Manoj Kumar passed away today in Mumbai after a period of prolonged illness. The actor was 87 and he started off his acting career during the late 50s. Over a career that spanned 5 decades, Manoj made many long-lasting associations and friendships. One such lasting relationship was with colleague and friend Prem Chopra.
Together they worked in classics like Shaheed (1965), Upkar (1967), Mera Saaya (1966) and many more films. After the passing of his mentor and dear friend, Manoj Kumar, Prem Chopra speaks to Filmfare about his friendship with the late actor-director. Read on…
“Manoj Kumar glorified India”
I was very, very close to Manoj. I feel tremendous loss for what has happened today. As everybody knows he glorified India in every picture. There was always a great message in every film. He was a director of a different genre. He made all types of films, but his basic ambition was to tell stories that could glorify India.
“I am an actor because of Manoj Kumar”
When Manoj signed me for Upkar, I was older than him. We worked together because in a previous instance we had worked in Shaheed and we became good friends. He wanted me to work in Upkar because this was one film, which was very dear to him. And I did it. Rajesh Khanna was the first choice for the role. But he was not allowed to do Upkar because of the producers of his then projects. Anyways, it was his loss and my gain.
At that time, I was working in Times Of India and had been on that job for four years. And I was, side by side, struggling to be an actor. I did other films also like, Teesri Manzil, Mera Saya and other acting assignments, but Upkar was the film that gave my career a big boost. It gave me the real break, it took me to a point when I had to no longer look back for any work. Till today, I am working. I am an actor, and I owe it to Manoj and Upkar.
