When actor-producer-director Manoj Kumar, also known as Bharat Kumar, received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, Dharmendra was also elated. It was natural for Dharmendra to be excited. Then Dharmendra had said that Manoj Kumar getting Dadasaheb Phalke Award is equally important for him. Because both have been witnesses of happiness and sorrow in the journey of each other's film career. There are very interesting and heart touching stories of the days of struggle of both the veteran artists.
Very few people would know that during the days of struggle, Dharmendra and Manoj Kumar Lived in the same room. They even used to wear each other's clothes. In some films of the sixties, both of them were seen wearing the same shirts. The interesting thing is that at that time both of them were almost of the same height and build, hence both of them used to wear each other's shirts especially.
Even though Manoj Kumar had gone to Mumbai from Delhi, he also had the same connection with the land of Punjab as Dharmendra. Dharmendra also went to Mumbai from Ludhiana. Punjabiyat brought the hearts of both of them closer to each other. Although there was a difference of about ten years in the age of both of them. Manoj Kumar was born on 24 July 1925, while Dharmendra was born on 8 December 1935. But if we look at the film careers of both, there is little difference in them. Manoj Kumar's first film Fashion came in 1957 while Dharmendra's first film Dil Bhi Tera Hum Bhi Tere came in 1960.
The principles of the film industry are different. It is not enough for artists from outside to get their first film. Even after this, the way forward is paved only by the continuous release of films and their success. In this matter, both the artists had to face a tough struggle like many other greats. But the personality of both of them has been very helpful. Just as Dharmendra used to help new artists in his time, similarly Manoj Kumar also. Manoj Kumar helped not only Dharmendra but also Vinod Khanna a lot. Disappointed Dharmendra was prevented from going back to Punjab.
There came a time in Dharmendra's life when he neither had a house to live in nor any work. At such a time Manoj Kumar told him
Kept it with me and bought them clothes. Recently, Jitendra, another close friend of both the artists, had revealed the story of their friendship and struggle. Jitendra had told that Dharmendra was Manoj Kumar's closest friend. Manoj Kumar had sensed Dharmendra's talent earlier and was determined to help him.
Jitendra even told that during the days of struggle, when both of them used to go for screen tests, they used to wear each other's clothes. The size of their clothes was also the same. Sunny Deol had also once narrated the same story. Sunny Deol had told that Manoj Kumar would buy a shirt and tell Dharmendra – this is for you.
Dharmendra had shared a unique anecdote about Manoj Kumar's generosity. Dharmendra had told that he kept getting rejected in screen tests. He became so disappointed after continuously not listening to the directors and producers that he decided to return to Ludhiana, Punjab. Almost included the sack of bedding also. But at the last moment Manoj Kumar encouraged. He stopped Dharmendra saying that if he earns two chapatis, he will divide each chapati and eat it. This statement of Manoj Kumar touched Dharmendra's heart and he postponed the decision of returning to Punjab. If Dharmendra had returned to Punjab then the industry would not have got the man.
But despite their deep friendship, both the actors did not get a chance to share the screen together in a film for a long time. Although many times both of them worked together in the same film, for example Raj Kapoor's Mera Naam Joker. This fact is unique that both of them lived together behind the scenes but were not seen together on the film screen. A small scene of this was seen in a song of 1995's Maiden Jang. The unique thing is that Maidane Jang was Manoj Kumar's last film as an actor and Jai Hind came in 1999 as a director.
