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Time of India
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Being a star's son is a double-edged sword, says Kunal Goswami
Kunal Goswami; Manoj Kumar Legendary actor and filmmaker Manoj Kumar , celebrated for his patriotic films and notable contribution to Indian cinema , passed away on April 4. In a conversation with BT, his son and actor Kunal Goswami reflects on his father's legacy and his own journey in films. Excerpts: How would you describe your bond with Manoj Kumar — as both a son and an actor? As a son and actor, I've had the privilege of learning and unlearning many things about cinema and life from him. My father was affectionately known as Mr Bharat because he embodied patriotism. He pursued acting with great passion and dedication. Films like Upkar , Purab Aur Pachhim and Shaheed reflect how deeply patriotism was rooted in him — and we, his children, saw and lived that passion every day. Did you always want to become an actor? I was too young to make that decision myself. One day, my father simply said, 'Chalo, aana hai set pe?' and suddenly, I was surrounded by the media and thousands of people while he was directing a scene with Dilip Kumar saab and Hema Maliniji. I was around 14 when I made my debut. I went on to work in Ghunghroo with Prakash Mehra and Kalakar with Sridevi, which became popular for its music. I acted in around 10 films, but things didn't quite take off. After my father directed me in Jai Hind (2000), I decided to step away from the film industry. Was it a tough decision to make? I didn't want to cling to the idea of 'once an actor, always an actor,' especially if it meant accepting roles that didn't feel right. Being a star's son is a double-edged sword — you get an initial platform, but there are assumptions. Many filmmakers believed they had to approach me through my father, who wasn't very social or easily approachable. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch Bitcoin và Ethereum - Không cần ví! IC Markets BẮT ĐẦU NGAY Undo This hesitation worked against me. I reached out to filmmakers myself, but strong roles never came my way. Others like Kumar Gaurav and Chimpoo Kapoor went through similar struggles. Eventually, I moved into the catering business. My father encouraged me to stay in films because he saw my creative side, but he never forced me. Acting may be behind me, but I do hope to direct a film someday. Do you plan to remake any of your father's films to take his legacy forward? No, I don't think those films can be remade. You can remake a Don — it's a commercial film, much like James Bond — but films like Upkar, Purab Aur Pachhim or Roti, Kapda Aur Makaan are in a league of their own. The emotional depth and context they carried can't be replicated. Even though multiple versions of Shaheed have been made since, people still remember Manoj Kumar as the original Shaheed Bhagat Singh. Manoj Kumar was in awe with Dilip Kumar Check out our list of the latest Hindi , English , Tamil , Telugu , Malayalam , and Kannada movies . Don't miss our picks for the best Hindi movies , best Tamil movies, and best Telugu films .
Indian Express
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Indian Express
Taipei Open badminton: Unnati Hooda enters semi final after overcoming mid-match blip against home challenger Hung Yi-Ting
Unnati Hooda played home challenger Hung Yi-Ting, had a mini meltdown after getting a yellow card for challenging a net-fault, heard the home crowd cheer for the Chinese Taipei player. But in a match that had its troughs and crests, she prevailed in the hugely see-sawing battle 21-8, 19-21, 21-19. Against the 28-year-old Hung, Unnati started with a blitz taking the opener 21-8, and though father and coach Upkar Hooda says she ought to have wrapped up in two sets, the finish didn't kick in at 16-18 or 18-19 in the second. 'Those were one or two bad judgments from her. And though there was drift, and she had dominated first, there were mistakes,' he says. There was a mini meltdown at 19-15 in the decider when the umpire handed her a fault, and it precipitated into a yellow card. 'It was a close call and she only asked the umpire why it was a fault, but they pulled a yellow card. You have to accept the umpire's calls. It came so fast, you can't plan. But next time she will be experienced,' he assures. On the day, it cost her a 20-19 scare. However, she managed the situation to win in 52 minutes, backing her attack. Unnati, considered one of the finest juniors in terms of her game and aggressive attitude, has reached Singapore International Challenge final this year, but squandered 6 match points at Germany in the quarters in an 85-minute humdinger against Riko Gunji, a former junior World Champion. 'She has to cut down on negatives. She naturally plays a fast game which can backfire,' he says. Someone in the Saina Nehwal mould – some of her shots are mirror images – Unnati, however, lacks power on her smash. 'We are happy with the smash, but she needs to balance aggression and patience with that shot,' Upkar says of the temperament. Unnati lines up against the highly-rated Japanese Tomoka Miyazaki next. The two never squared off in seniors, but Unnati was handed a straight-sets whooping at the World Juniors a few seasons ago in Spokane, USA. A loss might not rankle given how far ahead Miyazaki has sprinted (she is now world No 8) but a win could be a phenomenal scalp. In Taipei, Unnati has missed home, Rohtak in Haryana. Upkar dedicated the quarterfinal victory to the Indian armed forces, as the duo rushed to check the latest updates on Google. 