Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], April 4 : The Indian film industry has lost one of its most celebrated figures, Manoj Kumar, who passed away at the age of 87.
The veteran actor and filmmaker breathed his last on April 4, at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Mumbai after battling a long illness.
As tributes poured in from across the industry, filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar spoke on Kumar's immense contributions to Indian cinema and also shared how the actor's work resonated deeply with audiences "deeply connected to his movies and songs."
"Manoj ji has a big contribution. As an audience, many people connect to his movies and songs. People of the country and filmmakers will never forget his contribution. He was one filmmaker who used to infuse a lot of patriotism and national pride...," Bhandarkar told ANI.
Born Harikrishan Goswami on July 24, 1937, in Abbottabad (now in Pakistan), Kumar became an iconic figure in Indian cinema, especially in the 1960s and 1970s. The actor was affectionately known as "Bharat Kumar" for his iconic roles in patriotic films like Upkar, Purab Aur Paschim, and Shaheed.
Apart from acting, Kumar also made significant contributions as a director and producer. His directorial debut Upkar (1967) won the National Film Award for Second Best Feature Film.
Other successful films directed by him include Purab Aur Paschim (1970) and Roti Kapda Aur Makaan (1974), both of which were major successes, both critically and commercially.
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