Birth Date: 24 Jul, 1937, Age (86)

Occupation : Actor, Director, Producer

Filmfare Awards : 8

National Awards : 2

Place of Birth : Pakistan

Manoj Kumar

Manoj Kumar is an Indian actor and director in Bollywood. He is remembered for his films Hariyali Aur Raasta, Woh Kaun Thi?, Himalaya Ki God Mein, Do Badan, Upkar, Patthar Ke Sanam, Neel Kamal, Purab Aur Paschim, Roti Kapda Aur Makaan, and Kranti. He is known for acting in and directing films with patriotic themes, and has been given the nickname Bharat Kumar.

In 1992, he was honoured with the Padma Shri by the Government of India. India's highest award in cinema, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, was bestowed him in 2015.

Kumar's image as the patriotic hero started with the 1965 film Shaheed, based on the life of Bhagat Singh, the Independence revolutionary. After the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri asked him to create a film based on the popular slogan Jai Jawan Jai Kissan, the result was Kumar's magnum opus and directorial debut Upkaar (1967). In it, he played both a soldier and a farmer. The film was also noted for the famous song "Mere Desh Ki Dharti", written by Gulshan Bawra, composed by Kalyanji-Anandji and sung by Mahendra Kapoor. Upkaar was a hit and won Kumar his first Filmfare Best Director Award.

Manoj returned to patriotic themes in Purab Aur Paschim (1970), in which life in the East and West are juxtaposed. In 1972, he starred in Be-Imaan (for which he won the Filmfare Best Actor Award) and directed and starred in Shor (1972). The latter, opposite Nanda, was not a huge box office success on its release, but has gained cult status over the years. It featured the memorable song "Ek Pyar Ka Nagma Hai", a duet by Lata Mangeshkar and Mukesh,  was composed by Laxmikant-Pyarelal and written by Santosh Anand.