This Manoj Kumar film was made on suggestion of former PM, movie was rejected by Rajesh Khanna, Shashi Kapoor was dropped from blockbuster, it earned...

Veteran actor, Manoj Kumar, who was also known as Bharat Kumar, passed away on Friday, April 4, leaving the film industry in shock. The 87-year-old filmmaker actor has given several hits and blockbusters that inspired generations. His films would often be based on patriotism, showcasing real problems of the country, and paying homage to national heroes. 

Today we will discuss a cult classic of Kumar that was based on the ideology of Former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri. The story of this film was written by the late Bharat Kumar while coming back to Bombay from Delhi by train. The movie went through a few hiccups, but finally, when it was released, it wrote history, and gave one of the most memorable desh bhakti geet- 'Mere Desh Ki Dharti'. Yes, we are talking about the 1967 film Upkar. 

When the Former Prime Minister suggested Manoj Kumar

After attending the premiere of Shaheed, Lal Bahadur Shastri told Manoj Kumar to make a movie on his slogan 'Jai Jawan Jai Kisan'. Reportedly when Manoj was coming back to Bombay by train, he wrote the story of Upkar. 

Rajesh Khanna rejected Upkar? 

As per the reports, Manoj Kumar approached Rajesh Khanna to play the role of his brother Puran Kumar. But due to his busy schedule, he opted out of the movie and then Prem Chopra was roped in for the role. 

When Manoj Kumar dropped Shashi Kapoor from Upkar

It was also said that after Rajesh Khanna, Manoj Kumar approached Shashi Kapoor for the film. The Deewaar actor was ready to play Puran, but then Manoj reportedly dropped him from the film, thinking that playing a grey-shade role would hamper Kapoor's stature. 

Box office collection of Upkar 

Upkar was released in cinemas on August 11, 1967, and it received positive reviews from critics and masses. Upkar went on to become a Silver Jubilee hit. The movie was made in the reported budget of approximately 70 lakhs and grossed around Rs 7 crore.