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Manoj Kumar Filmy Life: An era came to an end with the death of Manoj Kumar. Apart from being an actor, he was a true patriot, who also showed his talent in writing and direction. Wrote a film like ‘Shaheed’ and a film like ‘Upkar’ …Read more
Manoj Kumar had a heart’s relationship with the actress. (Photo courtesy: IANS)
Highlights
- Manoj Kumar directed ‘Upkar’ writing.
- The famous actress inspired Manoj Kumar for writing.
- Manoj Kumar died at the age of 87.
New Delhi: Manoj Kumar was famous for patriotic films due to films. However, apart from being an excellent actor, he was also a director and writer. Do you know who inspired him for writing? Actually, Manoj Kumar moved towards writing and direction at the behest of an actress. He worked together in films like ‘Bedag’, ‘Gumnam’ and ‘Shor’.
In the film ‘Bedag’, Manoj Kumar was accompanied by heroine Nanda. Nanda’s brother Jayaprakash Karnatki is a director. He narrated an interesting anecdote related to the shooting of ‘Bedag’. He told, ‘Manoj Kumar was not satisfied with a special scene of the script, so he wrote it again in his own way. She was the first to shared the scene with whom he shared his written scene. Impressed by his version, Nanda insisted on including the director to include it in the film.
Writing a film like ‘Upkar’
Nanda’s brother Jayaprakash Karnatki further said, ‘Director R.K. Bhattacharya agreed to this and the scene written by Manoj Kumar was filmed. Nanda inspired Manoj Kumar to write and also told him that he could become a successful director. It was only after writing the script of the film ‘Shaheed’ that Manoj Kumar himself awakened trust in himself. He again wrote ‘Upkar’, but also directed him.
Sharmila-Rakhi rejected the film ‘Shor’
Manoj Kumar’s wife Shashi Goswami often told Nanda that she had inspired her husband and made an actor to writer-director. When Manoj Kumar started the film ‘Shor’, he first approached Sharmila Tagore and Rakhi, but both refused to play the guest. Nanda later played that role and contributed to the success of the film. Nanda did not take any money for the film ‘Shor’.
When Nanda’s health deteriorated
The day Nanda died, his servant called Manoj Kumar and told about his deteriorating health. At that time Manoj Kumar was getting his family doctor undergoing medical checkup. He immediately canceled his investigation and sent the doctor to Nanda’s house from his car. After investigating Nanda, the doctor declared him dead. Actor and filmmaker Manoj Kumar died on Friday at the age of 87 at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Mumbai. He was admitted to the hospital on 21 February 2025 after his health deteriorated.