When Manoj Kumar called Akshay Kumar his successor

When veteran actor and filmmaker Manoj Kumar spoke about the future of

patriotic cinema

, he didn’t hesitate to name Akshay Kumar as his true successor.

“I’ve always considered Akshay my successor “
In an exclusive conversation with us earlier, the legendary star—celebrated for films like 'Purab Aur Paschim', 'Upkar', and 'Kranti'—expressed his admiration for Akshay’s dedication to portraying national pride on screen.

“I’ve always considered Akshay my successor in portraying patriotism on screen,” Manoj Kumar had said. “His recreation of my sequence from ‘Hai Preet Jahan Ki Reet Sada’ in Namaste London was heartfelt and authentic. There’s no one like him when it comes to playing the role of a country-loving Indian.”
Known fondly as “Bharat Kumar” for his deep-rooted roles that championed national values, his acknowledgment of Akshay Kumar was not just praise but a passing of the torch.
A legend no more

This throwback quote now takes on deeper meaning following Manoj Kumar’s demise at the age of 87. The veteran actor died in Mumbai after being admitted to Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital due to heart-related complications.
According to NDTV, as per the medical certificate issued by the hospital, the secondary cause of death was decompensated liver cirrhosis.
Kanch Ki Gudiya (1961)
Born in Abbottabad (then part of British India, now in Pakistan) in 1937, Manoj Kumar—originally named Harikrishnan Goswami—began his film career in 1957 with Fashion. He gained prominence with ‘Kanch Ki Gudiya’ (1961) and went on to become a defining voice in Indian patriotic cinema. ‘Kanch Ki Gudiya’ was directed by Harnam Singh Rawail and the movie also had the actors Sayeeda Khan and Shobha Khote in pivotal roles.
Manoj Kumar was last seen in the family drama ‘Ik Onkaar’ which was directed by Sunny Mandavarra and was released in the year 2018.