Salman Khan recently paid tribute to the late veteran actor and filmmaker Manoj Kumar. He expressed gratitude for the cinematic legacy he left behind. Taking to his official X (formerly Twitter) account, Salman remembered the icon with a heartfelt note.
"Manoj Kumar Ji... a true legend. Thank you for the unforgettable films and memories...." he wrote, honouring the contributions of the legendary actor, fondly known as 'Bharat Kumar' for his iconic patriotic roles.
Not many are aware that Salman Khan's father, renowned screenwriter Salim Khan, had once worked closely with Manoj Kumar on the 1981 historical epic Kranti. While speaking at the trailer launch of theIR documentary Angry Young Men, which celebrates the legendary writer duo Salim-Javed, Salman brought up a surprising anecdote about the film.
He revealed, "So, I just want an interview with Mr Manoj Kumar. He is taking away the credit from Salim-Javed and saying he has written it."
Interrupting him with a light-hearted remark, Farhan Akhtar-son of Javed Akhtar-added, "Did he? Then we will have a separate documentary for Manoj Ji."
Javed Akhtar then weighed in, saying, "I think it's very very honest of him that he has made this confession."
Salman, taking a cheeky dig, responded, "It's a fact. He says that I used to write and read it to them. But he did write it."
Directed by Manoj Kumar himself, Kranti featured an ensemble cast including the legendary Dilip Kumar in the lead, alongside Manoj Kumar, Shashi Kapoor, Hema Malini, Shatrughan Sinha and Parveen Babi.
The film icon died at the age of 87 on Friday at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, where he had been admitted since February 21 due to age-related health issues.
Following the news of his death, tributes poured in from across the film industry. Celebrities like Aamir Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Anupam Kher, Sunny Deol, Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgn, Farah Khan, and Farhan Akhtar took to social media to remember and honour the cinematic giant's enduring legacy.