New Delhi:
Bollywood veteran actor Manoj Kumar is named among the actors who made a distinct identity with their acting and image in cinema. But today i.e. on 4 April 2025, he has said goodbye to us. According to reports, at the age of 87, Kokilaben Dhirubai took the last breath at Ambani Hospital. This news has raged a wave of mourning between Bollywood and fans. Manoj Kumar, who reached the pinnacle of his career in the 1960-70s, was not only an influential actor, but he established an ideal as the role of India in Indian cinema, which is still remembered today.

Manoj Kumar’s personality on screen was very special. He gave an important place to Indianness, patriotism and simplicity in his characters. His characters were always honest, struggling and dedicated to the country. This was the reason that he kept his India’s image paramount in many important decisions of his life. Manoj Kumar kept a distance with the heroines in his character in any film.

According to IMDB, the biggest example of this was seen when he was shooting for an important scene during the shooting of the film Roti Karna and House (1974) with Zeenat Aman. In this, a romantic scene was to be shot between the two, but Manoj Kumar refused to do this scene. He had clearly stated that it would not be right to do this scene according to his image of India. He wanted his acting to be a symbol of the society and the ideals of the country, which he had shown on the screen.