Bollywood has witnessed multiple superstars, such as Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra, Raj Kapoor, Shashi Kapoor, and Sridevi. Apart from their hard work and fame, one common aspect was that they all worked in more than 100 to 200 films. However, veteran actor, Manoj Kumar, who passed on April 4, 2025, was one of the rarest stars who worked in a limited number of films compared to his contemporaries despite receiving massive critical and commercial success. Fans often waited for months to see his film, and in one of his previous interviews, the actor-filmmaker shared his reason for doing the same, taking a subtle dig at other actors.
Manoj Kumar called Dharmendra and Shashi Kapoor, greedy actors
Manoj Kumar was distinct from other actors of his time because he didn’t follow trends but created them. From focusing on storytelling to infusing a significant blend of patriotism and entertainment, his contribution to cinema is unmatched. However, despite his potential and success, he consciously worked in approximately 80 films, some of them being brief roles at the beginning of his career. Sharing his reason behind it, Manoj Kumar, in an interview with Subhash K Jha, shared that he isn’t greedy like Dharmendra or Shashi Kapoor. In his words:
“I am not a greedy film person, even as an actor. While my contemporaries Dharmendra and Shashi Kapoor acted in nearly 300 films each, I’ve hardly done 35 films in my entire career.”
