1 week Ago By Manisha Chauhan
Actor Manoj Kumar passed away on Friday, leaving the film world in shock. Moushumi Chatterjee, who acted with him in Roti Kapada Aur Makaan in 1974, said he was a unique and talented filmmaker who always had a strong vision for his work. While speaking to News 24, Moushumi Chatterjee shared her thoughts on the passing of her Roti Kapada Aur Makaan co-star and director, Manoj Kumar.
She remembered him fondly and spoke with her usual honesty and simplicity. She recalled a bad experience with him and said, “Look, everyone says good things about people who die. It is true that Manoj Kumar was an excellent director with an unbeatable music sense.
But I had a bad experience regarding the song Hai Hai Yeh Majboori. See, you have to be convinced you have to use your common sense, the gaana which you are asking about, the language was cannot go with Zeenat’s character, she was an urban sophisticated character. The language in the song Teri do Takiya di naakri.
..it was suited to my character Tulsi who was rustic and Punjabi.
If you see my other song in the film Mehngai maar gayi with me and Premnathji. It wouldn’t be suited to Zeenat, no? Now what happened was, during that time, I was pregnant with my first daughter. It was my first baby and it was not planned.
I didn’t want to abort the baby. Chandra Barotji (assistant to Manoj Kumar) thought I was not interested in the film. Since I was married to Hemant Kumar’s son, I was not ambitious, I was disinterested.
So he was a little bit upset with Moushumi Chatterjee. He is no more. I can’t talk only nicely about him because truth is truth, truth many people can’t take nicely .
” Here Is A Still Pic I Had In My Archives From The Film Roti Kapada Aur Makaan. With Shree Manoj Kumar. Indeed Sad To Hear He Is No More.
May His Soul Rest In Peace. Sending Prayers To His Family. #ManojKumar pic.
twitter.com/2Lcp4NPw8b — Moushumi Chatterjee (@MoushumiChatte6) April 4, 2025 Moushumi Chatterjee revealed that Manoj Kumar was upset with her at one point, which is why she wasn’t given a trophy during the jubilee celebration of Roti Kapada Aur Makaan. She added, "Shashi Kapoor himself, who is also no more, he told me at the jubilee function of Roti Kapada Aur Makaan, that everyone was getting a trophy except me.
I attended the function and as Shashi said, I was the only one not given a trophy. I was very nice and innocent. Shashi said that everybody thought you are not interested in your acting career.
Look, I was never very ambitious. But I worked hard, balancing my responsibilities as a daughter-in-law, wife, mother and actress. Family comes first, as it should for everyone.
But I worked hard and by God’s grace, in spite of the rumours spread to sabotage my career, I gave hits all through my career. I never allowed my films to suffer for my pregnancy. The song with Premnathji ‘Mehngayi maar gayi’, at that time also I was 5-months pregnant, I sang in that too, two-three such songs that people advised me not to.
I did not compromise while I was working. When producers had to compromise or adjust a bit, and if that affected the films during my pregnancy I would return the signing amount.” Despite her grievance, Moushumi Chatterjee acknowledged that Manoj Kumar was a master filmmaker and truly gifted in his craft.
“He was an excellent director, very skilled director and he did his homework m very nicely and rest he had a very good assistant(Chandra Barot), his camera sense was excellent. I remember he shot a full scene in one take. There was one word in a scene that was coming out with a heavy Bengali accent.
Chandraji said we will fix it in the dubbing. But Manojji was adamant that I get it right during the shooting, no matter how time it took. That was the kind of director he was, a perfectionist," she concluded.
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