Mumbai: Once the face of critically acclaimed classics, actor Om Puri's recent Indian films like Dhol and Buddha Mar Gaya have been anything but a critic's delight.

However, the multi-faceted actor has been getting his fair share of acclaim, abroad. And the actor confesses, that his tryst with Pakistani characters in international cinema has been a pleasant one. The most memorable one being his act as a UK-based shop owner of Pakistani origin and conservative ideals in 1999's East is East.

Now Puri will be seen as General Zia Ul Haq, the erstwhile dictator of Pakistan in Mike Nichols' Charlie Wilson's War which also stars Hollywood biggies Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts.

"Zia's part is interesting because the film is critical of American foreign policy. The film has Zia cutting a deal that all arms supplied to Afghanistan will be routed through him. It deals with the birth of terrorism in which America played a significant role. Although it's small, it's critical,” says Puri.

And in Jag Mundhra's Shoot on Sight, a film that deals with recent Islamic terrorism growing in the UK, Puri plays a fundamentalist maulvi. The film also features Naseeruddin Shah.

"In Jag's film I play a fundamentalist maulvi. I have given him glasses and a grave look because a lot of people in the movement today are educated. I can also relate to his grievances with America to an extent,” Puri says.

Apart from the buzz that Shoot on Sight is already creating, the actor is more excited about Charlie Wilson's War being touted as an Oscar hopeful.

Surprisingly, his fondest recollection of this film pertains to the director, and not it's heavyweight star cast.

"Well, I will be happy if Mike's film wins. I would be proud to be part of such a film. Mike has given us great cinema like The Graduate, and Wolf in which I have worked with him,” Puri said.

Back home, Puri is currently working on Aziz Mirza's Kismat Connection and Rakesh Mehra's much anticipated Dilli 6.