'First of all, we want to dedicate this win to all Indian soldiers,' Upkar says. It's not an easy situation for someone of Unnati's age, and Upkar added that being away while playing a tournament made it trickier for the 17-year-old. 'Because we are far away from home, the anxiety this time is different from other tournaments before. Unnati keeps listening to news clips and scrolling Google and there's concern for those we know,' he adds. At 17, though heralded as a big player in the making within India for her fearless shotmaking, Unnati divides many opinions. For one, she keeps playing doubles that splits her energy, though that's slowly fading. 'She has two more years in juniors. This is the only time to add to her skills, that's why I insist on doubles to improve her singles,' Upkar explains. A clean break, could be underway. And clarity: 'Yes, singles is the goal,' he adds. There's even more curiosity over where Unnati will be headed for the next leap into professionalism. She currently trains at her own academy in Rohtak. 'We are not closed about her moving on, and when required she will go to a bigger academy. India has 4-5 excellent ones, Gopichand's at Hyderabad and Prakash Padukone's at Bangalore. Even our Haryana academy is good, make no mistake,' he says, 'But we are open to options now and won't stick to just one approach.' What drove the point home was Unnati's tibia injury that burst her ankle last year. 'We realised recovery is most important thing in tournaments after the injury. If she has to have a long career, can't ignore that,' he adds.
Hindustan Times
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Habitat Film Festival to pay tribute to Shyam Benegal, Manoj Kumar, Raj Kapoor and others
New Delhi, The 17th edition of the Habitat Film Festival will pay tribute to industry stalwarts like Shyam Benegal, Raj Kapoor, Manoj Kumar, Mohammed Rafi, Talat Mahmood, and Aruna Vasudev. Apart from a retrospective of Benegal, screenings of NETPAC award winning films, and Manoj Kumar's iconic film "Upkar", the film festival will showcase films in 24 Indian languages across themes of social issues that affect Indian society. The festival will begin on May 16 with a tribute to Raj Kapoor through a vibrant dastangoi performance "Dastan-e-Raj Kapoor", directed by Mahmood Farooqui, and a screening of his iconic film "Awaara". An exhibition of posters of the art of the legendary filmmaker's cinema, and a screening of a documentary on Raj Kapoor, directed by Siddharth Kak, will also mark his birth centenary year. 'Our Festival this year is significant for a host of reasons. It's the 20th year since we began, . We mourn the loss of some who have been an integral part of our journey, we celebrate 50 years of three iconic stars in Indian cinema, we pay tribute to some legends of Indian Cinema on their 100th birth anniversary year and raise a hurrah for contemporary cinema trail blazers," Vidyun Singh, creative head programmes, India Habitat Centre, said in a statement. The Shyam Benegal Retrospective will be flagged off with the screening of his first feature film "Ankur", which also marked the cinematic journey of Shabana Azmi 50 years ago. Azmi will be in conversation with renowned filmmaker Aparna Sen, who is also the subject of a documentary directed by Suman Ghosh that will be screened at the festival. The festival will highlight themes of human-environment conflict in films like "Raavsaheb" and "Sangala", gender and caste discrimination in "Swaha", "Appuram", and "Aajoor". While "Humans in the Loop" discusses AI and society, "Cinema pe Cinema" and "Behind the Scenes" turn the camera inwards and focus on the world of cinema. The HFF will also screen "Puratawn", Sharmila Tagore's Bengali comeback film, directed by Suman Ghosh. The festival will also host a series of innovative feminist documentaries that explore and visibilise diverse, lived experiences, expressions and reflections as women, trans and queer persons, including "All That We Own" by Aprajita Gupta, "Making Space" by Nikita Parikh, and "Log Kya Kahenge" by Rafina Khatun. A curated package of non-fiction films, including "Only If The Baby Cries" by Shadab Farooq, "We Are Not What We See" by Hou-hsein, and "Mic Drop" by Kallol Mukherjee. The HFF will showcase acclaimed and awarded films from across the country, including "Pyre" by Vinod Kapri, "Nukkad Natak" by Tanmaya Shekhar, "Beline" by Samik Roy Choudhury, "Dhrubor Aschorjo Jibon" by Abhijit Chowdhury, "Mikka Bannada Hakki" by Manohara, and "Feminist Fathima" by Fasil Muhammed. The much celebrated film by Payal Kapadia, "All We Imagine As Light", will be screened during the film festival. "As cinema gains more traction with the onset of revolutionary technologies such as OTT, it's important to promote a culture where films aren't just watched but also understood and appreciated. The festival also aims to initiate the new generation into the art of cinema to facilitate the emergence of young, new storytellers, cinematographers, actors and directors who would further enrich both Indian and world cinema with their creativity, energy and dedication," K G Suresh, director, India Habitat Centre, said. The HFF will also observe the birth centenary years of Muhammad Rafi, Talat Mahmood and Tapan Sinha with discussion of books on their illustrious careers, and a screening of a Tapan Sinha film, "Ek Doctor ki Maut". The film festival will also see book discussions, workshops, exhibitions, and masterclasses. The 10-day festival will come to an end on May 25.
