Manoj Kumar facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Manoj Kumar
Manoj Kumar In 2007
Born	Harikrishan Goswami (1937-07-24)24 July 1937 Abbottabad, North-West Frontier Province, British India (present-day Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan)
Died	4 April 2025(2025-04-04) (aged 87) Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Nationality	Indian
Other names	Bharat Kumar
Occupation	Actor film director film producer screenwriter lyricist editor politician
Years active	1957–1999
Height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Political party	Bharatiya Janata Party
Spouse(s)	Shashi Goswami
Children	2; including Kunal Goswami
Relatives	Manish R Goswami (brother)
Honours	Padma Shri (1992) Dadasaheb Phalke Award (2015)

Manoj Kumar (born Harikrishan Goswami; 24 July 1937 – 4 April 2025) was a famous Indian actor, film director, and writer. He worked in Hindi cinema, making many movies. He was known for acting in and directing films with patriotic themes, which means movies that showed great love for India. Because of this, people gave him the special nickname Bharat Kumar.

He won many important awards for his work. These included a National Film Award and seven Filmfare Awards. In 1992, he received the Padma Shri, and in 2015, he was given the Dadasaheb Phalke Award. This is the highest award in Indian cinema, given by the Government of India for his amazing contributions to films and arts.

Early life and background

Manoj Kumar was born into a Punjabi Hindu family in Abbottabad. This town was in British India, which is now Pakistan. His birth name was Harikrishan Giri Goswami.

When he was 10 years old, his family moved from their home to Delhi. This happened because of the Partition of India, when India and Pakistan became separate countries. Manoj Kumar later studied for a Bachelor of Arts degree at Hindu College, Delhi. After finishing college, he decided to try acting in films.

When he was young, he really looked up to famous actors like Dilip Kumar and Ashok Kumar. He chose his stage name, Manoj Kumar, after a character played by Dilip Kumar in the film Shabnam.

Career highlights

1957–1964: Starting out in films

Manoj Kumar began his acting career in 1957 with a small role in Fashion Brand. For a few years, he had minor parts in films like Sahara (1958) and Chand (1959).

His first main acting role came in 1961 in the film Kaanch Ki Gudiya. He acted in a few more films that year. His first big success was in 1962 with Hariyali Aur Rasta, where he starred with Mala Sinha. This film did very well. After this, he had more successful movies like Shaadi (1962) and Grahasti (1963).

In 1964, he had a major hit with the mystery film Woh Kaun Thi?. This movie was very popular. It was known for its exciting story and beautiful songs like "Lag Jaa Gale" and "Naina Barse Rimjhim". These songs were sung by the legendary Lata Mangeshkar.

1965–1981: Becoming a big star

The year 1965 was very important for Manoj Kumar. It was when he truly became a star. His first film that year was Shaheed. This was a patriotic drama about the life of Bhagat Singh, a hero of India's independence movement. The film was loved by critics and even by the Prime Minister of India, Lal Bahadur Shastri. It was a big hit at the box office.

Next, he starred in the romantic drama Himalay Ki God Mein. This film was a huge success and made him a very popular actor. Later that year, he had another big hit with the mystery film Gumnaam. His success continued in 1966 with films like Do Badan and Sawan Ki Ghata.

After the war between India and Pakistan in 1965, Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri asked Manoj Kumar to make a film. The Prime Minister wanted a movie based on the famous slogan Jai Jawan Jai Kissan (which means "Hail the soldier, hail the farmer"). Manoj Kumar took on this challenge.

The result was his first film as a director, the patriotic drama Upkar (1967). This movie was a huge success and became an All Time Blockbuster. It won Manoj Kumar the National Film Award for Second Best Feature Film. He also won his first Filmfare Best Director Award for Upkar. One of the songs from the film, "Mere Desh Ki Dharti", is still played every year during India's Republic Day and Independence Day celebrations.

In 1968, he starred in Neel Kamal, which was a blockbuster. He also worked with Dilip Kumar in Aadmi. In 1969, his film Sajan was a superhit.

In 1970, Manoj Kumar returned to patriotic themes with Purab Aur Paschim. This film compared life in the East (India) and the West. It was a massive hit in India and also overseas. In the United Kingdom, it played in cinemas for over 50 weeks and broke box office records.

In 1972, he starred in Be-Imaan, which was a blockbuster. He also directed and starred in Shor. This film was a hit and is remembered for the beautiful song "Ek Pyar Ka Nagma Hai". Manoj Kumar won his only Filmfare Award for Best Actor for Be-Imaan. He also won a Filmfare Award for Best Editing for Shor.

Manoj Kumar had his most successful period in the mid-1970s. He made three huge blockbuster films in a row.

• First was the social drama Roti Kapada Aur Makaan (1974), which he also directed. This film was the biggest hit of the year.
• In 1975, he starred in Sanyasi, which was also a blockbuster.
• In 1976, he completed his hat-trick of blockbusters with the action film Dus Numbri.

In 1981, Manoj Kumar directed and starred in the historical drama Kranti. This film had many big stars like Dilip Kumar and Hema Malini. Kranti became the biggest patriotic hit of all time and was the most successful film of the 1980s. It was Manoj Kumar's third All Time Blockbuster. This film was his last major success.

1987–1999: Later career and retirement

After Kranti in 1981, Manoj Kumar's films were not as successful. Movies like Kalyug Aur Ramayan (1987) and Clerk (1989) did not do well. He stopped acting after his role in the 1995 film Maidan-E-Jung.

He directed his son, Kunal Goswami, in the 1999 film Jai Hind. This film also had a patriotic theme, but it was not a success. It was the last film Manoj Kumar worked on.

In 1999, he received the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award. This award honored his amazing career that spanned over 40 years in Indian cinema.

Politics

Like some other Bollywood stars, Manoj Kumar decided to enter politics after he retired from films. Before the 2004 general election in India, he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Death

Manoj Kumar passed away at the age of 87 in Mumbai on 4 April 2025. He had been admitted to Kokilaben Dhirubai Ambani Hospital due to heart problems and liver issues.

Filmography

Actor

Director

• Upkar (1967)
• Purab Aur Paschim (1970)
• Shor (1972)
• Roti Kapada Aur Makaan (1974)
• Kranti (1981)
• Clerk (1989)
• Jai Hind (1999)

Editor

• Shor (1972)
• Roti Kapada Aur Makaan (1974)
• Kranti (1981)
• Kalyug Aur Ramayan (1987)
• Clerk (1989)

Awards and honors

President of India Pranab Mukherjee presenting the Dadasaheb Phalke Award to Manoj Kumar at the 63rd National Film Awards in 2016

Manoj Kumar received many important awards and honors throughout his career.

Civilian Award

National Film Awards

State Honours

Filmfare Awards

Other notable awards

• 2007 – Sardar Patel Lifetime Achievement International Award
• 2008 – Star Screen Lifetime Achievement Award
• 2010 – Lifetime Achievement Award at the 12th Mumbai Film Festival
• 2012 – Lifetime Achievement Award at the Apsara Film & Television Producers Guild Award
• 2012 – Lifetime Achievement Award at the Nashik International Film Festival
• 2012 – Bharat Gaurav Award in New Jersey, United States
• 2013 – Lifetime Achievement Award at the Jagran Film Festival
• 2019 – Lifetime Achievement Award from Power Brands at BFJA (Bollywood Film Journalists Awards)
• 2020 - Kalaimamani

Other honours

• 2008 – The Government of Madhya Pradesh created an award in his name. They also suggested him for the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award.
• 2011 – A road in Shirdi was renamed "Manojkumar Goswami Road" to honor his devotion to Shri Sai Baba.

Legacy and impact

Manoj Kumar is remembered as one of the most important actors in Indian cinema. He is famous for his acting style and for making patriotic films.

He was one of the most successful actors in the 1960s and 1970s. He often worked with actors like Prem Nath, Pran, and Hema Malini. He was close friends with other big stars like Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor.

In 2022, Outlook India magazine included him in their list of the "75 Best Bollywood Actors".

Images for kids

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  Manoj Kumar In 2007

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  President of India Pranab Mukherjee presenting the Dadasaheb Phalke Award to Manoj Kumar at the 63rd National Film Awards in 2016

See also

In Spanish: Manoj Kumar para niños