Happy birthday Manoj Kumar: 5 films of Bollywood’s resident patriot that can’t be missed

Follow us on

Veteran actor Manoj Kumar is one of the talented actors of Hindi cinema. He has delivered some powerful performances in films that turned out to be blockbusters. The actor has worked in many movies that had patriotic theme. Thus, he was fondly called ‘Bharat Kumar’ by movie buffs. Manoj Kumar was honoured with Padma Shri in 1992 and was given the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2016. On his 81st birthday here are some of his powerful performances.

Woh Kaun Thi

Before Sadhana was cast in 1966 romantic thriller Saaya, she appeared opposite Manoj Kumar in Who Kaun Thi. Those were still the early days of Manoj Kumar in Bollywood and both the leads delivered superb performances which were helped by Madan Mohan’s music. This was the film in which Lata Mangeshkar’s hauntingly beautiful “Lag Jaa Gale” was filmed.

Dus Numbri

Produced and directed by Madan Mohla, 'Dus Numbri' was one of the top films of 1976. The film's success was such that it was remade into the Telugu film 'KD No. 1' (1978) featuring NT Rama Rao and Jayasudha.

Kranti

It was a multi-starrer film and had the cast of talented actors like Shashi Kapoor, Dilip Kumar, Hema Malini, Parveen Babi and Shatrughan Sinha. The movie showcased a small group of people fighting against the British for the independence of the country.

Patthar Ke Sanam

The film 'Patthar Ke Sanam' was about how Meena (Mumtaz) and her friend Taruna (Waheeda Rahman) trick Rajesh (Manoj Kumar) into believing that they have fallen for him. Rajesh, who has been hired as Manager by Meena's father, too pretends to be in love with both. Friends Meena and Taruna turn foes when Meena expresses her love for Rajesh. This upsets Taruna who has also grown fond of him.

Roti Kapda Aur Makaan

As the title Roti Kapda Aur Makaan suggest, the film revolved around the basic necessities of life. This Hindi phrase grew popular in late 1960s by Indira Gandhi before 1967 general elections. In addition to being Manoj's popular film, this highest grosser of 1974 also helped Amitabh Bachchan solidify his position in Bollywood.