Manoj Kumar died after a heart attack, according to his medical papers. He suffered cardiogenic shock as a result of an abrupt myocardial infarction.
Bollywood is grieving the death of legendary actor Manoj Kumar, with Akshay Kumar and Karan Johar leading the tributes. They are remembering Manoj Kumar as a “legend” and “one of the biggest assets of our fraternity” and commemorating his cinematic legacy, which they believe will be cherished through his films in the future.
Tributes pour in for Manoj Kumar.
Actor Akshay Kumar paid tribute to Manoj Kumar, saying he taught him the value of patriotism and love for his nation. Manoj Kumar once lauded Akshay Kumar, referring to him as his successor for displaying patriotism on screen.
Akshay Kumar shared that he drew inspiration from Manoj Kumar in understanding the deep emotion of national pride and love, highlighting that it’s the duty of actors to be at the forefront of expressing such patriotic feelings. He praised Manoj Kumar as an exceptional person and a valuable pillar of the cinematic community, ending his tribute with the words, “Om Shanti.”
Filmmaker Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri praised Manoj Kumar as the nation’s earliest genuinely original and dedicated director, recognizing him as a patriotic visionary who brought fresh perspectives to Indian cinema. He noted that Manoj Kumar made patriotism cinematic without noise and nationalism poetic without apology.
Madhur Bhandarkar took to X (previously Twitter) to share some memorable images of his interactions with Manoj Kumar. He honored the actor’s significant impact on Indian cinema and expressed admiration for his illustrious career. He commented, “I’m heartbroken by the demise of the famous actor and filmmaker, Manoj Kumar. Sir, I was fortunate to interact with him multiple times, and he truly embodied the spirit of Indian cinema. His narration and song picturizations in his films sparked national pride and would be remembered for centuries. My heartfelt sympathies to his family and admirers. #OmShanti”
Karan Johar, a filmmaker, shared a note on Instagram Stories to grieve the passing. He wrote, “Today we lost a Hindi cinema legend… Shri Manoj Kumar…… It took me back to a screening of Kranti I saw as a child… sitting excitedly on the floor with other kids and a packed screening room of filmmakers, actors, and industry giants… this was the ROUGH CUT of the film… a 4 hour long version…. Manojji was sharing his film at such an early stage seeking feedback… seeking opinions for his ambitious motion picture……the film went on to create.
Manoj Kumar dies at 87.
Veteran Bollywood actor and filmmaker Manoj Kumar, renowned for his patriotic films, passed away at 87 in Mumbai’s Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital at 4:03 a.m. on Friday. His mortal remains will be kept at his Juhu residence from Friday afternoon for colleagues and fans to pay their respects, with cremation expected on Saturday. Medical reports confirm that he passed away due to cardiogenic shock triggered by an acute myocardial infarction—a critical heart attack. In addition, he had been suffering from advanced liver cirrhosis in recent months, further deteriorating his condition. Manoj Kumar was widely acclaimed for his legendary performances in classics like Shaheed, Upkar, and Purab Aur Paschim—films that still resonate with patriotic fervor among viewers.
