Veteran Hindi film actor Manoj Kumar passed away in Mumbai at the age of 87 after a prolonged illness. He was admitted to Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, where he breathed his last. Paying tribute on this sad moment, let’s remember Manoj Kumar through the archives of Lehren. Watch this flashback interview, in which he shares the story behind signing Dilip Kumar for the blockbuster film Kranti, making it one of Bollywood’s most memorable collaborations. He also praised Dream Girl Hema Malini for her dedication. #manojkumar #kunalgoswami #dilipkumar #kranti #lehrenpodcast
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00:00Mr. Salim Javed, 6-8 weeks before the release of the film,
00:05he wrote in the film information,
00:08that we have nothing in Kranti.
00:10Whatever has been done, has been done by Mr. Manoj Kumar.
00:13I even called him jokingly.
00:15If I have done it, then return the payment that I have made.
00:19Mr. Jaleel is so great for me that I don't call him by any name.
00:24I call him Haji in the language of a frontier.
00:28My wife is my biggest critic.
00:31She says that the good thing is good,
00:33but she catches the bad thing and kills it.
00:37Where did those words go?
00:39Where did those compliments go?
00:41Where did those tunes go,
00:43which used to shake the strings of the heart?
00:46Hai, tha, tha, tha, tha, tha, tha, tha, tha.
00:51When I was researching and writing the film,
00:57Kanuji Angre, who is known as the first naval admiral,
01:06used to stop the British ships in the sea,
01:18used to snatch their ammunition,
01:21used to kill them.
01:24So there was a lot of this character.
01:27Then I thought that in our country,
01:31there were kings, emperors, Nawabs.
01:35This mass movement, how did all the people wake up?
01:41If the people woke up, it would have been a farmer.
01:45Because our country belongs to the farmers.
01:47The kings and emperors fought some,
01:49some surrendered.
01:55So I was making a film, Naya Bharat.
01:59So I had to make it quickly.
02:01Indira ji had asked me to make the film in an emergency.
02:04So I signed with Salim Javed.
02:07I told him to write the story on the screen,
02:09and I would write the dialogue.
02:11So during that time, our association and friendship grew a lot.
02:14I have known Salim since 1958.
02:17He is not just someone I know,
02:20or someone who is related to my profession,
02:25he is not just a close friend of mine,
02:28he is more than a brother to me.
02:34So then in an emergency,
02:39whatever I had to say,
02:42whatever I had to listen to,
02:44whatever I had to read,
02:46whatever bad things happened,
02:48that film got dropped.
02:51So I said, this is it.
02:55So, okay, we would sit.
03:00Then I would write the scene,
03:06or I would tell Salim on the phone,
03:10or I would go to Javed's house and tell him.
03:15But I was so emotionally close to him,
03:23that I named him after him.
03:27Although,
03:31Salim Javed worked very clearly,
03:38that 6-8 weeks before the release of the film,
03:42he wrote in the film information,
03:46that we have nothing in Kranti,
03:49whatever has been done,
03:50has been done by Mr. Manoj Kumar.
03:53I even called him jokingly.
03:55If I have done it,
03:56then return the payment that I have made.
04:00Anyway,
04:01when the idea of the story came up,
04:04I called Mr. Duleep.
04:06Mr. Duleep is so great for me,
04:08that I don't call him by any name.
04:11I am a language of the frontier,
04:13I call him yes.
04:15I said, yes.
04:17He said, tell me, Dr.
04:19I said, this is a very bogus story,
04:22a very bogus role,
04:23and I think you are very fit for it.
04:26He started laughing.
04:27He said, let's do it.
04:29I said, anyway,
04:30I keep talking to you on the telephone,
04:33but I will not call for this work.
04:35He said, don't do it.
04:37When the idea of the story came up,
04:40that the story starts from here,
04:42it happens here,
04:43and the end is like this.
04:45I told him,
04:46and he said, come tomorrow.
04:49I reached at 5 o'clock.
04:50We were sitting on the terrace.
04:52We were drinking tea.
04:54How are you?
04:56How is Shashi?
04:58How are the children?
04:59How is your father?
