GUWAHATI: Veteran actor and filmmaker Manoj Kumar, renowned for his patriotic films, passed away at the age of 87 in Mumbai.
ALSO READ: Gauhati High Court Refutes Misinformation On Relocation Plans
The legendary actor breathed his last at 3:30 AM on Friday, April 4 at Kokilaben Dhirubai Ambani Hospital, where he was undergoing treatment for heart-related complications. According to the hospital’s medical certificate, decompensated liver cirrhosis was listed as a secondary cause of death.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), calling Manoj Kumar a “legendary actor and filmmaker.”
The actor’s son, Kunal Goswami, shared that his father had been battling health issues for some time but passed away peacefully.
Born in 1937 in Abbottabad (now in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan), Manoj Kumar was originally named Harikrishnan Goswami. His Bollywood journey began with Fashion (1957), followed by his breakthrough role in Kanch Ki Gudiya (1961) alongside Sayeeda Khan.
In 1965, Kumar starred in the thriller Gumnaam, which became one of the year’s highest-grossing films. The same year, he played Bhagat Singh in Shaheed, a performance that cemented his reputation for patriotic cinema. His notable films include Upkaar (1967), Purab Aur Paschim (1970), and Kranti (1981), earning him the title ‘Bharat Kumar’. He also directed and acted in Shor (1972) and won the Filmfare Best Director Award in 1975 for Roti Kapada Aur Makaan.
Over his illustrious career, Kumar received numerous accolades, including the Padma Shri (1992), Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award (1999), and the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award (2015).
Manoj Kumar was also actively involved in politics and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) before the 2004 general elections.
