Veteran actor Manoj Kumar, also known as 'Bharat Kumar' has been featured in so many films as a lead. The actor made his acting debut with the 1957 film 'Fashion' followed by Sahara (1958), Chand (1959) and Honeymoon (1960). He got his first break with Harnam Singh Rawail's directorial 'Kanch Ki Gudiya ' as a lead in 1961. Kranti fame actor was the recipient of many prestigious awards including the National Film Award for Best Feature Film Upkar, and the Padma Shri award in 1992.
Kumar was born on July 24, 1937, in Abbottabad, a small town in the North-West Frontier Province, British India (now in Pakistan). He shifted to Delhi during the Partition with his family. The legendary actor also played pivotal roles in cult classics, including 1966's Sawan Ki Ghata and 1967's Patthar Ke Sanam.
Why did he quit acting?
Manoj Kumar's career declined after the 1981 film Kranti. He quit acting after the 1995 film Maidan-E-Jung but returned as a director in 1999 to launch his son, Kunal Goswami, in the film Jai Hind. The action-romantic film was based on a patriotic theme. However, the film struggled to perform well at the box office.
Manoj Kumar dies at 87
Kranti fame actor Manoj Kumar, a National Film Award recipient, died due to heart-related complications at 87 on Friday (April 4, 2025). He took his last breath today at 3.30 am in Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Mumbai. His medical reports revealed that the cause of his death was cardiogenic shock resulting from acute myocardial infarction- a severe heart attack. The Bollywood actor had also been struggling with decompensated liver cirrhosis over the past few months. He is survived by his wife and sons, Shashi Goswami, Kunal, and Vishal Goswami.