Manoj Kumar truly deserved the Dada Saheb Phalke Award.

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This year veteran actor Manoj Kumar won the Dada Saheb Phalke Award, the highest award for film actors. In the past stalwarts like Raj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar won this award. Harikishan Goswami was the original name of Manoj Kumar. He was such a big admirer of Dilip Kumar, that in the film Shabnam, Dilip Kumar's character was Manoj Kumar. So he changed his name and kept Manoj Kumar. From that time everyone know him as Manoj Kumar. He acted in around 50 films. Some of the crime thrillers were brilliant like Wo Kaun Thi with Sadhna in 1964, Gumnaam with Nanda in 1965. Manoj Kumar's romantic films were brilliant like Bedaag, Sawan Ki Ghata, Hariyali Aur Raasta, Do Badan, etc. He sang excellent songs of Rafisahab like "raha gardishon me hardam", "pathar ke sanam", and Mukeshji "ifteda i ishq me hum", and Mahendra Kapoor, "mere desh ki dharti". Manoj Kumar was an eminent producer and director as well and did great films like Upkaar, Purab Aur Paschim. His patriotic roles in films like Shahid, Upkaar, Purab Aur Paschim, Kranti, made people call him Bharat Kumar as he represented Bharat or India. He got scope of acting with his idol Dilip Kumar in films like Aadmi, Kranti. It was a big honour for him. He truly deserved Dadasahab Phalke Award.