Manoj Kumar


Manoj Kumar is an Indian actor and director in Bollywood. He is remembered for his versatile performances in films like Hariyali Aur Raasta, Woh Kaun Thi?, Himalay Ki God Mein, Do Badan, Upkar, Patthar Ke Sanam, Neel Kamal, Purab Aur Paschim, Beimaan, Roti Kapda Aur Makaan, Dus Numbri, Sanyasi and Kranti. He is known for acting in and directing films with patriotic themes, and has been given the nickname Bharat Kumar.
In 1992, he was honoured with the Padma Shri by the Government of India. India's highest award in cinema, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, was bestowed upon him in 2015.

Early life

Kumar was born in Abbottabad, a town in the North-West Frontier Province, British India. His original birth name was Harikishan Giri Goswami. When he was 10, his family had to migrate from Jandiala Sher Khan to Delhi due to the Partition. His family lived as refugees in Vijay Nagar, Kingsway Camp and later moved to Old Rajendra Nagar area of New Delhi.
After graduating from Hindu College, University of Delhi, he decided to enter the film industry.

Career

As a youngster, he admired Dilip Kumar, Ashok Kumar and Kamini Kaushal and decided to name himself Manoj Kumar, after Dilip's character in Shabnam .
After making a little-noticed début in Fashion in 1957, Manoj landed his first leading role in Kaanch Ki Gudia opposite Saida Khan. Piya Milan Ki Aas and Reshmi Roomal followed, setting the stage for the Vijay Bhatt-directed Hariyali Aur Raasta opposite Mala Sinha. Kumar then appeared with Sadhana in Raj Khosla's Woh Kaun Thi, and reunited with Vijay Bhatt and Mala Sinha in Himalaya Ki God Mein. Manoj Kumar and Raj Khosla repeated their successful Actor-Director partnership with the film Do Badan, which was remembered for many reasons, including Raj Khosla's direction, Manoj Kumar and the heroine Asha Parekh's excellent display of histrionics, an outstanding musical score by Ravi and immortal songs by the lyricist Shakeel Badayuni, among others.

The versatile hero

In the 1960s his successful films included romantic films like Honeymoon, Apna Banake Dekho, Naqli Nawab, Paththar Ke Sanam, Sajan and Sawan Ki Ghata and social films such as Shaadi, Grihasti, Apne Huwe Paraye, and Aadmi and thrillers such as Gumnaam, Anita, and Woh Kaun Thi and comedy film like Picnic.

The patriotic hero

Kumar's image as the patriotic hero started with the 1965 film Shaheed, based on the life of Bhagat Singh, the Independence revolutionary. After the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri asked him to create a film based on the popular slogan Jai Jawan Jai Kissan.
The result was Kumar's magnum opus and directorial debut Upkaar. In it, he played both a soldier and a farmer. The film was also noted for the famous song "Mere Desh Ki Dharti", written by Gulshan Bawra, composed by Kalyanji-Anandji and sung by Mahendra Kapoor. Upkaar was a hit and won Kumar his first Filmfare Best Director Award.
Manoj returned to patriotic themes in Purab Aur Paschim, in which life in the East and West are juxtaposed. The film Pehchaan directed by Sohanlal Kanwar had Kumar opposite Babita and it was successful.
In 1972, he starred in Be-Imaan and later directed and starred in Shor. The latter, opposite Nanda, was not a huge box office success on its release, but has gained cult status over the years. It featured the memorable song "Ek Pyar Ka Nagma Hai", a duet by Lata Mangeshkar and Mukesh, which was composed by Laxmikant-Pyarelal and written by Santosh Anand.
He consistently liked working with actors Prem Nath, Pran, Prem Chopra, Kamini Kaushal and Hema Malini in his career.

Peak of his career

In the mid-1970s Kumar starred in three hit films; Roti Kapda Aur Makaan which was a social commentary, featuring an all-star cast including Zeenat Aman, Shashi Kapoor and Amitabh Bachchan. He won his second Filmfare Award for Best Director for the film Roti Kapda Makan. Sanyasi,a religious-themed comedy, had Kumar and Hema Malini in the lead roles and film was hugely successful. Dus Numbri also gave Kumar,Pran,Prem Nath and Hema top billing.
In 1981, Kumar reached the peak of his career when he got the opportunity to direct his idol, Dilip Kumar, as well as to star in Kranti, a story about the struggle for Indian independence in the 19th century. Kranti was the last notable successful Hindi film in his career. He also starred in the hit Punjabi film Jat Punjabi.

Later career

After Kranti in 1981, Kumar's career began to decline, when the films he did with him in lead role like Kalyug Aur Ramayan in 1987 and later Clerk in 1989 failed at the box office. In 1989, he cast Pakistani actors Mohammad Ali and Zeba in his film Clerk. He quit acting after his appearance in the 1995 film Maidan-E-Jung. He directed his son, Kunal Goswami, in the 1999 film Jai Hind which had a patriotic theme. The film was a flop and was the last film Kumar worked on.
He was awarded the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award in 1999 for a career spanning over 40 years.
His trademark hand-covering-the-face was very popular and continues to be the butt of jokes of latter day stand-up comedians. In 2007, the Shah Rukh Khan film Om Shanti Om featured the lead character pretending to be Manoj Kumar so as to sneak into a movie premiere, by holding his hand over his face. Kumar filed a lawsuit, which was settled out of court.