Gulf Today
06-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Gulf Today
Art has always been a harbinger of harmony
Agha Riaz, Chief Sub-Editor The post-Partition Hindi films played a huge and effective role in calming the massively bruised feelings of Indians and Pakistanis. The two countries won freedom from the British rule in August, 1947. The independence was preceded by months of bloody riots, which triggered a mood of settled hatred on both sides of the border. But the balanced and the peace-loving took it upon themselves to work towards love and camaraderie. The world of arts was peopled with such individuals. And actor-director Manoj Kumar, who left the mortal world on April 4, was one such person. He used the vehicle of entertainment to reach out to the people across the border. And he succeeded in his goal. The massive response to the songs of his films in Pakistan establishes that. He is remembered for his patriotic, romantic, emotional and suspense-laden films. He was a great director too. He directed the film 'Kranti' (in which he played the lead role) which was one of the highest-grossing Hindi movies in the 1980s. It featured the late Dilip Kumar. 'The song 'Zindagi ki na toote ladi' (from the movie 'Kranti' ) was my mum's favourite,' said a pharmaceutical company's regional manager, Khudadad Khan. 'My late mum off and on said let's go for a long drive around the city (Karachi) and wanted to listen to the song at least 5 to 10 times, while on every tour.' Khudadad said, 'Manoj Kumar was the face of several iconic songs woven into our memories and his films are lessons.' Agha Subhani, another Pakistani fan living in Karachi, paid tribute to the legendary actor-director for his superhit songs from 'Upkar', 'Purab Aur Paschim' and 'Woh Kaun Thi?'. 'Whenever I have time, I always listen to or watch these movies and its songs. Earlier I used to watch movies through VCR (videocassette recorder), then DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) player and now these movies are on my iCloud (thanks to the latest technology). These are my favourite songs: Upkar: Diwanon Se Mat Poochho (Mukesh), Mere Desh Ki Dharti (Mahendra Kapoor), Kasme Wade Pyar Wafa (Manna Dey), Aayi Jhoomke Basant (Asha Bhosle, Manna Dey). Purab Aur Paschim: Koi Jab Tumhara Hriday Tod De (Mukesh), Dulhan Chali (Mahendra Kapoor), Purva Suhani Aayi Re (Lata Mangeshkar, Mahendra Kapoor, Manhar Udhas) Woh Kaun Thi?: Lag Jaa Gale Ki Phir Ye Haseen Raat Ho Na Ho, Jo Hamne Daastaan Apnee Sunaaee Aap Kyoon Roye, Nainaa Barse Rimjhim Rimjhim, Chhod Kar Tere Pyaar Kaa Daaman Ye Bataa De Ki Ham Kidhar Jaayein. Agha Subhani further said, 'Manoj Kumar was an Indian actor, film director, screenwriter, lyricist and editor who worked very hard in Bollywood. This continent, especially India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, will miss him.' 'Dus Numbri, Roti, Kapda Aur Makaan, BeImaan were the movies with the most melodrama and were crowd-pullers,' said a Pakistani landlord, Syed Shebaz Jilani. 'It is my opinion that if someone has not seen the movie 'Gumnaam', a suspense thriller that blended mystery with music, it means he or she has missed a lot. It was a box-office success and is still remembered for its eerie plot and the iconic track 'Gumnaam Hai Koi'. Other songs like Jaane Chaman Shola Badan, Pike Ham Tum Jo Chale, Khayalon Men, Aayega Kaun Yahan, Ek Ladki Hai Jisne, Gham Chhodke Manao Rang, Jan Pehchan Ho are all superhit songs. A Pakistani retired police officer, Sardar Shah, said, 'Manoj Kumar was a great actor and my favourite too. His movie 'Himalaya Ki God Mein', was set in the lush valleys of the Himalayas. It was a romantic drama in which he paired with Mala Sinha and featured a beautiful musical score. 'His another movie which is an all-time favourite for me is 'Do Badan', a romantic tragedy that was a major hit and proved his mettle in emotional roles. Asha Parekh was the lead lady. The film's song, especially 'Raha Gardishon Mein Hardam,' is soul-stirring.' He did and colourfully more for Indo-Pak friendship than many politicians.
