Veteran actor Manoj Kumar, known for his roles in patriotic films such as Purab Aur Paschim and Kranti, passed away at 87 in Mumbai. Mr Kumar was admitted to Kokilaben Dhirubai Ambani Hospital in Mumbai, where he died at 3:30 am on Friday due to heart-related complications.
The secondary cause of death is decompensated liver cirrhosis, as per the medical certificate issued by the hospital.Mr Kumar was battling health issues for a long time, said his son, Kunal Goswami, in an interview to news agency ANI. “It’s the grace of god that he bid adieu to this world peacefully. His cremation will take place tomorrow morning… He was happy. Just a little unwell.”
Mr Kumar was born in Abbottabad, a small town in the North-West Frontier Province, British India (now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan), in 1937 and was named Harikrishnan Goswami.
Mr Kumar debuted in Bollywood in 1957 with the film Fashion. He then got his break in Kanch Ki Gudiya (1961), where he acted with Sayeeda Khan.
His thriller, Gumnaam (1965), was one of the highest-grossing movies of that year, collecting Rs 2.6 crores. In the same year, Mr Kumar starred in Shaheed, which explored the life of the freedom fighter Bhagat Singh.
His roles in patriotic films like Upkaar (1967), Purab Aur Pachhim (1970) and Kranti (1981) got him the nickname ‘Bharat Kumar’. He also directed and acted in Shor (1972).
Mr Kumar won the Best Director award at the Filmfare Awards in 1975 for his movie Roti Kapada Aur Makaan.
Mr Kumar was conferred the title of Padma Shri in 1992, Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award in 1999, and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2015.
Before the 2004 general elections, Mr Kumar officially joined the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP).
