Legendary actor , producer, director, writer Manoj Kumar consigned to flames with full state honours in Mumbai
( Late Manoj Kumar’s wife in tears and shock)
SUNIL NEGI, AASTHA NEGI
Eminent Bollywood veteran super star , recipient of Prestigious Padma Shree, Dada Saheb Phalke and several film fare and other life time achievement awards famous for producing and directing including acting as a hero in various patriotic films keeping very much in mind the national pride also popularly known as Bharat Kumar , Manoj Kumar was today accorded the final adieu with full state honours of gun salute with his body respectfully draped in national tricolour and Maharshtra police marching till the Pawan Hans crematorium where he was consigned to flames amid chanting of spiritual hymns in Mumbai, today.
Those present at the crematorium including his badly disturbed and anguished wife, stars like Govinda etc were literally in tears.
The coffin of late actor Manoj Kumar was draped in a national tricolour and placed in a fully garlanded ambulance with his large photo on the top and twenty one policemen paying gun salutes at his residence Goswami Towers in Mumbai before the commencement of the Shav Yatra with his elder son Kunal and younger brother including grandsons holding the ” Matka ‘ in their hands and accompanying the shavyatra with slogans of Manoj Kumar Amar Rahe.
(A friend of decades , a co actor in almost all the movies of Manoj Kumar Prem Chopra comes to give final adieu to his dearest friend )
Several prominent superstars , actors viz Amitabh Bachchan, Prem Chopra, Raj Babbar, Abhishekh Bachchan , Rajpal Yadav, Raja Murad, Govinda, Bindu Dara Singh, veteran lyricist Salim Khan, Arbaaz Khan etc were present at his house and at the crematorium to pay their final tributes to the great actor who left behind a special mark of producing and directing outstanding and incredible patriotic movies in the hearts and minds of his hundreds of thousands of fans around the globe.
The scene at the residence of the veteran actor as well as at the crematorium was one of tremendous anguish and grief with everyone in tears and Manoj Kumar’s wife literally in tears inconsolably who stood solidly with her husband during his thick and thin of his entire life and her son Kunal consoling her.
Recipient of the highest civilian recognition Padma Shree in 1992 at the hands of the then president and the highest cinematic award Dada Saheb Phalke by president Pranab Mukherjee in New Delhi Manoj Kumar is among very few actors who got state honour in such a dignified manner draped in a national flag with gun salutes.
Manoj Kumar aka Bharat Kumar , prestigious Padmashree and Dada Saheb Phalke award recipient debuted in Bollywood in 1957 with the film Fashion getting break thereafter in Kanch Ki Gudiya in1961, where he acted with Sayeeda Khan.
Loved and adored by millions of his fans globally Manoj Kumar’s thriller, Gumnaam (1965), was one of the highest-grossing movies of that year, collecting Rs 2.6 crores.
In the same year, Mr Kumar starred in Shaheed, which explored the life of the freedom fighter Bhagat Singh.
His roles in patriotic films like Upkaar (1967), Purab Aur Pachhim (1970) and Kranti (1981) got him the nickname ‘Bharat Kumar’. He also directed and acted in Shor (1972).
Being a renowned actor and dedicated devotee of Shridi ke Sai Baba Manoj Kumar also produced and directed a Movi on Bhagwan Sai Baba ” titled Shridi ke Sai Baba” with mesmerising story and songs which was also super duper hit. He also owned a magnificent Hotel at Shridhi which he sold later on.
Mr Kumar won the Best Director award at the Filmfare Awards in 1975 for his movie Roti Kapada Aur Makaan.
Mr Kumar was conferred the title of Padma Shri in 1992, Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award in 1999, and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2015.
Before the 2004 general elections, Mr Kumar officially joined the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP). He will remain immortal in the hearts and minds of his numerous fans worldwide for several decades to come.
Leading actor and producer highly creative Amir Khan said Manoj Kumar was an institution in himself adding that Manoj Kumar was not just an actor and filmmaker. He was an institution. I have learnt so much watching his films. His films wrr often based on important social themes which brought him really close to the common man. My heartfelt condolences to his family said Amit Khan to Filmfare.
