Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India]: Veteran actor Anupam Kher has paid a heartfelt tribute to the late Manoj Kumar, the iconic actor-filmmaker who passed away early Friday morning in Mumbai.
Taking to Instagram, Kher shared a video recalling his childhood memories of watching Kumar’s films and spoke about the profound influence they had on him—especially in cultivating a sense of patriotism.
“The first film I saw in my life, which I remember very well, was Upkaar. Films were shown in our locality. So this film was my first introduction to Manoj Kumar ji,” Kher said in the video.
“Manoj Kumar ji has a huge contribution in awakening the spirit of patriotism in my heart. India had become independent. It had been only 15-20 years and the fight for revolution, the freedom movement, everything was fresh. On top of that, Manoj Kumar ji’s films, that feeling of patriotism kept on deepening,” he added.
Manoj Kumar, born Harikrishan Goswami on July 24, 1937, in Abbottabad (now in Pakistan), breathed his last at 4:03 a.m. on April 4 at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Mumbai, following a prolonged illness.
Renowned for his powerful patriotic roles, Kumar was affectionately called “Bharat Kumar” by his fans. He rose to prominence in the 1960s and 1970s with iconic films like Upkar, Purab Aur Paschim, and Shaheed.
Beyond acting, Kumar was also a celebrated director and producer. His debut directorial film Upkar (1967) earned the National Film Award for Second Best Feature Film. He later directed other critically acclaimed and commercially successful films such as Purab Aur Paschim (1970) and Roti Kapda Aur Makaan (1974), both of which solidified his legacy in Indian cinema.