LEGENDARY ACTOR MANOJ KUMAR DIES AT 87: ‘ROTI KAPADA AUR MAKAAN’ DIRECTOR BREATHES HIS LAST IN MUMBAI.

 Legendary actor Manoj Kumar dies at 87: ‘Roti Kapada Aur Makaan’ director breathes his last in Mumbai

Manoj Kumar, the Bollywood actor and filmmaker, renowned for his patriotic films, passed away at the age of 87 at Mumbai's Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital. The cause of his death was identified as cardiogenic shock due to acute myocardial infarction, according to medical reports. The medical reports confirmed that apart from a severe heart attack that took away his life, Manoj had been battling decompensated liver cirrhosis for the past few months, ANI reported. Following deteriorating health condition, he was admitted to the hospital on February 21, 2025. Popularly known as ‘Bharat Kumar,’ Manoj Kumar was an exceptional director and actor who was honoured with National Film Award. He also received the Padma Shri in 1992 and Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2015, which is the highest award in field of Indian cinema presented annually by the Government of India to recognise outstanding contributions. Reacting to the news of Manoj Kumar's death, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a post on X stated, “Deeply saddened by the passing of legendary actor and filmmaker Shri Manoj Kumar Ji. He was an icon of Indian cinema, who was particularly remembered for his patriotic zeal, which was also reflected in his films. Manoj Ji's works ignited a spirit of national pride and will continue to inspire generations. My thoughts are with his family and admirers in this hour of grief. Om Shanti.”Filmmaker Ashoke Pandit said, "The legendary Dadasaheb Phalke award winner, our inspiration and the 'lion' of the Indian film industry, Manoj Kumar Ji is no more...It is a great loss to the industry and the entire industry will miss him," ANI reported.

Known for his role in Shaheed, Manoj Kumar directed several blockbuster Bollywood films, including Upkar, 'Roti Kapada Aur Makaan, Purab Aur Paschim and Kranti. Other successful 1970 releases that featured Manoj Kumar were Yaadgaar, Pehchan and Mera Naam Joker.

Manoj Kumar was born in provincial town Abbottabad, present-day Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, located in Pakistan. Born into a Punjabi Hindu Brahmin family, he was named Harikrishan Goswami. He migrated to Delhi with his family at the age of 10 from Jandiala Sher Khan during the time of Partition.

He obtained Bachelor of Arts degree from Hindu College. An admirer of superstars Dilip Kumar, Ashok Kumar and Kamini Kaushal, he decided to name himself Manoj Kumar. He made this decision after watching ‘Shabnam’ movie in which Dilip Kumar's character influenced him significantly. The breakthrough in his career came in 1962 with Vijay Bhatt's Hariyali Aur Rasta, where he starred opposite Mala Sinha.