Yesteryear actor-filmmaker Manoj Kumar has reacted angrily over the manner in which he has been portrayed in the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Om Shanti Om.

Manoj Kumar told UNI that he was pained at the way he was mocked at. "This is not humour," he said. "It is not only insulting and humiliating, but injuring the soul of a patriotic Indian."

The noted actor, who has portrayed many patriotic characters with the screen name Bharat, said, "People of this country have made me Bharat because I symbolised nationalism and patriotism in my films. Only anti-national people can humiliate patriotism," he said. He had also consulted lawyers to see whether any legal action was possible.

When Shah Rukh Khan [Images] heard about Manoj Kumar's complaint, he called up the actor and apologised.

"I told him that I am extremely sorry for hurting your sentiments," Shah Rukh told mediapersons. "There was no intention to hurt anyone and as a producer of my film, Om Shanti Om, I overlooked this issue. I also apologised on behalf of my director, Farah Khan [Images]."

Om Shanti Om stars Khan, Deepika Padukone [Images], Arjun Rampal [Images] and Shreyas Talpade [Images].

In the first half of the film which is set in the 1970s, SRK [Images], who portrays the character of a junior artiste, gets to sneak into a theatre to watch the premier of Dream Girl starring Shanti Priya (Deepika) by impersonating Manoj Kumar. When the 'real' Manoj Kumar (body double) tries to come in the auditorium, he is beaten up by the security guards.

There is also a sequence where Manoj Kumar tries to convince the gate keeper that he is the real one and shows his driving license bearing his photograph in his trademark trait which almost covers his face.

"I told him that I should have invited you to watch the movie and I am sorry I didn't," SRK concluded.

With inputs from UNI