Shatrughan Sinha, who worked with Manoj Kumar in films like Kranti and Santosh, shares, “Manoj Kumar was a Bharat Ratna in the true sense. He was rightly called the son of the soil, and he was the pride of the nation. He was not only my co-actor and director, but also a very good friend. We were regularly in touch for the last three decades. He used to fondly call me Ramayanvasi because my house is called Ramayan and when my kids Luv and Kush were born, he had come to visit us at the hospital. He had named my kids and he would say, 'Main unka mama hoon'. He used to love Poonam's cooking and we would regularly send his favourite dishes to his home. Around four months ago, we met him at his home, and I asked him about his health and homeopathy medicines because he knew a lot about it. He said, 'Arre Shotgun chhodo woh baatein, I am very fine and strong'.”

Sharing how he regretted not doing his film Shor with Jaya Bachchan, he says, “Sir had offered me a film Shor with Jaya ji, but we had date issues. Jaya ji wanted to complete the film in 4 months and I needed 8 months. So Premnath ji, who was also a very good actor, did the role. I could not act in Shor and it is my biggest regret till date.”

Sinha shared further, “We all actors would agree that there were two most handsome guys from those days - Manoj Kumar and Dharam ji. We had never seen such good-looking men who were also talented.”

Recounting their time together on the sets, Sinha says, “I was perennially late on the sets, but he never scolded me. He used to say, 'There must be a genuine reason why you are late. Let's finish our work on time now’. I remember him as a complete artiste - a talented actor, even better director and editor, and he had passion for Indian cinema. He used to sometimes write scenes on the set and shoot a song at one go. A positive mind, great sense of humour and fun-loving. Manoj sir had deshbhakti ingrained in him and I will always fondly remember him.”