Manoj Kumar turned 75 on 24th July. The actor and filmmaker is known nationally as 'Mr Bharat', for his hauntingly patriotic films. He is his usual calm self when I meet him at his Juhu residence one sunny afternoon.
Puffing his favourite Rothman cigarette, Manoj Kumar looks up at the ceiling and says, "I was unwell due to a severe back problem for a few years. It was almost impossible for me to move.
Now I am much better and will direct a film soon. It is contemporary, based on issues of the common man and his day-to-day activities with a satirical touch. Of course, there will be leading stars and appropriate character actors whom I will sign in due course of time. I do not want to divulge more details at this nascent stage."
The thinking and intense performer, writer and director who once set the silver screen on fire with umpteen memorable films like Shaheed, Do Badan and Upkar has not given any memorable films in the past three decades. According to many, he is a spent force. When asked about this issue, he smiles and answers patiently, "My last superhit was Kranti. After that, the films I've directed never hit the bull's eye. I take the entire blame for a bad film but share the credit for a hit and memorable one with my entire family, cast and crew."
His last directional venture was Jai Hind, which was a big flop. It was released about a decade-and-a-half ago. How has cinema evolved since then? Manoj Kumar thinks for a while and replies, "Cinema has developed considerably in technique. There is good content in some films like 3 Idiots.
I personally admire the works of Madhur Bhandarkar and Ashutosh Gowarikar. Sadly, the films of today revolve only around urban India and the upper class. These directors have very little contact with rural India. Their films, in all fairness to them, are not eternal like an Awara, Devdas, Do Ankhen Barah Haath or Pyaasa."
Did he not script the first half of Mera Naam Joker? Manoj Kumar pauses and carries on, "Yes I did. It is my scripted version which was shot by Raj Kapoor. The original writer K A Abbas fully agreed to my scripted version and Raj Kapoor spoke in public at the premiere of Mera Naam Joker about my contribution. I never took any credit for it, just as I never took credit for writing and directing Gumnaam. I was also actively involved in scripting Woh Kaun Thi and Do Badan."
An interview with Manoj Kumar is incomplete without a mention of his most personal film Shaheed. He virtually brought Bhagat Singh alive on screen with this film, for which he remains the first scriptwriter in India to win a National Award. There is pin drop silence. Full of emotion, Manoj Kumar replies, "Bhagat Singh's mother was ailing at a hospital in Haryana. She was refusing medication.
Receiving the news, I personally visited her. Seeing me, she held my hand with affection and said she saw her son alive through me. On my request, she took the required medicines. At the National Awards ceremony of Shaheed, she was present and the late Indira Gandhi greeted her by touching her feet. I donated the entire proceedings of my National Award for her family. The rest is history."
Manoj Kumar is considered a clone of Dilip Kumar.
He retorts sharply, "In Aadmi, did you see two Dilip Kumars? I was surely influenced by Dilip Kumar's acting. He is an institution by himself. I will never forget him in Devdas and Ganga Jumna. He is my idol and it was a dream come true when I directed him in Kranti. I never blatantly imitated him."
How does he sum up his own 75 glorious years? Resting his head on his right palm, Manoj Kumar answers, "Life and death in installments. That is also the name of my autobiography. I do not have anything more to say beyond this."
Puffing his favourite Rothman cigarette, Manoj Kumar looks up at the ceiling and says, "I was unwell due to a severe back problem for a few years. It was almost impossible for me to move.
Now I am much better and will direct a film soon. It is contemporary, based on issues of the common man and his day-to-day activities with a satirical touch. Of course, there will be leading stars and appropriate character actors whom I will sign in due course of time. I do not want to divulge more details at this nascent stage."
The thinking and intense performer, writer and director who once set the silver screen on fire with umpteen memorable films like Shaheed, Do Badan and Upkar has not given any memorable films in the past three decades. According to many, he is a spent force. When asked about this issue, he smiles and answers patiently, "My last superhit was Kranti. After that, the films I've directed never hit the bull's eye. I take the entire blame for a bad film but share the credit for a hit and memorable one with my entire family, cast and crew."
His last directional venture was Jai Hind, which was a big flop. It was released about a decade-and-a-half ago. How has cinema evolved since then? Manoj Kumar thinks for a while and replies, "Cinema has developed considerably in technique. There is good content in some films like 3 Idiots.
I personally admire the works of Madhur Bhandarkar and Ashutosh Gowarikar. Sadly, the films of today revolve only around urban India and the upper class. These directors have very little contact with rural India. Their films, in all fairness to them, are not eternal like an Awara, Devdas, Do Ankhen Barah Haath or Pyaasa."
Did he not script the first half of Mera Naam Joker? Manoj Kumar pauses and carries on, "Yes I did. It is my scripted version which was shot by Raj Kapoor. The original writer K A Abbas fully agreed to my scripted version and Raj Kapoor spoke in public at the premiere of Mera Naam Joker about my contribution. I never took any credit for it, just as I never took credit for writing and directing Gumnaam. I was also actively involved in scripting Woh Kaun Thi and Do Badan."
An interview with Manoj Kumar is incomplete without a mention of his most personal film Shaheed. He virtually brought Bhagat Singh alive on screen with this film, for which he remains the first scriptwriter in India to win a National Award. There is pin drop silence. Full of emotion, Manoj Kumar replies, "Bhagat Singh's mother was ailing at a hospital in Haryana. She was refusing medication.
Receiving the news, I personally visited her. Seeing me, she held my hand with affection and said she saw her son alive through me. On my request, she took the required medicines. At the National Awards ceremony of Shaheed, she was present and the late Indira Gandhi greeted her by touching her feet. I donated the entire proceedings of my National Award for her family. The rest is history."
Manoj Kumar is considered a clone of Dilip Kumar.
He retorts sharply, "In Aadmi, did you see two Dilip Kumars? I was surely influenced by Dilip Kumar's acting. He is an institution by himself. I will never forget him in Devdas and Ganga Jumna. He is my idol and it was a dream come true when I directed him in Kranti. I never blatantly imitated him."
How does he sum up his own 75 glorious years? Resting his head on his right palm, Manoj Kumar answers, "Life and death in installments. That is also the name of my autobiography. I do not have anything more to say beyond this."