Way back in 1947, an 11-year-old kid Hari Krishan Goswami watched Dilip Kumar’s Jugnu and knew instantly that he wanted to meet Suraj, the main protagonist of the film. 10 years later he came to Bombay and became an extra in Lekhraj Bhakri’s Fashion (1957), and changed his name to Manoj Kumar. And after 42 films, fame and fortune, a formidable reputation for making tear jerking, patriotic sagas, Kumar suddenly vanished.

Now at 73, Kumar is being presented the coveted Pundit Jasraj Lifetime Achievement Award in August, incidently in the same year that he completes 50 years in films. “I never learnt how to act. I just watched Dilip Kumar, he is an acting institution in himself,” says Kumar who finally met Dilip Kumar at a film premiere and was invited to his house for breakfast. “He liked the work that I was doing and told me to continue the same way,” Kumar reminisces. And then began Kumar’s series of patriotic films. Shaheed (1965), a film that was based on the life of Bhagat Singh, was scripted and directed by him and became a raging hit. He was called by the then Prime Minister Pt Lal Bahadur Shastri who requested him to make a movie on his famous election winning slogan, ‘Jai jawan, jai kisan’. Upkar (1967) was born. The entire nation crooned Mere Desh ki dharti with him and he became Mr Bharat.

A spinal problem took him away from films for a long time but Kumar is ready to don the director’s hat once again this year. He has two scripts ready for which there are no takers as of now. “These days nobody comes to you. Gone are the days when Manoj Kumar was saleable,” says Kumar, a tad woefully. But he adds quickly that he might just approach Shahrukh Khan to play the lead. “Our issues over Om Shanti Om are resolved. Shahrukh apologised to me. As for Farah (Khan) she really needs to learn how to talk, walk and for that matter even choreograph,” he says. My, my.