Legends

Manoj Kumar – The Patriotic Hero

By Ipshita Sarkar | July 23, 2015

Harikrishna Giri Goswami made valuable contribution as an actor and director to the Hindi movie industry. Is it difficult for you to recall a personality with this name? Let me clear your confusion and you will have that knowing look in your face once you see the name of the actor Manoj Kumar.

Born as Harikrishna Giri Goswami on 24^th July 1939 and a big follower of the actor Dilip Kumar, Kumar named himself after Dilip Kumar’s character in the movie Shabnam (1949). Kaanch Ki Gudia (1960) marks the debut of the actor in the leading role. But Vijay Bhatt’s Hariyali Aur Raasta in the year 1962 in which he acted opposite to Mala Sinha proved to be a massive hit in the box office. Then there was no looking back for the actor and henceforth came hit movies like Woh Kaun Thi (1964), Himalaya Ki God Mein (1965), etc.

Kumar was also known as Bharat Kumar of Bollywood because he epitomised patriotic themes in his movies. The saga started with the movie Shaheed (1965) where he played the protagonist and the movie was based on the revolutionary Bhagat Singh. On the demand of then the Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri, Kumar directed his first film Upkaar (1967) which won him the first Filmfare award for best director category and a movie where he played the role of a soldier and a farmer. This film is still remembered for the song ‘Mere Desh Ki Dharti’ written by Gulshan Bawra, composed by Kalyanji-Anandji and sung by Mahendra Kapoor.

Later in the 70s he gave hits Purab Aur Paschim (1970), Be – Imaan (1972), a movie for he was awarded the Filmfare award for best actor and Shor in 1972 proved to be huge box office hit. In the mid-70s he earned more fame by featuring in blockbusters like Roti Kapda Aur Makaan (1974) where he not only shared the screen with Amitabh Bachchan, Zeenat Aman and Shahi Kapoor but directed the movie too which in turn won him his second Filmfare award for best director. Then came movies like Sanyasi (1975), a comedy and Dus Numbri (1976) with Hema Malini which also became a great success.

In the year 1981 Kumar reached at a benchmark of his career where he directed his idol Dilip Kumar in the movie Kranti. It depicted the story of Indian Independence struggle during the nineteenth century. This movie became one of the greatest hits of its time and added one more achievement in the records of the director.

Kumar, as an actor was last seen in the movie Maidan – E – Jung (1995). Kumar is married to Shashi Goswami and the couple has two sons. The actor cum director will be celebrating his seventy sixth birthday. The great actor was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India in the year 1992 – 93.

A list of few of his songs of Manoj Kumar.