Shah Rukh Khan pays tribute to veteran actor Manoj Kumar, writes, "You will always be 'Bharat' to us"

Shah Rukh Khan remembers Manoj Kumar in his tribute

Veteran actor Manoj Kumar died on April 4 after battling chronic heart-related complications. The legendary actor received tributes from all over the nation. Several Bollywood celebrities also penned emotional notes for Manoj Kumar, remembering him.

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan also paid tribute to Manoj Kumar. Soon after the reports of the actor’s death made headlines, Shah Rukh Khan took to his X (previously known as Twitter) and reflected on the kind of cinema the veteran actor had created.

He tweeted, "Manoj Kumar ji made films that uplifted our country, our cinema, and focused on unity with unmatched sincerity. A legend in every sense. His films shaped an era and left a mark on our cinema.” The actor concluded his tribute by writing, “Thank you, sir. You will always be 'Bharat' to us."

Manoj Kumar ji made films that uplifted our country, our cinema, and focused on unity with unmatched sincerity. A legend in every sense. His films shaped an era and left a mark on our cinema. Thank you, sir. You will always be Bharat to us.
Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) April 4, 2025

Manoj Kumar felt the scene was disrespectful and asked the filmmakers to remove it, which they did. Shah Rukh even apologized at the time. However, the film made headlines once again in 2013 when Om Shanti Om was released in Japan with the scene still included.

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Manoj Kumar didn’t tolerate the disrespect this time and filed a lawsuit against Shah Rukh Khan and Eros International, demanding Rs 100 crore in damages for breaking the earlier agreement.

After years of legal proceedings, Manoj Kumar eventually dropped the case, saying the fight hadn’t brought the accountability he had hoped for from Shah Rukh or director Farah Khan.