Veteran Hindi film actor Manoj Kumar, who was famous for his patriotic roles, was cremated with full state honours in Mumbai on Saturday, a day after he died due to a prolonged illness.
His mortal remains were driven from Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital to his residence in Goswami Towers at about 10:00 a.m. Covered with the tricolour, his flower-covered ambulance was a show of national pride his work was. The cremation was performed at the Pawan Hans crematorium, where the deceased actor was given a Guard of Honour as a respect for his humongous contribution to Indian cinema.
The last rites were witnessed by some of the top film personalities. Some of them include Amitabh Bachchan, Salim Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, and Arbaaz Khan. Others who attended to pay their respects included Prem Chopra, Raza Murad, Anu Malik, Vindu Dara Singh, and Dheeraj Kumar.
Telling IANS on Friday, Manoj Kumar's son Kunal Goswami bemoaned the emotional loss in the family. "He was ill for a very long time. We were hoping for his pain to decrease," he said. "But he died peacefully. I am grateful to God for that."
Goswami also mentioned that they took the body out of the hospital at 9 a.m. on Saturday, returned home by 10 a.m., and cremated him at 11 a.m.
Loved affectionately as "Bharat Kumar," Manoj Kumar left an enduring impact with movies such as Upkar, Purab Aur Paschim, and Kranti and secured a unique position in viewers' hearts with his commitment to patriotic filmmaking in Indian cinema.
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