The legendary actor and filmmaker Manoj Kumar has passed away at 87. Fans lovingly called him “Bharat Kumar” for his patriotic movies. He died at the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital. The cause of death is not yet clear, but it’s believed he was struggling with age-related issues.
Manoj Kumar won the National Film Award and was honored with the Padma Shri in 1992 and the Dada Saheb Phalke Award in 2015 for his contributions to Indian cinema. His breakthrough film was the 1964 mystery thriller “Wo Kaun Thi?”, which became a huge hit. The movie’s songs, such as “Lag Ja Gale” and “Naina Barase Rimjhim”, are still loved by many, thanks to Lata Mangeshkar’s voice.
Who was Manoj Kumar?
Born Harikrishna Giri Goswami, Manoj Kumar came from a Punjabi Hindu Brahmin family in Abottabad, a city in the North-Western Province of British India (now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan). When he was 10, his family moved to Delhi due to the partition.
Manoj Kumar’s notable films
Some of his notable films include “Sahara” (1958), “Chaand” (1959), and “Honeymoon” (1960). His first lead role was in “Kaanch Ki Gudiya” (1961), followed by “Pyaar Milan Ki Aas” (1961), “Suhag Sindoor” (1961), and “Reshmi Rumal” (1961).
Manoj Kumar’s patriotic films
His first released film was the patriotic “Shaheed”, based on the life of freedom fighter Bhagat Singh. The film was a hit with critics, audiences, and even then-Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri. After the 1965 India-Pakistan war, Shastri asked Manoj Kumar to make a film based on the popular slogan “Jai Jawan Jai Kisan”. The result was the patriotic film “Upkar” (1967), which received critical acclaim and became a box office hit. The movie’s soundtrack was the sixth best-selling Hindi film album of the 1960s. One of its songs, “Mere Desh Ki Dharti”, is still played every year during Republic Day and Independence Day celebrations in India.
