Manoj Kumar Narrates How He Got A Break In Bollywood
Veteran actor Manoj Kumar turns 86 today. On his birthday, watch this throwback interview where he revealed how he got his first break in Bollywood.
Transcript
00:00 I have come with a shroud on my head.
00:02 If I will stay, I will stay here.
00:04 If I will work, I will work here.
00:06 Son, I have not even worn a shoe yet.
00:10 Here, age is the cause of weariness.
00:12 I came here because of my uncle, brother, Shri Lekhraj Bhakri and Kuldeep Saigal.
00:22 But in some situations, films have hot, soft, and cold scenes.
00:31 So, he called me to become a hero.
00:35 But at the age of 19-20, he made me a 90 year old old man and made me a film fashion beggar.
00:44 One day I asked my brother, "Brother, what are you thinking about me?"
00:50 He said, "Son, I have not even worn a shoe yet. Here, age is the cause of weariness."
00:58 At that time, I was shocked.
01:02 But when I thought about it at night, I said, "Okay, I have come with a shroud on my head.
01:11 If I will stay, I will stay here. If I will work, I will work here."
01:16 My father used to write a letter from Delhi, "Son, if you are not able to work, then come back."
01:22 I said, "No, I will stay here."
01:25 I got a little confidence in that that Mr. Bhakri and Mr. Saigal's office used to be in Ranji Studio.
01:38 Ranji Studio was a very busy studio. Mr. Chandralal Shah made 125-130 memorable films.
01:51 Mr. Krishna Chopra, the director of Godan, had his office there. Mr. Ramesh Saigal, who made Phir Subah Hogi, Shola Aur Shabnam,
02:13 Mr. Mahesh Kaul, who made Talhaq, all their offices were there.
02:19 One day, I reached the studio a little late in the evening.
02:24 Mr. Krishna Chopra said with love and anger, "I have been looking for you all day. Where were you?"
02:35 I said, "I had to go to Kadki today, so I was at home. Raj Grover, my friend, brought me here."
02:46 Raj Grover was his assistant.
02:49 He said, "My friend, Homi Sethna, is making a documentary, Gangu Teli.
02:57 I thought I should tell you to do the work. I told Homi, he kept waiting for you and he left."
03:07 He said, "Mr. Chopra is climbing the stairs. He was doing a film trial."
03:13 I got the courage and said, "Mr. Chopra, if you try once."
03:18 He called me in the studio.
03:28 Luckily, Homi Sethna was there. He came there in a scooter in five minutes.
03:35 He saw me from head to toe.
03:37 He saw the third class ticket for Beradun Express.
03:43 That film was Gangu Teli, a documentary that was a publicity stunt.
03:51 I was signed for Rs. 1000.
03:56 He had Rs. 130 left. I went to his house to get it.
04:04 He was happy and gave me Rs. 1000 as a reward.
04:10 I felt that people are genuine.
04:15 Then one day, in the same studio, Lala Roshanlal Malhotra, who was a great advisor of the film industry,
04:28 was also a producer.
04:30 M. Rajan was the hero, he was his younger brother.
04:34 He was making a film, Zameen Aur Aasman.
04:39 I saw that Mr. Rajan was very worried.
04:43 I asked him what happened.
04:45 He said, "I got a date from Ashok Kumar, whom we call Dada Muni with respect and love."
04:55 "I got a date, but I didn't like the scene and I couldn't find the writer on the phone."
05:02 "What should I do?"
05:04 I said, "Find the writer."
05:07 He was worried for 20-25 minutes.
05:10 Then he said, "What should I do?"
05:13 "He will get angry and leave."
05:18 I said, "Rajan, what is the scene? I will write it."
05:22 "Leave it, you will write the scene."
05:27 I said, "See, what a guess, your shooting will be saved."
05:35 He said, "Listen to his dialogue."
05:37 I said, "Don't listen to his dialogue, give me the situation."
05:41 So Mr. Rajan gave me the situation.
05:45 And by the grace of God,
05:49 when the situation is right,
05:51 even if there is noise in writing the scene,
05:53 someone is speaking, music is playing,
05:56 my concentration remains there.
