Mumbai: Bollywood star Raveena Tandon remembers the late actor and director Manoj Kumar, who died at the age of 87. She also spoke about her personal relationship with him and his enormous contribution to Indian cinema.

Raveena expressed her admiration for Kumar in an interview with the media report, calling him a “genius” who “was ahead of his time.”

The actress said, “We can never forget him,” referring to the significant role he had in her father’s life. I was quite close to him. In Balidaan, he handed my father the first break. He was really close to my father. Manoj Kumar was a pioneer in his field. There was no such thing as a rotating restaurant in India when he presented the song “Jab zero diya mere Bharat ne,” so he made something similar. He had always been brilliant. I would argue that my father, his movies, and he are the main sources of my patriotism.

After a protracted illness, the actor passed away at the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Mumbai on April 4 at 4:03 a.m.

Born Harikrishan Goswami in Abbottabad, Pakistan, on July 24, 1937, Kumar rose to fame in Indian film, particularly throughout the 1960s and 1970s. The actor was lovingly referred to as “Bharat Kumar” because of his legendary performances in patriotic movies such as Shaheed, Purab Aur Paschim, and Upkar.

Kumar made important contributions as a director and producer in addition to his acting career. Upkar (1967), his first film as a director, took home the National Film Award for Second Best Feature Film.

His other well-received films include Roti Kapda Aur Makaan (1974) and Purab Aur Paschim (1970), both of which were huge economic and critical hits.