New Delhi [India], April 7 (ANI): Bollywood star Sunny Deol talked about his father and veteran actor Dharmendra's close bond with the late Manoj Kumar.

While speaking to the media, he said, 'They both were together in the industry. He had always been a father figure for us, and since childhood, I had seen him with my father. My dad had a great connection with him. I would just say that the films that he did were about India, and bahut pyaari thi. Usi se deshbhakti ka silsila shuru hua that.'

He recalled how his father shared an incident with him just before coming to the Capital. 'Before coming here, dad was telling me that when he was with Manoj ji in the early days, they were struggling; jeb mein paise nahi hote the.'

Sunny was in the Capital for the 'Jaat' press conference along with Randeep Hooda, Viineet Kumar Siingh, and others.

'When Manoj ji have some amount of money and he went to buy clothes, he would ask my dad, 'Aa lele Dharam, tu vi lele do kameezaan.' So, such a beautiful bond they had. And, I think that time was great, wo zamaana waapis nahi aa sakta,' he added.

Veteran star Dharmendra on Saturday took a stroll down memory lane and shared a vintage picture with the 'Kranti' star.

The throwback picture shows the two stars sharing smiles.

In his caption, Dharmendra mentioned that he will always remember the moments spent with Manoj Kumar.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DIEphMzIVSA/

'Manoj, mere Yaar Tere saath beta har pal bahut yaad ayega,' he captioned the post.

Dharmendra also paid a visit to Manoj Kumar's residence after he learned about his demise.

Manoj Kumar was cremated with state honours at the Pawan Hans crematorium in Mumbai on Saturday. The funeral was attended by prominent Bollywood figures, including Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Salim Khan, and Arbaaz Khan.

The legendary actor and filmmaker passed away at 4:03 am on April 4 at the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Mumbai after a prolonged illness.

Born Harikrishan Goswami on July 24, 1937, in Abbottabad (now in Pakistan), Kumar became an iconic figure in Indian cinema, especially in the 1960s and 1970s.

The actor was affectionately known as 'Bharat Kumar' for his iconic roles in patriotic films such as Upkar, Purab Aur Paschim, and Shaheed. In addition to his acting career, Kumar made significant contributions as a director and producer.

His directorial debut, Upkar (1967), won the National Film Award for Second Best Feature Film. (ANI)