining his stardom, his exclusivity and his high fee.?

For his co-actors too, Puri was an institution. ?Even his persona was larger than life,? says Anupam Kher who has acted with him in many a Bollywood potboiler. ?He was a towering personality.?

Even for Bollywood?s big stars, Amrish Puri will remain a father figure. ?From my first film Hero to my latest release Hulchul, he has been like a father,? says Jackie Shroff.

As for Ram?s Lakhan, Anil Kapoor, he messaged The Telegraph from London: ?It is a personal shock. I am too shocked to react.?