During the sixties, Manoj Kumar featured in 27 films, some romantic like Dr Vidya, Do Badan, Sawan Ki Ghata, Pathar Ke Sanam and Aadmi with top heroines like Asha Parekh, Sharmila Tagore, Waheeda Rehman. Some social films, like Himalay Ki God Mein with Mala Sinha and some thrillers like Woh Kaun Thi, Gumnam and Anita with Sadhna and Nanda.
In 1965 Kumar featured in his first patriotic film, Shaheed-E- Bhagat that changed his life and career. It is said that late Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri requested Manoj Kumar to make a film on the slogan of Jai Jawan Jai Kisan and Kumar consented even though he had no experience in either writing or direction.
In the olden days everyone escaped to Mahabaleshwar to write their films but Manoj Kumar booked himself on a Rajdhani train and wrote the first half of Upkaar Bombay to Delhi and the second half traveling from Delhi to Bombay. Upkaar was a super success but the man, Lal Bahadur Shastri for whom Manoj Kumar made the film, never saw it because Shastriji died on his Tashkent trip in 1966. It is something Manoj Kumar has always regretted.
To be continued