Veteran star Manoj Kumar died today (April 4) after suffering from a prolonged illness. He was 87. The legendary actor is best known for his patriotic films like Upkar (1967), Purab Aur Paschim (1970) and Kranti (1981).
Since Manoj Kumar’s film roles embodied his patriotic spirit, he earned the moniker of Bharat Kumar. The actor, in a past interaction with Lehren Radio, shared a fascinating anecdote on how he was bestowed with the title.
It was after Manoj Kumar played the character of Bharat in Upkar. The film, directed by Manoj Kumar himself, also featured Asha Parekh and Prem Chopra in important roles.
Manoj Kumar said, “Aksar jo acha character hai uska naam ho woh rakh dete hain. Toh maine socha ke Bharat desh toh gaon mein basta hai, kisano ka desh hai toh uss character ka name main Bharat rakh dun aur uski zindagi mein jo khetun se juda hua hai, ek ladki aati hai, aise aati hai ke jaise koi jhilmil karti hui Kavita. Isiliye ladki ka naam Kavita rakh diya (Often, a good character’s name stays with them. So, I thought, since India is an agricultural country, I’ll name the character Bharat, and his life is connected to the fields. A girl enters his life, and it’s as if a sparkling poem has arrived, which is why I named her Kavita.”
He added, “Bharat isiliye rakha tha bharat gaon mein basta hai, and yeh kisano ka desh ka hai. Aur humare desh ki public itni dayalu hai ke unko koi cheez genuine aur achi laagti hai aur sachi laage toh woh itna pyaar and izzat dete hain jo duniya mein koi nahi deta. Main toh seedha saadha ladka tha, aap logun ne Bharat bana diya. Ehsaan kiya, bhooj bhi dal diya ke uss image ko nibhane ke liye mushkil hogaya (I named him Bharat because he lives in a village, and this is a country of farmers. And the public in our country is so kind-hearted that when they find something genuine and good, they shower it with immense love and respect, which is unparalleled worldwide. I was just a simple boy, but you all made me ‘Bharat’. You obliged me, and also placed a huge responsibility on me to live up to that image)”.
Manoj Kumar was admitted to Kokilaben Dhirubai Ambani Hospital in Mumbai. He died due to heart-related complications. As per the medical certificates obtained, the secondary cause of his death was decompensated liver cirrhosis.
Manoj Kumar debuted in Bollywood with the 1957 film Fashion.
