Legendary actor Manoj Kumar celebrates his 87th birthday (July 24). To mark the occasion, his contemporary Saira Banu shared a special post for the actor. They appeared together for the first time in the 1962 film Shaadi. The movie, directed by R Krishnan and S Panju, also featured Dharmendra in a key role. Saira Banu has uploaded a black-and-white picture featuring her late husband, cinema legend Dilip Kumar, whom she lovingly calls “Sahib,” and Manoj Kumar. In the text attached to the post, Saira Banu shared how she “comfortably” worked with Manoj Kumar on the sets of Shaadi. She wrote, “Soon after my first film I received so many offers amongst which was ‘SHAADI'. Here for the first time I played opposite Manoj ji. I was a very shy youngster and I had this peculiar habit of really being awkward on the sets while doing romantic numbers. Manoj ji is very understanding he would quietly just move away from the set while my solo shots were being filmed. We were both people of very few words but worked comfortably together.”
Sharing how her husband Dilip Kumar was Manoj Kumar's “idol”, Saira Banu added, “Manoj ji's idol has been Sahib. They were close and would always venture to make different types of Omeletes, flying kites, and indulging in ‘Sher-O-Shayari'. There is a big joke, when the duo starred in ‘AADMI', Manoj ji started to assume the gestures associated with Sahib. After which Sahib laughingly said to Manoj ji, ‘Yaar Tu Meri Tarah Shots Kar Le, Main Kuch Aur Tarika Nikaltaa Hoon'!! Ha Ha!!”
Saira Banu also remembered how Manoj Kumar decided to shelve a movie if she would drop out, instead of replacing her. She wrote, “Sahib and I had decided that I would not be continuing with my film career after our Shaadi but Behold! I had signed “PURAB AUR PASCHIM” before marriage, wherein I play a Westernised young girl against Manoj ji. Manoj ji declared that he would shelve his project if Sahib did not allow me to work in it. Later on in the film I was unwell and Sahib told Manoj ji that we will never misunderstand if he replaces me, but Manoj ji committed that he would rather shelve the film than replace me. I will always respect him for this magnanimous gesture.”
Recalling a funny incident from the sets of the 1985 film Balidaan, Saira Banu added, “You know Manoj ji's wife Shashi was very close to us and such a lively talented woman. She would tell me, Saira, if a bumble-bee came into the bedroom, Manoj ji would go under the bed-sheet and ask her to drive out the insect! One day in ‘BALIDAAN' outdoors Manoj ji and I were shooting in China-Creek. Both of us were running away from the Daaku who was approaching us on horseback and we were running away bare feet in the flowing water handcuffed to each other. As the camera came on, the Bandit was whipping away in the air in pursuit of us and Manoj ji was supposed to grab the whip and stand in front of me to protect me like a He-Man, instead of this when the shot started Manoj ji quickly ran behind me instead of protecting me. What a laugh!”
Saira Banu concluded her note by writing, “In later years Manoj ji remained close to our family.”
Reacting to the post, film writer Aamil Keeyan Khan dropped red heart emojis.
Saira Banu re-shared this post on her Instagram Stories and wrote, “Happy Birthday Manoj Ji.”
Saira Banu last appeared in the 1988 film Faisla, alongside Ashok Kumar and Vinod Khanna.