Mumbai: Veteran actor Manoj Kumar (87) died on Friday at the Kokilaben Ambani Hospital early morning at around 3:30 am due to age-related health issues.
He had been hospitalised for the past few weeks.
Born as Harikrishna Giri Goswami on July 24, 1937, in Abbottabad (now part of Pakistan), the actor adopted the screen name Manoj Kumar because he was an big fan of Dilip Kumar. He changed his name to Manoj after being inspired by Dilip Kumar’s character in the 1949 film Shabnam.
A stalwart of Indian cinema, Manoj Kumar was fondly known as "Bharat Kumar" for his iconic roles in films that evoked deep patriotic fervour.
His notable works include Shaheed (1965), which explored the life of the freedom fighter Bhagat Singh; Upkar (1967); Purab Aur Paschim (1970); and Roti Kapda Aur Makaan (1974), all of which left an indelible mark on Hindi cinema.
His thriller, Gumnaam (1965), was one of the highest-grossing movies of that year, collecting Rs 2.6 crores.
Kumar won the Best Director award at the Filmfare Awards in 1975 for his movie Roti Kapada Aur Makaan.
He was conferred the title of Padma Shri in 1992, the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award in 1999, and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2015.
