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( Today is bday of Bollywood Legend PadamShri Manoj Kumar)
ASHVANI JAITLY/ LALIT BERRY
A multi-faceted talent of the hindi cinema PadamShri Manoj Kumar, who canvassed a number of patriotic movies as well as fascinated cinema lovers with his versatile performance in romantic, social and suspence thrillers, is lovelingly called and remembered as Bharat Kumar. Born on July 24, 1937 at Abbotabad (Pakistan) as Hari Krishan Giri Goswami, he shifted to Delhi with family during partition and got his education there. Interestingly, after watching Dilip Kumar starrer 'Shabnam' he changed his name to Manoj Kumar (aDilip's character name in the movie. In 1957 he appeared in hindi film 'Fashion' and played a very small role. His first movie as hero was 'Kanch Ki Gudiya'(1960). And thereafter in sixties he played romantic leads in Hariyali Aur Rastaa, Do Badan, Honeymoon, Apna Bana Ke Dekho, Naqli Nawab, Pathar Ke Sanam, Saajan, Sawan Ki Ghata etc. But interestingy while acting against his heroines he was always shy and once a Film magazine published his still with heroine Waheeda Rehman in which Manoj stood a few steps far from her...caption to the picture read as 'Manoj Kumar avoid touching his heroines as if they were plagued'. He did so many films,spreading social message, like Apne huye Praye, Pehchan, Aadmi, Shadi, Grehsathi besides suspense thrillers like Gumnaam and Woh Kaun Thi. His talent was very much appreciated in patriotic films like Shaheed, Purab Aur Paschim, Upkar and Kranti. In most of these films the character he played was named Bharat and therefore his fans remember him with this name also. Manoj Kumar has not only acted as hero in films but also wrote lyrics,stories, scripts and screen play of a number of films
He is conferred withPadamShri for his outstanding contribution in the field of cinema besides Dada Saheb Falke Award and Film Fare Lifetime Achievement Award. Team ZIKAR PUNJAB wish Shri Manoj Kumar Ji a very very happy birthday. May the Almighty give him good health and longlife so that this most talented legend of hindi cinema could serve the film industry for more and more years.