2 weeks Ago By [email protected] (Moumita Mukherjee)
Updated April 4th 2025, 08:01 IST The legendary Bollywood actor was well-known as ‘Bharat Kumar’ for his patriotic films. Mumbai: Veteran actor and film director Manoj Kumar passed away on Friday at the age of 87 at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Mumbai. The legendary Bollywood actor was well-known by his nickname ‘Bharat Kumar’ for his patriotic films.
He was a recipient of prestigious Padma Shri and Dadasaheb Phalke Award for his immense contribution to Indian cinema for decades. Born as Harikrishna Giri Goswami, Kumar has shaped the narrative of patriotic movies in Bollywood and has delivered classics like Upkar (1967), Purab Aur Paschim (1970), and Kranti (1981). His on-screen persona as a patriotic hero earned him the moniker ‘Bharat Kumar’.
His unforgettable performances and charismatic on-screen presence left an indelible mark. Some of his other popular films are Patthar Ke Sanam, Shor, Sanyasi, and Roti Kapda Aur Makan. The film industry and the fans are mourning the loss of the legendary actor.
“The legendary Dadasaheb Phalke award winner, our inspiration and the 'lion' of the Indian film industry, Manoj Kumar Ji is no more...
It is a great loss to the industry and the entire industry will miss him,” Filmmaker Ashoke Pandit said. Union Minister Rajnath Singh too mourned the loss. Taking to X, the Defence Minister called Manoj Kumar ‘a versatile actor who would always be remembered for making films full of patriotism’.
Fans Remember the Legend Manoj Kumar Life & Illustrious Career Manoj Kumar was born on July 24, 1937 in Abbottabad, a small town in North-West Frontier Province of British India (now in Pakistan ). His family moved to Delhi during the partition. He made his debut with Fashion in 1957 and gained recognition with Kanch Ki Gudiya in 1961, where he starred alongside Sayeeda Khan.
He soon established himself as a versatile actor with roles in Reshmi Rumal (1961), Piya Milan Ki Aas (1961), and the romantic drama Hariyali Aur Rasta (1962) opposite Mala Sinha. Throughout the early 1960s, Kumar delivered a string of successful films, including Apna Banake Dekho, Nakli Nawab (both 1962), and socially themed movies like Grahasti (1963) and Apne Huye Paraye (1964). His collaboration with director Raj Khosla gave memorable suspense thriller Woh Kaun Thi? (1964) with Sadhana Shivdasani.
The romantic tragedy Do Badan (1966) with Asha Parekh also won hearts. He reunited with Mala Sinha and Vijay Bhatt in Himalay Ki Godmein (1965), and starred in major hits like Gumnaam (1965)—one of the highest-grossing films of the year and Shaheed (1965), which portrayed the life of freedom fighter Bhagat Singh. He continued his successful run with films like Sawan Ki Ghata (1966) and Patthar Ke Sanam (1967).
In 1967, Kumar made a successful directorial debut with Upkar, a patriotic drama in which he played both a farmer and a soldier. The film was a critical and commercial success, winning multiple Filmfare Awards in 1968, including Best Story, Best Dialogue, Best Director, and Best Film. Awards and Recognitions For his immense contribution to Indian cinema, Manoj Kumar was honoured with several prestigious awards over the years.
The movie legend was conferred the title of Padma Shri by the Government of India in 1992. In 1999, he received the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award for a remarkable career spanning four decades. In 2016, he was awarded the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India’s highest honour in the field of cinema.
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