Bollywood icon Manoj Kumar passes away at 87

Veteran Bollywood actor, writer, director, and producer Manoj Kumar breathed his last on April 4, 2025, at 87 in Mumbai. Affectionately known as “Bharat Kumar” for his patriotic roles, he carved a niche by pioneering patriotic cinema, becoming the first superstar to do so.

Born as Harikrishan Goswami on July 24, 1937, in Abbottabad, British India (now in Pakistan), Manoj Kumar migrated to India during the Partition. His passion for acting led him to follow his idol Dilip Kumar into films, even adopting the screen name Manoj Kumar in his honor.

Despite making his film debut in the 1950s as an actor, Manoj Kumar struggled initially because Raj Kapoor, Dev Anand, and Dilip Kumar dominated the scene at the time. However, he rose to stardom with films like “Hariyali Aur Rasta” (1962) and “Woh Kaun Thi?” (1964).

His performance in the latter opposite Sadhna made him popular among the younger generation, which reached newer heights after "Shaheed" (1965) became a colossal hit because of his portrayal of freedom fighter Bhagat Singh. From then on, he began focusing on socially relevant themes while also continuing in commercial cinema.

He finally got to share the screen with his idol Dilip Kumar in "Aadmi" (1968), but it was "Upkar" (1967) that helped him become a household name. He not only wrote and directed the patriotic film but also helped popularize Indian Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri’s slogan, “Jai Jawan Jai Kisan.”

He followed the trend of patriotic movies with “Purab Aur Paschim” (1970) and “Kranti” (1981), and since he was mostly named Bharat in his films, his fans called him “Bharat Kumar”. In the 1980s, he launched his son Kunal Goswami, but the latter never matched his father’s iconic status.

Film buffs from Pakistan remember Manoj Kumar for uniting superstar Mohammad Ali with his idol, Ashok Kumar, in Clerk (1989). He cast Mohammad Ali and his wife Zeba as his elder brother and sister-in-law while giving Ashok Kumar and Rajendra Kumar standout roles in the movie.

Manoj Kumar's films were not only known for their patriotic themes but also because of his excellent taste in music. His soundtracks topped the Binaca Geetmala charts for weeks—and remain beloved even today.

You can neither forget his emotional performance in "Ek Pyar Ka Naghma Hai" from "Shor", nor his patriotic cry in "Main Na Bhoolunga" from "Purab Aur Paschim".

He received four Filmfare Awards for 'Upkaar' (Best Film, Best Director, Best Story, Best Dialogue), two for 'Be-Imaan' (Best Actor, Best Editing), and one for 'Roti Kapda Aur Makaan' (Best Director), in addition to National Award for 'Upkaar'.

He was also awarded the Padma Shri in 1992 for his contributions to Indian cinema, and in 2015, India’s highest cinematic honor, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, was bestowed upon him.

Celebrities paid tribute to the legend on social media. Akshay Kumar reminisced about sharing the screen with him, while Ajay Devgn credited him with giving his father, Veeru Devgan, his first break.

His contributions to Indian cinema have left an indelible mark, and he will be remembered as a stalwart who used cinema as a canvas to celebrate India’s soul.