After mocking him in Om Shanti Om, Shah Rukh Khan pens emotional note on Manoj Kumar's demise: 'You will always be...'

Manoj Kumar's demise has left the film industry, and even Shah Rukh Khan has paid tribute to Bharat Kumar by penning an emotional note on in Upkar actor's memory. On his X (formerly Twitter), Shah Rukh wrote, "Manoj Kumar ji made films that uplifted our country, our cinema and focused on unity with unmatched sincerity. A legend in every sense. His films shaped an era and left a mark on our cinema. Thank you, sir. You will always be ‘Bharat’ to us." 

Khan and Manoj Kumar had a bad history as the former actor mocked the veteran star in his 2007 film, Om Shanti Om. In Farah Khan's directorial, Om Prakash Makhija (Shah Rukh) is seen entering a movie premiere with a pass of an actor who is seemingly based on the Kranti actor. Manoj's signature face-palm gesture was mocked in Khan's film, and that left the late star offended. 

Manoj Kumar ji made films that uplifted our country, our cinema, and focused on unity with unmatched sincerity. A legend in every sense. His films shaped an era and left a mark on our cinema. Thank you, sir. You will always be ‘Bharat’ to us.

— Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) April 4, 2025

When SRK publicly apologised to Manoj Kumar

Manoj Kumar's parody didn't go well with the actor and he openly criticised SRK and Farah. Kumar even asked them to remove the objectionable scene from the film, and they obliged. In a press interaction, Shah Rukh apologised to Kumar and said, "I was completely wrong...If he is hurt, I apologise. I called him in the afternoon, and the first thing he said to me was 'It is no big deal, son.'" However, he also remembered, "People do parody...It is a done thing. I should have been over-careful... I should have called him earlier (to tell him about the spoof)."

When Manoj slapped Shah Rukh with a Rs 100 crore defamation case 

In 2013, Om Shanti Om was re-released in Japan with Manoj Kumar's parody scenes. This made the veteran actor furious, and it reignited the controversy. Manoj sought legal recourse, filing a defamation lawsuit against Shah Rukh Khan and Eros International, the film's production company. The Shaheed actor voiced his frustration, and said, "The film was released in Japan without deleting those scenes. I had forgiven them twice but not this time. They have disrespected me." Later, the veteran star withdrew the case, and they preferred an out-of-court settlement.