When Manoj Kumar Broke No-Intimacy Rule

Subhash K Jha remembers his conversations with movie legend Manoj Kumar, who passed into the ages on April 4, 2025.

Farah Khan, who had lampooned Manoj Kumar in her film, Om Shanti Om, thought she was insulting me once by calling me 'The Manoj Kumar Of Journalism'.

It was actually the greatest compliment of my life.

To be compared with the artiste who directed some of the greatest Hindi films like Upkar, Shor and Roti Kapada Aur Makaan and whose collaboration with Laxmikant-Pyarelal yielded a harvest of melodies including Ek Pyar Ka Naghma Hai, Zindagi Main Na Bhoolunga and Hai Hai Yeh Majboori...

What can be said about Manoj Kumar to illustrate his impact on mainstream Hindi cinema?

My first encounter with Manoj Kumar could have been disastrous.

Years ago, the outspoken Jaya Bachchan had done an interview with me in which she had said some not-so-nice things about Manoj Kumar.

When I spoke to the man after what I thought was a safe distance from the interview, the first thing he said was, "Arrey, Jha, aren't you that Bachchanwale journalist?"

I braced myself for a blacklash on journalistic ethics.

But like his career, Manoj Kumar surprised me.

"Jaya had a lot to say about me. I think she was upset because she didn't have the author-backed role in Shor," he said.

Breathing a sigh of relief, I ventured that the belief that in his films, the heroines were secondary to his character had some validity.

"Not true!" Manoj Kumar put me in my place.

"Purab Aur Paschim was Saira Banu's story. In fact, I told her I won't make the film if she didn't do the role. Shor was the child's story. I gave equal respect to all my characters.

"Filmmaking is not about projecting yourself. If you see the films I've directed, I never gave myself undue prominence. Upkar is remembered for Pransaab's character. Kranti gave me an opportunity to work with my idol Yusufsaab(Dilip Kumar).

"People say I copy him. How can anyone copy him? It's like copying Lata Mangeshkar. No one can copy such legends and get away with it."

Manoj Kumar had a reputation of avoiding intimacy with his heroines.

To this, he gave me a playful reply: "In Roti Kapada Aur Makaan, the girl (Zeenat Aman) is dancing in the rain and asking me to join her. How can I get wet when I am carrying my college degrees on the way to a job interview?"

"I broke my no-intimacy rule only once, and that too for Raj Kapoor. I had a kiss with Simi Garewal in Mera Naam Joker. I couldn't say no to Rajsaab."

During our last conversation, Manojsaab sounded frail but hopeful about the future of Hindi cinema: 'Insha Allah, Ram Rajya will return.'