One of my last enduring memories of actor-filmmaker Manoj Kumar is of him wearing an orange Shirdi Sai Baba bandana, wheelchair-bound but in great cheer, receiving the Dadasaheb Phalke award for 2015 from then President Pranab Mukherjee.
A rare public appearance for someone who had nearly retreated into anonymity though his brand of patriotic cinema has seen a major rejuvenation in the last decade.
Manoj Kumar was a famous Indian actor, director and writer known for his patriotic films. Born on 24 July 1937, he earned the nickname “Bharat Kumar” because of his love for India, reflected in his movies. He won many awards, including the Padma Shri and Dadasaheb Phalke Awards. His film inspired generations, and he remains a legendary figure in Indian cinema.
A showy, chest-thumping Akshay Kumar-Vicky Kaushal variety of patriotism is in vogue, but it wasn’t a trend when Manoj Kumar introduced it to Hindi cinema. We are reminded of it every Independence Day and Republic Day, or when India wins a cricket match against Pakistan, and Mere Desh Ki Dharti from Manoj Kumar’s Upkaar (1967) is blared from loudspeakers.
