Manmohan Krishna (26 February 1922 – 3 November 1990) was an Indian film actor and director, who worked in Hindi films for four decades, mostly as a character actor. A Physics professor, he later became a full-time actor. He anchored the radio show Cadbury's Phulwari, a singing contest and sang his first song, 'Jhat khol de' in Afsar (1950), a Dev Anand film with music by S.D. Burman.
He was a favourite with the Chopra brothers and played small or large roles in movies directed and/or produced by them. Deewar, Trishul, Daag, Hamraaz, Joshila, Kanoon, Sadhna, Kaala Patthar, Dhool Ka Phool, Waqt and Naya Daur are some examples.
He worked in nearly 250 films, notably Naya Daur (1957), Khandan (1965), Sadhana (1958), Waqt (1965) and Hamraaz (1967). He won acclaim for his work in Bees Saal Baad (1962) and won the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Abdul Rasheed in Dhool Ka Phool (1960), where the song epitomizing Nehruvian secularism, Tu Hindu banega na Musalman banega, insaan ki aulaad hai, insaan banega was picturised on him. Beside these, he also acted in 12 Punjabi films, played a pivotal role in K. A. Abbas's Shehar Aur Sapna (1963), which won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film, and acted in the first Indo-Soviet co-production Pardesi (1957), which was nominated for the Golden Palm at 1958 Cannes Film Festival.
Later in his career he directed the film for Yash Raj Films, Noorie (1979), for which he was also nominated for Filmfare Award for Best Director.
He died at Lokmanya Tilak Hospital, Mumbai at the age of 68 in 1990. His son Dr Ram Chaddha is a spine surgeon at Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai.
Selected filmography
Year Film Role Notes1947Andho Ki Duniya1949 Apna Desh sang the song also "Apna Desh Hai Apna Desh" 1950 Afsar Playback singer also1951 Aaram Chaman LalPlayback singer alsoNadaanDeen Dayal Sanam 1952 Baiju BawraShankar Anand Rahi Hari 1953 Anarkali Parvez Shole : A Tale of Burning TearsDr. Kumar 1955 Railway Platform as assistant story, songs play, dialogues1957 Naya DaurJumman Pardesi Champa's father 1958 Sadhna Lallu 1959Dhool Ka Phool Abdul Rasheed1960 AngulimaalAhinsak's father (Raj Purohit)1961 DharmputraAmrit Rai 1962 Bees Saal Baad Ramlal /RadheshyamHariyali Aur RastaShiv Nath JhoolaHead Constable Sundarlal 1963 GrahastiDoctor Dil Ek MandirPhilip Shehar Aur Sapna SehraChief Tailab1964 Main Jatti Punjab Di Darmu Punjabi Movie1965 Waqt Meena Mittal's father Khandan Shankar Lal1966 Chaddian Di DoliFatherPunjabi film1967 HamraazMeena Verma's father NaunihalMansharam UpkaarBisna1968 IzzatFather Abraham1969 Aadmi Aur Insaan Meena Khanna's father1970 Maharaja Lawyer Ramdas PushpanjaliMaharaj, the cook PardesiTikora 1972 Apna Desh Deena Nath Chandra Joroo Ka Ghulam Mohanlal Raampur Ka LakshmanKedar Nath Bhargav1973Anokhi AdaGuptaTeen ChorShopkeeperDaag Deewan JoshilaJailor1975 Do Jasoos Journalist, V N Sinha DeewaarDCP NarangMittar Pyare NuBaba jiPunjabi Movie 1976Aaj Ka Mahaatma Khanna Mazdoor Zindabaad Seth Chunilal Charas Vijay Ramniklal Santo BantoKartaraPunjabi film MehboobaBande Ali Khan 1977Shirdi Ke Sai Baba GanpatraoGuru Manio Granth Punjabi film1978Tumhari Kasam Ramprasad Trishul Deen Dayal1979 Kaala PattharDhaba Owner1980Sau Din Saas KeSukhlal, Servant NoorieSaiji (Storyteller) Director of the film1981 Khoon Ki TakkarRahim1982 Pyaas Gopichand Jasoos Bank Manager GirdharilalSawaal Late Deena Nath Mishra Uncredited1983Ek Din Bahu Ka School MasterJustice Chaudhury Hamar BhaujiBhojpuri film1984Prerana Chaudhary1985 Ek Chitthi Pyar Bhari MilkmanYudh (film) Judge 1987 Madadgaar Sohanlal1988Kanwarlal Shastriji Vijay Judge 1989UstaadSchoolmaster (Masterji)
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