Gulf Today
06-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Gulf Today
Manoj Kumar: Patriotism personified
Manoj Kumar espoused causes that the nation and its builders held dear. His best-known films captured the minds and hearts of moviegoers in a nation making its way through the first few decades of its independence from British rule. He personified patriotism and it paid off. His career unfolded in an era in which a newly-free people struggled with poverty, unemployment and a lopsided system manipulated by the powerful. There was anger and frustration in Manoj Kumar's films but they were shorn of jingoism and steeped in secular values. Deep-rooted humanism, if only of a rather simplistic kind, ran like a thread through his films, in which he often became the voice of the common man. The actor-director played Bharat – an alternative name for India – in five films, starting with Upkar (1967) and ending with Clerk (1989), the last film that he helmed with himself as the male lead. This photo shows the poster of Manoj Kumar's film "Upkar". Manoj Kumar achieved stupendous success with his patriotic films, which included Purab Aur Paschim (1970), in which he employed broad strokes to harp upon a clash between East and West; Roti Kapada Aur Makaan (1974), which zeroed in on a middle-class family at the crossroads of ethics and expediency; and Kranti (1981), a historical drama about India's first War of Independence in the 19th century. These films and the characters he played him in them gave him a distinctive persona that placed him in a slot far removed from the ones occupied by the two reigning stars of the 1970s – eternal romantic Rajesh Khanna, who stormed the industry with Aradhana and Do Raaste in 1969, and angry young man Amitabh Bachchan, who soared to superstardom with Zanjeer (1973) and Deewar (1975). Manoj Kumar's peak as a crowd-puller in the mid-1970s coincided with the advent of Mumbai multi-starrers, led by Sholay (1975), which changed the course of Hindi popular cinema. But to the actor-director goes the credit of mounting Mumbai's first true multi-starrer in the form of Roti Kapada Aur Makaan. The story of a man and his family grappling with financial strife and its repercussions featured Manoj Kumar, Shashi Kapoor, Amitabh Bachchan, Zeenat Aman and Moushumi Chatterjee in stellar roles. The title of Roti Kapada Aur Makaan came from a phrase often used by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to denote the bare necessities of life that the masses needed. A scene from Kranti It was an earlier Indian Prime Minister, Lal Bahadur Shastri, who inspired Manoj Kumar with another slogan, Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan (Hail the soldier, hail the farmer), which gained currency in the aftermath of the Indo-Pak war of 1965. The film that resulted, Upkar extolled the contribution of farmers and soldiers to a nation's well-being. It gave birth to Bharat, a man unwaveringly committed to the principles of equity and integrity. There was, however, significantly more to Manoj Kumar than the overtly nationalistic cloak that he donned on the screen. Working with many other directors (Raj Khosla, Shakti Samanta, among others) and with an array of top leading ladies, he featured in numerous box-office hits that made him a bankable star of the 1960s and 1970s. He acted opposite Waheeda Rehman, Hema Malini, Saira Banu, Asha Parekh, Mala Sinha, Vyjayanthimala and Nanda without necessarily forming an abiding screen pair with any of them. His career successes both as an actor and a director came independent of the people that he collaborated with. A scene from Purab Aur Paschim Besides being an actor with a string of successes to his credit, Manoj Kumar was an accomplished craftsman. He edited several of the films that he directed, including the superhits Roti Kapada Aur Makaan and Kranti. Particularly noteworthy was the manner in which he picturised songs and mounted dramatic scenes. His goal was to make the strongest possible impact as well as a statement aimed at underlining the theme of the film. Witness Mere desh ki dharti (Upkar), Baaki kuch bacha toh mehngai maar gai (Roti Kapada Aur Makaan, sung by Lata Mangeshkar, Mukesh, Narendra Chanchal and Jani Babu Qawwal) and Zindagi ki na toote ladi (Kranti) as cases in point. Born Harikrishan Giri Goswami in Abbottabad in 1937, he migrated to Delhi as a 10-year-old boy. When still a teenager, he moved to Bombay to try his luck in the movie industry. He debuted as an actor in 1957 and in the next five years appeared in a series of films that did little to further his career prospects. It was not until 1962 that Manoj Kumar tasted genuine success. The film was Vijay Bhatt's Hariyali Aur Rasta, co-starring Mala Sinha. In the next few months, more hits (Shaadi, Dr Vidya, Grahasti) put him on the path to stardom. His first major hit, Woh Kaun Thi? (1964), in which he played the main lead opposite Sadhana, catapulted him to the big league. It was followed by Shaheed (1965), in which he was Bhagat Singh, one of India's most revered martyrs. The heroism of the real-life freedom fighter hero clearly seeped into the films that Manoj Kumar went on to direct. Manoj Kumar faded away from the public eye after directing his son Kunal Goswami in Jai Hind in the late 1990s. The film sank without a trace. But the work that he did in earlier decades kept him alive in the popular consciousness, as it likely will until Hindi cinema lives.
