Om Puri to return on TV with rural-based show

New Delhi, June 5 (IANS) Om Puri, who moved to television when it was not so popular among Bollywood celebrities, may soon come on the small screen with a rural-based show that will highlight the role of panchayats in villages.

'I was approached by the rural development ministry to be a brand ambassador... very soon I will work in a serial. We had a couple of meetings, it has something to do with rural development,' Puri, who debuted on small screen in 1988 with the comedy show 'Kakaji Kahin', told IANS Sunday.

'The idea of the show is to create awareness among the villagers that they should exercise their rights and have panchayats that are effective. The panchayats have been given a lot of rights and also a lot of resources, which people in general should be aware of and they should demand their rights - whether it is cleanliness or employment,' he added.

The actor, who also worked as narrator for the popular television show 'Mr. Yogi', was in the capital to offer his support for 'Fools for Forest' campaign, an initiative by NGO Green Peace India, which aims towards saving the forests. He was accompanied by his son Ishaan.

Last seen in Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's 'Teen Thay Bhai', the actor is now gearing up for the release of his new film 'West is West', which hits the screens June 10.