Shatrughan Sinha recalls Manoj Kumar and his bond with emotional memories: ‘He used to call me Ramayan-vasi’ | Hindi Movie News

Actor Shatrughan Sinha on Friday mourned the passing of legendary actor-filmmaker Manoj Kumar, recalling the bond they shared. The 78-year-old actor fondly remembered and said to Hindustan Times, “He used to call me Ramayan-vasi,” as his Mumbai home is named Ramayan.
Best memories
“Humare ghar se unke liye khana bhi jata tha, aur wo hass kar bolte thhe ki ‘behna ko bolo’ ki khana bhejo. Bohot milansar insaan thhe wo. Kuch mahine pehle hum unke ghar gaye thhe jab wo ghar par thhe. We sat for 2-4 hours and laughed together. Phir kuch time baad pata chala ki wo admit ho gaye hospital mein. Aaj bohot hi dukh ki baat hai ki wo nahi rahe,” he stated.
About work
Shatrughan Sinha worked with Manoj Kumar in his directorial venture ‘Kranti’ (1981) and later in ‘Santosh’ (1989). However, not many know that Shatrughan was originally considered for a role in Kumar’s 1972 film ‘Shor’, which also starred Jaya Bachchan.
He recalled that Manoj Kumar had personally offered him the role, but due to a packed schedule, he had to turn it down. The part eventually went to Prem Nath.
First choice for role in ‘Shor’
Adding further about the first role in ‘Shor’, Shatrughan Sinha shared that there was another film he was initially supposed to work on with Manoj Kumar — Shor. The role that was eventually played by Prem Nath was first offered to him, but due to his busy schedule at the time, he couldn’t take it up.
Time working together
While looking back on their time working on ‘Kranti’, Shatrughan shared that Manoj Kumar never got upset with him for being late, even though he was known for it. Manoj ji was always calm and used to say, “Ramayanvaasi, you have full freedom. Come whenever you want.” Sinha jokingly called him the “Tooty Fruity ice cream” of the film industry, saying he was great at everything, writing, directing, editing, and acting.
Visit to Manoj’s home
The two actors shared a strong bond beyond their work on screen. Shatrughan Sinha fondly remembered a recent visit to Manoj Kumar’s home with his wife, Poonam Sinha. They spent three to four hours together, chatting and reminiscing. After the visit, they even sent food for him. “He was very fond of Poonam ji’s cooking,” Shatrughan said, adding that Manoj Kumar would often call and say, ‘Main bacho ka mama bol raha hun. Behna ko bolo khana bhijwa de’. Calling it a deeply personal loss, he said, “This is a big loss for everyone and for me personally.”
Manoj Kumar breathed his last at the age of 87 on Friday morning at Mumbai’s Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital.