Veteran Hindi cinema actor Manoj Kumar, popularly known as ‘Bharat Kumar’, passed away at 87.He breathed his last at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Mumbai. He was admitted to the hospital for some time and was undergoing treatment. As soon as this sad news came out, a wave of mourning ran through his fans, including the film industry.

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Manoj Kumar was not just an actor, but an icon for Indian cinema, who brought patriotism to every home through films. Today we will tell you 5fivesuch interesting stories related to his life, which you may have never heard before.

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1. How did Harikishan Giri Goswami become Manoj Kumar?

Very few people know that Manoj Kumar’s real name was Harikishan Giri Goswami. In his childhood, he saw a film about Dilip Kumar, in which a character named Manoj was named. This character impressed him so much that he changed his name and became Manoj Kumar.

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2. Started his film career as a beggar

He entered the film world in 1957 with the film ‘Fashion’. In this, he played the role of an 80-year-old beggar. Imagine a young man who started with such an old role, and later became a famous superstar.
His first lead role came in the 1960 film ‘Kaanch Ki Gudiya’.

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3. Saved Amitabh Bachchan’s career

When Amitabh Bachchan was going through a phase of struggle and his films were continuously flopping, he had decided to leave Mumbai. At that time, Manoj Kumar gave him a chance in his superhit film ‘Roti, Kapda Aur Makaan’ (1974).
Manoj ji was sure that Amitabh would become a superstar one day – and today he is the megastar of the century. This story shows the relationship between the two actors and Manoj Kumar’s foresight.

4. Was angry with Shahrukh Khan

In a scene in the 2007 film ‘Om Shanti Om’, Shahrukh Khan imitated Manoj Kumar, in which his style of keeping his and oon his nose was shown comically.

Manoj Kumar was very hurt and expressed his anger after seeing this scene.

Later, Shahrukh Khan apologized to him, and the controversy calmed down.

5. Received many significant awards and honors

Manoj Kumar was honored with the Padma Shri in 1992 and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2016 by the Government of India for his contribution.

Apart from this, he has also received:

Filmfare Best Actor Award (1972, ‘Beimaan’)

Filmfare Best Director Award (1975, ‘Roti Kapda Aur Makaan’).

His films like Purab Aur Paschim, Upkaar, and Shaheed still awaken people’s feelings of patriotism.

The life of Manoj Kumar is an inspiration – an artist who considered the film not just entertainment, but a messenger for society. His departure is a massive loss for the film industry, but his contribution and memories will remain alive.