Veteran actor Manoj Kumar passes away

Veteran actor-filmmaker Manoj Kumar, known as 'Bharat Kumar' for his series of patriotic films such as Shaheed, Upkar, and Purab Aur Paschim, passed away in a Mumbai hospital early Friday. He was 87.

Battling Age-Related Ailments

The industry veteran, whose films dominated the box office in the late 1960s and 1970s, had been ailing for a while. He died of age-related issues at the Kokilaben Ambani Hospital around 3.30 am, family friend and filmmaker Ashoke Pandit told PTI.

"He had been hospitalized for the past few weeks," Dr. Santosh Shetty, CEO and executive director of the hospital, said in a statement.

"He is out of his misery now," the filmmaker's son Kunal told PTI, adding that his father had been battling multiple health issues and was bedridden for the last few years. Kumar had been in and out of the hospital and was most recently admitted for pneumonia.

PM Modi Pays Tribute

Prime Minister Narendra Modi remembered him as an "icon of Indian cinema."

"Deeply saddened by the passing of legendary actor and filmmaker Shri Manoj Kumar Ji. He was an icon of Indian cinema, who was particularly remembered for his patriotic zeal, which was also reflected in his films. Manoj Ji's works ignited a spirit of national pride and will continue to inspire generations. My thoughts are with his family and admirers in this hour of grief. Om Shanti," the prime minister wrote on X.

Deeply saddened by the passing of legendary actor and filmmaker Shri Manoj Kumar Ji. He was an icon of Indian cinema, who was particularly remembered for his patriotic zeal, which was also reflected in his films. Manoj Ji's works ignited a spirit of national pride and will… pic.twitter.com/f8pYqOxol3

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 4, 2025

A Legacy of Iconic Films

A recipient of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, Kumar was known for hits such as Do Badan, Haryali Aur Rasta, and Gumnaam.

Born Harikrishan Goswami into a Punjabi Hindu family in Abbottabad, now in Pakistan, Kumar’s family migrated to Delhi post-Partition. He completed his graduation from Hindu College before shifting to Mumbai to pursue a film career.

In a 2021 interview with PTI, Kumar recalled being inspired by Dilip Kumar’s performance in Shabnam (1949), which led him to adopt the name Manoj, after Dilip Kumar’s character in the film.

Years later, Kumar fulfilled his dream of working with his idol when Dilip Kumar played a role in his film Kranti.

Rise to Stardom and Patriotic Cinema

Kumar’s first major success was Vijay Bhatt’s Hariyali Aur Rasta (1962), opposite Mala Sinha, followed by the thriller Woh Kaun Thi?, known for its hit song Lag Jaa Gale.

His breakthrough came in 1965 with Shaheed, a biopic on Bhagat Singh, which caught the attention of then-Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri. Inspired by a conversation with Shastri, Kumar made Upkar, his directorial debut, based on the PM’s slogan Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan. The film became a blockbuster, with the song Mere Desh Ki Dharti remaining an Independence Day and Republic Day favorite.

Beyond patriotic films, Kumar also played romantic leads in Himalay Ki God Mein, Do Badan, Sawan Ki Ghata, and the thriller Gumnaam.

In 1970, he made Purab Aur Paschim, highlighting cultural differences between the East and the West. His patriotic themes continued in Roti Kapda Aur Makaan and Kranti, cementing his status as ‘Bharat Kumar’.

He came to be known as "Bharat Kumar" for his love for patriotic and socially conscious movies, a theme that he further explored in "Roti Kapda Aur Makaan" and Kranti".

(With PTI inputs)