Born Harikishen Goswami, he named himself after his idol Dilip Kumar's character in the 1949 film, Shabnam. As the years progressed, Manoj became a powerful leading actor, and soon the face of nationalistic cinema in India. In 1981, life came a full, glorious circle, and he directed his idol in the smash hit Kranti -- and immediately bowed out of the arclights while right on top, leaving a staggering legend behind.

Inexplicably, six years later, 'Bharat' popped back in Kalyug Aur Ramayan, playing a modern-day Hanuman in a poorly-conceived comedy. A string of embarrassing films ensued, being capped finally by the 1989 Clerk -- which had a sequence featuring the then 52-year-old actor as a college student. He left cinema after that, and besides an appearance in the forgettable 1995 film Maidan-E-Jung, there were to be no more comebacks (unless you count his recent complaint against Om Shanti Om one).

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