Celebrated Bollywood actor, director Manoj Kumar dies at 87
Entertainment
He was admitted to hospital and “died of age-related health issues", a statement said
MUMBAI (Dunya News) – Veteran Bollywood actor and director Manoj Kumar died at the age of 87 in India's entertainment hub, Mumbai.
He was admitted to Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital and “died of age-related health issues", a statement said on Friday.
His son, Kunal Goswami, told ANI news agency that he had been battling health issues for a long time.
He was born Harikrishan Goswami in 1937 in the northern state of Punjab. He started his career as an actor in Hindi movies in 1957. In 1965, he started producing movies on patriotism. He directed movie Upkar on Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri’s insistence which was a blockbuster.
He has left behind a rich legacy of patriotic films in the 1960s and 1970s. Main theme of his movies Shaheed, Upkar, Purab Aur Pachchim, Roti Kapada Aur Makaan and Kranti was love for the motherland, farmers' struggles and the sacrifices of India's freedom fighters.
Film Purab Aur Pachchim proved a massive blockbuster both in India and overseas.
Based on India’s struggle for freedom, Kranti went on to become the biggest patriotic hit of all time, topping the box office chart in 1981. It was the most successful film of the 1980s, and his third All Time Blockbuster after Upkar and Roti Kapada Aur Makaan.
His fans, celebrities, and politicians have been paying him tributes on social media.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi called him an "icon of Indian cinema".
"Manoj Ji's works ignited a spirit of national pride and will continue to inspire generations," he wrote in a post on X.
Many contemporary actors mourned his death, calling him a source of inspiration.
Akshay Kumar said he grew up watching Kumar's films which inculcated in him a sense of love and pride for the nation.
Ajay Devgn praised Kumar for creating moments that are now part of "Indian cinema's golden history" and thanked him for inspiring storytellers like himself.
He was fondly called 'Bharat Kumar' (the Hindi name for India) by his fans and peers.
Kumar received numerous awards, including the Padma Shri – the fourth highest civilian award in India. He also earned the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India's highest cinematic honour.