06:00 So I wrote the scene.
06:02 After listening to Mr. Rajan, nothing happened.
06:07 He left with a thoughtless mind.
06:10 And after 10 minutes, he came running, running, running.
06:15 "Manoj, Manoj, Manoj."
06:18 "What happened, Rajan?"
06:20 "Dada Muni is calling me, I mean Mr. Shok Kumar is calling me."
06:23 I went in a little hesitant.
06:27 And Dada Muni saw me from top to bottom.
06:32 "Did you write this scene?"
06:36 "Yes."
06:37 "Did you write it in 5 minutes?"
06:39 "Yes."
06:40 "Very well written, very good writer."
06:43 "But why are you becoming a writer? You are a hero."
06:48 I said, "I have come to become one."
06:50 He said, "You will become."
06:52 So in the evening his shooting was over.
06:56 Rajan hugged me.
06:59 He was a friend of mine, a very dear friend.
07:02 So he opened his wallet and gave me 11 rupees as a gift.
07:07 Then in a week, in that studio,
07:11 there was a producer whose scene would get stuck.
07:16 And he would get it written.
07:18 And he would give 11 rupees.
07:21 Me, my friend Sonal Kamal, along with Dharmendra,
07:25 we would eat cream, drink juice,
07:29 and sometimes we would smoke a cigarette.
07:34 Then after that, my brother gave me a role in a film, Sahara,
07:39 with 5-6 scenes, with Meena Kumari.
07:42 In that too, there was a hero, M. Rajan.
07:46 Then after that, the film Bani Chaan,
07:50 in that too there was Meena and Balraj Shani.
07:53 In that too there were some scenes, but nothing was made.
07:56 But in Ranjit Studio, the film Talaq's shooting was going on.
08:02 So Rajender Kumar, after Mother India, became a very big star.
08:07 He used to watch me.
08:09 So one day he called me over here.
08:12 "Where do you live?"
08:14 So the part of India that went to Pakistan,
08:18 we were close to it.
08:20 And in Delhi too, his parents and our house was close.
08:25 So he, as a big brother, gave me a lot of love.
08:33 He encouraged me a lot.
08:36 So there was a premiere of his film,
08:40 the name of the film was Devra Bhabhi,
08:42 which was produced by Kailash Kapoor and J.P. Sehgal.
08:47 So there was Shri H.S. Ravel present there.
08:51 He looked at me.
08:54 I spoke to Rajender Sir.
08:57 So he signed me up for the film Kanki Gudiya as a hero.
09:03 And two days later,
09:06 the film studio started hiring me for the film Picnic.
09:12 I did the film, then Nakhli Nawab, Piya Milan Ki Aas Ki,
09:18 Suhaag Sindoor Ki, Mala Sinha Ji was the heroine.
09:24 Then I was doing a film Reshmi Rumal.
09:28 The director was Harshuk Bhatt.
09:32 Who was a great person and a great director,
09:37 was Shri Vijay Bhatt's younger brother.
09:41 So the film was made in 9-10 days.
09:44 So he thought he should show his elder brother how the film was being made.
09:49 He saw the film.
09:53 My days were good.
09:57 It was the blessing of my parents.
10:00 Vijay Bhatt sir didn't know how the film was made.
10:06 I liked it.
10:09 So he signed me up for Haryali Aur Raasta.
10:14 11,000 rupees.
10:17 From there,
10:21 this journey started again.
10:25 And in the middle of Haryali Aur Raasta,
10:31 because I was 25 years old,
10:34 according to Vedic tradition,
10:40 it is necessary to get married at the age of 25.
10:44 I didn't have any opposition to love and marriage.
10:49 It was done with the consent of my parents.
10:54 So I got married before the release.
10:58 The film that was released after the marriage was Haryali Aur Raasta.
11:04 And that film was my first silver jubilee film.
11:10 My wife says, "I have brought good luck for you."
11:14 "Okay, if you have brought good luck, then you enjoy it."
11:18 "I am a hard worker."
11:21 This was the journey of the beginning.
11:25 Copyright© OSHO International Foundation
11:29 www.OSHO.com/copyright