Manmohan Krishna


Manmohan Krishna was an Indian film actor and director, who worked in Hindi films for four decades, mostly as a character actor. He started his career as a professor in Physics and held master's degree in physics. He anchored the radio show Cadbury's Phulwari, a singing contest. Many people don't know that Manmohan Krishna sang his first song, 'Jhat khol de' in Afsar, 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, Khandan, Sadhana, Waqt and Hamraaz. He won acclaim for his work in Bees Saal Baad and won the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Abdul Rasheed in Dhool Ka Phool, 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, which won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film, and acted in the first Indo-Soviet co-production Pardesi, 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, 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

YearFilmRoleNotes
1949Apna Deshsang the song also "Apna Desh Hai Apna Desh"
1950AfsarPlayback singer also
1951AaramPlayback singer also
1951Nadaan
1951Sanam
1952Baiju BawraShanker Anand
1952Rahi
1953AnarkaliParvez
1957Naya DaurJumman dada
1955Railway Platformas assistant story,songs play,dialogues
1957Pardesi
1958SadhnaLallu Bhai
1959Dhool Ka PhoolAbdul Rasheed
1960AngulimaalAhinsak's father
1961DharmputraAmrit Rai
1962Bees Saal BaadRamlal /Radheshyam
1962JhoolaHead Constable Sundarlal
1963GrahastiDoctor
1963Dil Ek MandirPhilip
1963Shehar Aur Sapna
1963SehraChief Tailab
1964Main Jatti Punjab DiDarmuPunjabi Movie
1965WaqtMittal
1965KhandanShankar Lal
1966Chaddian Di DoliFatherPunjabi film
1967HamraazMr. Verma
1967NaunihalUstad Mansharam
1967UpkaarBisna
1968IzzatFather Abhrahim
1969Aadmi Aur InsaanMr.Khanna
1970MaharajaLawyer Ramdas
PushpanjaliMaharaj, the cook-
Pardesi-
1972Apna DeshDinanath Chandra
1972Joroo Ka GhulamMohanlal
1972Raampur Ka LakshmanKedarnath Bhargav
1973Anokhi AdaGupta
1973Teen ChorDukandar
1973DaagDeewan
1973JoshilaJailor
1975Do JasoosJournalist, V N Sinha
1975DeewaarDCP Narang
1975Mittar Pyare NuBaba jiPunjabi Movie
1976Aaj Ka MahaatmaKhanna
Mazdoor ZindabaadSeth Chunilal-
CharasVijay Ramniklal-
Santo BantoKartaraPunjabi Movie-
MehboobaBandhe Ali Khan-
1977Shirdi Ke Sai BabaGanpatrao
1977Guru Manio GranthPunjabi Movie-
1978Tumhari KasamRamprasad
1978TrishulSeth Dindayal
1979Kaala PattharDhaba Owner
1980Sau Din Saas KeSukhlal, Servant
1980NoorieSaiji Director of the film
1981Khoon Ki Takkar
1982Pyaas
1982Gopichand JasoosBank Manager Girdharilal
1982SawaalLate Dinanath MishraUncredited
1983Ek Din Bahu KaSchool Master
Justice Chaudhury-
1984PreranaChaudhary
1985Ek Chitthi Pyar BhariMilkman
Yudh (film)Judge-
1987MadadgaarSohanlal
1988KanwarlalShastriji
VijayJudge-
1989UstaadSchoolmaster