The Indian film fraternity came together to bid farewell to veteran actor and filmmaker Manoj Kumar, who passed away at the age of 87. The funeral held at Mumbai’s Pawan Hans Crematorium, was attended by several actors, including Amitabh Bachchan and Salim Khan, who were present to pay their last respects.
Salim Khan, renowned screenwriter and father of actors Salman and Arbaaz Khan, attended the funeral along with his son Arbaaz. The Khans joined other celebrities in offering condolences to the grieved family.
Amitabh Bachchan meets Salim Khan
Amitabh Bacchan and Salim met during the funeral ceremony. Both of them greeted and hugged each other. Bachchan helped Khan in coming out from the event. Khan, as part of the famous Salim-Javed duo, has scripted several of Bachchan’s iconic movies, including Deewar and Sholay. Their collaboration significantly shaped the part of Hindi cinema during the 1970s and 1980s.
Manoj Kumar, also known as Bharat Kumar’s funeral procession was marked by state honours, with his mortal remains in Indian tricolour. His movies, such as Purab Aur Paschim, resonated with audiences for their patriotic themes. Kumar’s movies left an indelible mark not only on his fans but also on the industry.
Bollywood pays tribute to the legend
Family, friends, and fans came together to pay tribute to the veteran actor. On Friday, ahead of the funeral ceremony, several Bollywood personalities like Prem Chopra, Dharmendra, Farah Khan, Madhur Bhandarkar, Anu Malik, Zayed Khan, Rajpal Yadav, Subhash Ghai, Farah Khan, along his brother Sajid Khan were present to offer their condolences.
Kumar’s younger days photograph was displayed outside his residence. Fans and visitors were allowed to pay their final tribute before the funeral. The ambulance carrying his mortal remains departed at 10:30 AM and was decorated with flowers in the colour of the national flag. Kumar’s body was wrapped in the Indian tricolour in a mark to pay respect to his lifelong contributions to Indian cinema.
(With inputs from PTI)