Dismissing suggestions that he was upset with his wife Nandita for making public the details of his personal life, the 59-year-old actor said his wife is a journalist of repute and he is proud of her writing.

"The book is a tribute to my friends, my colleagues, my mentors and the women in my life. I am proud of my story, my childhood and my journey and I see it as an inspirational story for millions of Indians," Puri said.

"It pains me that because of the sensationalism of certain segments of the press, my family and I have to go through so much embarrassment. It has been completely blown out of proportion and they have added words I have not said or even heard of," the national-award-winning actor said.

'Unlikely Hero: Om Puri' by Nandita C Puri, is slated to hit book stores later this month.

Indignant with the media focus on his relationships, author Nandita said that the book has been misrepresented. She said that she has tried to present an entire era of Indian cinema through her husband's life story but media has chosen to portray it as "pornography".

"Om Puri is a great actor of Indian cinema and I have tried my best to represent the era of 80s through his story.

The book is about his childhood, about his struggles and his contribution to the cinema. There is only one chapter about his relationships in the book," Nandita said.

"He chose to tell me about his relationships with those women who meant a lot to him and touched him in a special way. He spoke about them with great depth and respect," the author said.

"By pulling out those portions and putting them in wrong context, the media has not only tried to tarnish Puri's image but has also hurt the women in his life," she said, denying reports that the actor was upset with her for making public the details of his private life.

She said that if the actor did not want the details to be public he would not have told her about them.

Publishers Roli Books said in a statement, "'Unlikely Hero' is a story of Om Puri's determination and perseverance that cut through the deep-rooted prejudices of the Indian film industry. The book is documentation of his childhood, work and success in India and abroad."

Puri, one of the few Indian actors to have successfully made a mark in international cinema, has worked with stalwarts like Richard Attenborough, Ben Kingsley, Patrick Swayze and Hollywood A-listers like Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts.

The foreword to the book has been written by none other than the late 'Dirty Dancing' star Patrick Swayze, who shared screen with Puri in 1992 film 'City of Joy'.

"Om's entire journey can be read in his face and he adds a layer of credibility and passion to every role he essays. City of Joy truly changed my life. I came back to my country with a sense of bubble we live in and made a commitment to be like Om," Swayze wrote.

Attenborough and Kingsley have also contributed to the book, remembering the times spent with Puri on the sets of the film 'Gandhi', which went on to win eight Academy awards in 1982.

Puri played a religious bigot in the film, who is reformed by coming into the contact of Mahatma Gandhi.