Politics

Like many other Bollywood stars, Kumar decided to enter politics following his retirement. Before the 2004 general election in India, he officially joined BJP

Personal life

Manoj Kumar is married to Shashi Goswami. He has two sons, Vishal and Kunal. Vishal tried his luck as a singer and Kunal as an actor. His brother, Rajiv Goswami, also entered the film industry, but none were able to gain a footing in Bollywood.

Awards

Civilian award

Winner
Nominated
YearFilmRoleCo – StarsNotes
1957Fashion
1958SaharaShyamMeena Kumari
1958PanchayatGopalShyama
1959ChandGokulMeena Kumari, Balraj Sahni
1960HoneymoonSayeeda Khan
1961Kaanch Ki GudiyaRajuSayeeda Khan
1961Piya Milan Ki AasMajiAmeeta
1961Suhag SindoorRatanBalraj Sahni, Mala Sinha
1961Reshmi RumalShyamShakila
1962Hariyali Aur RastaShankarMala Sinha, Shashikala
1962Dr. VidyaRatan ChowdhuryVyjayanthimala
1962ShaadiRajaBalraj Sahni, Saira Banu, Dharmendra
1962Banarsi ThugShyamVijaya Chaudhari
1962Maa BetaKeshavAmeeta
1962Naqli NawabYusufShakila
1963Apna Bana Ke DekhoAsha Parekh
1963Ghar Basake DekhoKumarRajshree
1963GrahastiMohanRajshree
1964Apne Huye ParayeDr. ShankarMala Sinha
1964Woh Kaun Thi?Dr. AnandSadhana
1964Phoolon Ki SejNirmal VermaVyjayanthimala
1965ShaheedShaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh
1965BedaagRajeshNanda
1965Himalay Ki God MeinDr. Sunil MehraMala Sinha
1965GumnaamC.I.D. Inspector AnandNanda
1965Poonam Ki RaatPrakash GuptaKumud Chhugani
1966PicnicVinodKalpana
1966Do BadanVikasAsha Parekh
1966Sawan Ki GhataGopalSharmila Tagore
1967Patthar Ke SanamRajeshWaheeda Rehman, Mumtaz
1967AnitaNeerajSadhana
1967UpkarBharatAsha Parekh, Pran, Prem Chopra, Kamini Kaushalalso director
Winner, National Film Award for Second Best Feature Film
Winner, Filmfare Best Movie Award
Winner, Filmfare Best Director Award
Winner, Filmfare Best Story Award
Winner, Filmfare Best Dialogue Award
Winner, BFJA Awards: Best Dialogue
Nominated, Filmfare Best Actor Award
1968Neel KamalRamWaheeda Rehman
1968AadmiDr. ShekharWaheeda RehmanNominated, Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award
1969SajanAshok SaxenaAsha Parekh
1970Purab Aur PaschimBharatSaira Banualso director
1970YaadgaarBhanuNutan
1970PehchanGangaramBabita
1970Mera Naam JokerDavidRaj Kapoor
1971BalidaanRajaSaira Banu
1972ShorShankarNanda, Jaya Bachchanalso director
Winner, Filmfare Award for Best Editing
Nominated, Filmfare Best Director Award
Nominated, Filmfare Best Story Award
1972Be-ImaanMohanRaakheeWinner, Filmfare Best Actor Award
1974Roti Kapda Aur MakaanBharatZeenat Aman, Moushumi Chatterjialso director
Winner, Filmfare Best Director Award
Nominated, Filmfare Best Movie Award
Nominated, Filmfare Best Story Award
Nominated, Filmfare Best Actor Award
1975SanyasiRam RaiHema MaliniNominated, Filmfare Best Actor Award
1976Dus NumbriArjunHema Malini
1977Shirdi Ke Sai BabaDoctor / ScientistRajendra Kumar, Hema Malini
1977AmaanatDeepakSadhna, Balraj Sahni, Mehmood, Aruna Irani, Asit Sen
1979Jat PunjabiJat PunjabiRajendra Nath, Madan Puri, Raza Murad
1981KrantiBharat / KrantiDilip Kumar, Shashi Kapoor, Shatrughan Sinha, Hema Malini, Parveen Babi, Nirupa Roy, Prem Chopraalso director
1987Kalyug Aur RamayanPawan Putra Shri HanumanMadhavi
1989SantoshSantosh SinghNirupa Roy, Raakhee, Prem Chopra, Hema Malini
1989ClerkBharatAshok Kumar, Rajendra Kumar, Rekha, Mohammed Ali, Shashi Kapoor, Anita Raj, Zeba, Prem Chopraalso director
1991DeshwasiSangram Singh
1995Maidan-E-JungMaster DinanathDharmendra, Akshay Kumar, Karishma Kapoor
1999Jai Hindonly director