05:01We had a very deep relationship.
05:07He said, man,
05:09it is difficult today.
05:11His elder brother,
05:13Mr. Noor,
05:14he said,
05:15Noor Lala is very unwell.
05:17He is in the hospital.
05:19It will take three hours for the story.
05:22I said,
05:23I am a child in front of him,
05:26and I behave like a child.
05:29I said,
05:30Mr. Noor,
05:32the story that takes three hours to narrate,
05:35is not a story.
05:36A story is one that can be narrated in two to three minutes.
05:42Did you understand?
05:44Did you hear?
05:47Not two to three minutes,
05:49it must have taken five, seven, ten minutes.
05:52After listening, he kept looking at me.
05:56He said,
05:58the land is good.
06:01The land is very good.
06:03I said,
06:04if we manage it,
06:06the farming will also be good.
06:09I have worked with him in a film,
06:12Aadmi,
06:13that people bother him.
06:15He didn't bother me.
06:17He used to come at 11.15 or 11.00.
06:21And even if there was no work,
06:23he never complained,
06:25being such a senior,
06:27such a great artist,
06:29that today I have to work,
06:31I have to work.
06:33I have to work.
06:35Being such a senior, such a great artist,
06:38that today I have to work,
06:40I have to work.
06:41Never.
06:44That's it.
06:45The film was made with love.
06:48Sir, you have worked with Hema Mally
06:50in three films,
06:51Dastambari Ki Pran,
06:52Sanyasi Ki Pran.
06:53What was your experience working with her?
06:58Hema is a very good person.
07:05I have seen her relationship
07:08with her father,
07:12with her mother,
07:15with her aunty,
07:17with her brothers,
07:19and also with fellow artists.
07:23She is very committed.
07:26And this is God's gift to her.
07:29Perhaps,
07:30the education she received
07:32from her childhood,
07:34that switch off, switch on.
07:36From one shooting to another,
07:38which I could never do.
07:40I didn't do a double shift.
07:42I only did a double shift for two days.
07:44There was a problem with Hema Ji,
07:46that there were cuts in a film's censor.
07:50And,
07:52I think,
07:54she has worked in countless good
07:58and hit films.
08:00I don't think any producer
08:02has any complaint
08:04that Hema Ji has harassed her.
08:08And,
08:11whatever she is doing in the future,
08:14she is doing well in politics as well.
08:18Her family life is also good.
08:22Sir, your wife,
08:23you have helped her in some films.
08:26Absolutely, absolutely.
08:29My wife is my biggest critic.
08:33She says,
08:34good things are good,
08:36but she catches hold of bad things.
08:40Which,
08:42if I get a little bit of success,
08:46it is in her hands.
08:50Otherwise, wives keep praising,
08:52that this is my husband,
08:54this is my husband.
08:55No, she says,
08:56why this,
08:57why this,
08:58this shot is boring.
09:00I say,
09:01no,
09:02understand a little,
09:03if there is background music in this,
09:05it will be fine.
09:07Sometimes,
09:08she is right,
09:09sometimes she is wrong.
09:11But,
09:13in her
09:16suggestions,
09:18there is no selfishness.
09:21Whatever she says,
09:22she says it for my own good.
09:27Sir,
09:28what difference do you see
09:30between today's background music
09:32and earlier music?
09:35The difference between
09:37earlier music and today's music
09:39is the same.
09:44That,
09:47where did the words go?
09:50Where did the songs go?
09:52Where did the melodies go?
09:54Where did the heartbeats go?
09:57The heartbeats.
10:04Yes,
10:05some good songs came in between.
10:12The melody,
10:13in which,
10:15music is
10:16a combination of thoughts and music.
10:19In which,
10:20thoughts and music
10:22will be there,
10:23and music will touch.
10:24Yes.
10:25Today,
10:26I will say something
10:29that the sale of music
10:30is not happening anymore.
10:32The recording of music
10:33has become very expensive.
10:35Promoting music
10:36has become very expensive.
10:41The more we spend on it,
10:43the more it does not come back.
10:45But,
10:46it is important that
10:47if the music is good,
10:49then it makes the film
10:51double.