Manoj Kumar, whose career as actor as well as filmmaker, encapsulated cinema that predominantly touched upon patriotism, social justice and was rich in emotions and relationships, passed away in the small hours of Friday. He was 87.

Born Harikrishna Giri Goswami, Manoj Kumar, whose innings as both actor and director was trademarked by many laurels, including the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke award, started his career with the 1957 film Fashion, followed by a few other forgettable outings. Kaanch Ki Gudiya (1961) and Hariyali Aur Rasta (1962) brought him to everyone’s notice, with his breakout film being Raj Khosla’s classic 1964 thriller Woh Kaun Thi? t2 picks its top Manoj Kumar films.

Woh Kaun Thi? (1964)

This Raj Khosla psychological mystery, parts of which were reportedly written by Manoj Kumar, was a solid thriller, that gained massively from strong performances from Kumar and leading lady Sadhana. Madan Mohan’s music — particularly Lag jaa gale and Naina barse rimjhim, both in Lata Mangeshkar’s mellifluous voice — are classics. It was the start to a career for Kumar that boasted a number of iconic songs that have gone down in the annals of Bollywood history. Three years later, Manoj Kumar, Sadhana and Raj Khosla went on to make Anita, yet another psychological thriller.

Shaheed (1965)

The first of a series of films with a strong patriotic theme that became a trademark of Manoj Kumar’s illustrious career, Shaheed had the actor starring as legendary revolutionary Bhagat Singh. Shaheed, as well Kumar’s subsequent films that portrayed nationalistic fervour, earned the actor the honorific title of ‘Bharat Kumar’ or ‘Mr. Bharat’. The film, a bonafide box-office success, was praised widely, even finding an audience in former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri. Its music, brought alive by the iconic quartet of Manna Dey, Mukesh, Mohd Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar, contained gems like Sarfaroshi ki tamanna and O mera rang de basanti chola.

Gumnaam (1965)

Along with his patriotic films, Manoj Kumar was well known for starring in many a gripping mystery. Gumnaam, a loosely inspired adaptation of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, boasted a strong ensemble cast in which a group of eight find themselves stranded on a remote island after winning a contest. As soon as they settle down in an eerie mansion, they begin to get murdered one after another. Considered a classic today, Gumnaam’s music — like in many other Manoj Kumar films — remains timeless.

Patthar Ke Sanam (1967)

A hit in its time, Patthar Ke Sanam had Manoj Kumar sharing screen space with Waheeda Rehman and Mumtaz, with his Gumnaam director Raja Nawathe at the helm. Few can forget Kumar singing Patthar ke sanam in Mohd Rafi’s voice, with Laxmikant-Pyarelal’s score and Majrooh Sultanpuri’s lyrics making it iconic.

Upkar (1967)

Kumar made his directorial debut with this film that, under the aegis of Lal Bahadur Shastri, championed the cause of ‘Jai Jawan Jai Kisan’. Set against the backdrop of the India-Pakistan aggression of 1965, Upkar celebrates village life and the contributions of farmers and soldiers to India. It was the biggest hit of the year and won a slew of awards, including at the National Film Awards, establishing Kumar’s strong grip on stories that demanded emotional depth and nationalistic feelings. Any showreel of Manoj Kumar’s work is incomplete without Mahendra Kapoor’s Mere desh ki dharti.

Purab Aur Pachhim (1970)

Also directed by Kumar, this 1970 film also scored high on patriotic fervour and starred the actor as Bharat, a screen name that stuck to him. A strong cast comprising Saira Banu, Ashok Kumar, Pran and Prem Chopra in lead roles, distinguished Purab Aur Pachhim, which spoke about Western influx vis-a-vis Indian values and was the inspiration for Akshay Kumar’s 2007 film Namastey London.

Roti Kapada Aur Makaan (1974)

Another title in Kumar’s list of memorable patriotic films, the name of this multi starcast film, led by Kumar’s Bharat and also written, produced and directed by the actor, is based on the Hindi phrase which refers to the bare necessities of life, popularised by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, ahead of the 1967 general elections. The film, the biggest hit of that year which also won a number of awards and is distinguished by the Mukesh hit Main na bhoolunga, also starred Amitabh Bachchan, Shashi Kapoor, Zeenat Aman and Moushumi Chatterjee.

Two years earlier, Mukesh, along with Lata Mangeskhar, had scored another hit for Manoj Kumar — Ek pyaar ka nagma hai from Shor.

Kranti (1981)

With a screenplay penned by Salim-Javed, Manoj Kumar brought together a power-packed cast for his 1981 directorial, comprising Dilip Kumar, Shashi Kapoor, Shatrughan Sinha, Hema Malini and Parveen Babi. Kranti, meaning ‘revolution’, which had Manoj Kumar starring once again as a character named Bharat, was one of the biggest hits of the decade. Zindagi ki na toote ladi, with Lata Mangeshkar joining forces with Nitin Mukesh, remains memorable.