“The 1950s were the golden age of the Hindi/Hindustani film industry (not yet called Bollywood). Famous actors shunned actors. If appropriate, we should call them Kumars really.” This is a fact.
This is how economist and Indian film critic Meghnad Desai explains how actor Manoj Kumar entered the world of Indian cinema. The actor passed away at the age of 87 in Mumbai on Sunday evening due to heart problems.
In 1965, Manoj Kumar (born Hare Krishna Giri Goswami) wrote the first major “patriotic” film based on the life of Bhagat Singh, a masterpiece about a young revolutionary. Later, the actor-turned-director’s name was changed to “Bharat Kumar”, due to the popularity of his character in Upkar (1967). It was brought during the Indo-Pakistani war in 1965, and based on the hope of the former Prime Minister of India – “Jai Jawan Jai Kisan” – Manoj Kumar buried it; Big B, Salim Khan, Prem Chopra pay their last respects 10:00:00 AM: Manoj Kumar’s coffin will be buried on the last day.
Long before Bollywood turned to patriotism in its stories, Kumar used to take patriotism as his calling card. Kumar was born in Abbottabad, Pakistan in 1937. He was ten years old when his family moved to Delhi after partition, where they lived in a refugee camp for the first time. In several interviews, Kumar has talked about the pain he felt due to the lockdown and the death of his two-month-old brother. Perhaps these memories influenced cinema in later years.
At the age of nineteen, Manoj Kumar made his debut in the industry in a short film as a star in Fashion (1957). After playing small roles in several films, she appeared in a pivotal role in Kaanch Ki Gudiya (1961). He achieved commercial success with Hariyali Aur Rasta (1962) and later with Woh Kaun Thi (1964).
Even after he left, and with his star power greatly increased, he continued to deliver entertainment as usual, focusing on patriotic films like “Purab Aur Paschim” (1970), which extolled Indian values, and “Roti Kapada Aur Makaan” (1974), which dealt with war. and the historical drama Kranti (1981). He even changed his image as Bharat Kumar chose not to smoke during public appearances or touch his on-screen colleagues in his next film. In addition to directing and acting, he has written and produced several of his own films. Kumar is survived by his wife Shashi Goswami and sons Kunal and Vishal. His last rites will be held on Friday, 5th at Pawan Hans Mawla Cemetery, Vile Parle, Mumbai.
On how Kumar was later honored as “a role model for India’s patriotic youth,” Desai said, “India is free and proud of itself. After hearing the news of his death, large crowds poured in from far and wide.” Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the veteran actor as “the heartbeat of India, and will continue to be a leader for generations to come.”
Manoj Kumar gave his father Veeru Devgan his first break as a director with Roti Kapda Aur Makaan. “From there, their friendship continued into the future, creating an era that is now part of the history of Indian cinema,” Devgan wrote. Speaking to reporters on the occasion of Manoj Kumar’s residence visit, he said the actor also gave his father Ravi Tandon his first acting chance. Bollywood celebrities including Aamir Khan and Salman Khan also paid tributes to the late actor.