Throughout his career, Kumar has played – and sometimes made – films that focused on unity and national pride.
Indian actor Manoj Kumar, known for his roles in Hindi films with patriotic themes, died at the age of 87.
On Friday, Kumar died in Mumbai due to cardiac complications, his son Kunal Goswami told the Anima news agency in India.
“He has had health problems for a long time. It is the grace of God that he offered goodbye in this peacefully world. Its cremation will take place tomorrow [Saturday]”Said Goswami.
Throughout his career, Kumar was known to play – and sometimes make films that focused on unity and national pride. For this, he has often been nicknamed “Bharat” Kumar – a reference to the old Sanskrit word for India.
Born Harikrishan Goswami, he renamed himself, in the Bollywood tradition, taking the name of Manoj Kumar.
He made his debut in Indian cinema at the end of the 1950s and played in several films, many of whom with patriotic themes, including Upkar (1967), Purab Aur Pachhim (1970) and Kranti (1981).
Kumar has been a recipient of several national prizes, including the Dadasaheb Phalke Prize, the highest distinction in India for cinema.
He was also a member of the Bharatiya Janata (BJP) party, the Hindu Party and the BJP). Modi led condolences, calling Kumar as “icon” of Indian cinema and saying that his works “ignited a spirit of national pride and will continue to inspire generations”.
The president of India, Droupadi Murmu, posted on X that she was “saddened by the disappearance of the actor and legendary filmmaker”.
“He left an indelible mark on Indian cinema,” she wrote.
In his tribute, the actor of Bollywood Akshay Kumar said that he “had grew up learning from him that there is no emotion like love and pride for our country”.
“And if we, the actors, will not take the lead by showing this emotion, who? A person so good and one of the greatest assets of our brotherhood,” published Akshay Kumar on X.
