Mr Bharat, India, Bharat

This isn't an obituary of Manoj Kumar. It's about the influence he had in defining patriotism for two generations of Indians across our most perilous decade, from 1962 to the run-up to the Emergency

- SHEKHAR GUPTA

One approach to understanding how Indian nationalism or patriotism has evolved over the past six decades is by looking at how cinema, especially Bollywood, has defined it in different eras.

The passing away of "Bharat" Manoj Kumar (born Harikrishna Giri Goswami, July 24, 1937) at 87 gives us that moment to reflect. He, more than any other actor, defined patriotism, nationalism, good citizenship, lawful living, and a virtuous lifestyle. Playing diverse characters under his chosen name, Bharat, he portrayed the perfect Indian. That was three decades before Kamal Haasan, playing a similar character, Hindustani in 1996, gave us a more contemporary portrayal of the ideal Indian — one who would even stick a scimitar, or more like a harakiri sword, into the belly of his own "anti-national" son.

This isn't an obituary of Manoj Kumar. It is about the influence he had in defining patriotism for two generations of Indians across our most perilous decade, roughly from 1962 (the war with China) until the run-up to the Emergency.

He did so by playing diverse, all-sacrificing, heroic, and ultimately victorious characters as Bharat: An ordinary soldier (and a Haryana farmer's son) in Upkar (1967), a betrayed freedom fighter's brilliant son in Purab Aur Paschim (1969), and an unemployed engineer in Roti Kapada Aur Makaan (RKM, 1974). Each of these reflected the theme of the fast-changing India, from the early Indira era until the Emergency broke this momentum and brought the angry young man in its wake. That mantle, as we know, was picked up by Amitabh Bachchan.