Veteran actor-filmmaker Manoj Kumar died today at the age of 87, leaving behind a legacy of patriotic films that earned him the iconic title of ‘Bharat Kumar’. The actor once shared a fascinating anecdote about how he earned the title of ‘Bharat Kumar’, acknowledging that with this honour came a deep sense of responsibility. Also read: Manoj Kumar, Bollywood icon and pioneer of patriotic films, dies at 87
How Manoj Kumar got the title of ‘Bharat Kumar’?
In an interview with Lehren Retro, Manoj revealed the story of his title, ‘Bharat Kumar’. He shared that it was his portrayal of the character ‘Bharat’ in the 1967 film Upkar that led the public to affectionately associate him with the name, eventually earning him the revered title of ‘Bharat Kumar’.
Manoj said, “Aksar jo acha character hai uska naam ho woh rakh dete hain. Toh maine socha ke Bharat desh toh gaon mein basta hai, kisano ka desh hai toh uss character ka name main Bharat rakh dun aur uski zindagi mein jo khetun se juda hua hai, ek ladki aati hai, aise aati hai ke jaise koi jhilmil karti hui Kavita. Isiliye ladki ka naam Kavita rakh diya (Often, a good character’s name stays with them. So, I thought, since India is an agricultural country, I’ll name the character Bharat, and his life is connected to the fields. A girl enters his life, and it’s as if a sparkling poem has arrived, which is why I named her Kavita)”
He continued, “Bharat isiliye rakha tha bharat gaon mein basta hai, and yeh kisano ka desh ka hai. Aur humare desh ki public itni dayalu hai ke unko koi cheez genuine aur achi laagti hai aur sachi laage toh woh itna pyaar and izzat dete hain jo duniya mein koi nahi deta. Main toh seedha saadha ladka tha, aap logun ne Bharat bana diya. Ehsaan kiya, bhooj bhi dal diya ke uss image ko nibhane ke liye mushkil hogaya (I named him Bharat because he lives in a village, and this is a country of farmers. And the public in our country is so kind-hearted that when they find something genuine and good, they shower it with immense love and respect, which is unparalleled worldwide. I was just a simple boy, but you all made me ‘Bharat’. You obliged me, and also placed a huge responsibility on me to live up to that image)”.
The actor shared that he never touched a heroine on screen after getting the title. That’s because if one talks about ideals, one can’t be “singing songs with anarm around a girl or getting into the water, who will take me seriously?”.
Manoj Kumar dies at 87
Manoj Kumar died at the age of 87 in Mumbai. As reported by the news agency ANI on Friday morning, he died at the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital at 4.03 am. His moral remains will be kept at his Juhu residence from Friday afternoon so that industry colleagues and fans can pay final respects. Cremation will most likely take place on Saturday.
According to medical reports, as reported by ANI, the cause of his death was identified as cardiogenic shock due to acute myocardial infarction, a severe heart attack. He had been battling decompensated liver cirrhosis in the past few months, which contributed to his declining health.
Manoj was particularly known for his patriotic films. His iconic roles in films like Shaheed, Upkar, and Rang De Basanti resonated deeply with the patriotic sentiments of the Indian public.
