Monty Nath once worked with Manoj Kumar as his assistant for over 8 years. The latter was also supposed to launch Nath in the film industry at the time; however, the opportunity never came by. However, when he landed the chance to star in ‘Prem Rog’, he consulted his mentor. Looking back to his early days during a recent interview, Monty Nath opened up about how Manoj Kumar told him he believed in him and pushed him to launch his career with ‘Prem Rog’.
Monty Nath on how he landed ‘Prem Rog’ because of Manoj Kumar and Raj Kapoor
While talking to Vicky Lalwani on his latest talk show, actor Monty Nath weighed in on how he landed his first film, ‘Prem Rog’, and how he was originally supposed to star in Manoj Kumar’s film. During the interview, he revealed that in films like ‘Kranti’ and ‘Chana Jor Garam’, he, along with Kumar’s brother, Rajive Kumar, often played body doubles or extras. He shared, “We were training in the grounding. He was giving us exposure in front of the camera because he wanted to make a film with both of us, ‘Kakuri ke Shaheed.’ And he wanted me to do Bhagat Singh’s role,” he added, “But, somehow t did not work out.”However, Nath weighed in that the project did not happen, as he ended up landing another major offer to get in front of the camera as one of the main cast members.He shared that he got his first role because of Raj Kapoor; however, it was Manoj Kumar’s encouragement that gave him the strength to accept the role. He shared more details and added, “In 1980, I got married. So, I had to start off. I couldn’t wait for him to launch me. I had to start off. Hum log shooting karte the udhar, RK me, Raj Uncle (Raj Kapoor), set pe kabhi kabhi aate the. Toh unhe bola Raj Uncle ne, meri paas chota sa role hai, Monty. Tu karega, usme, ‘Prem Rog’ when he was making” (We used to do shooting over there, at RK, Raj Uncle (Raj Kapoor) would sometimes come to the set. So he said to me, I have a small role for you, Monty. Will you do it.)He added that when he told Manoj Kumar about this opportunity, the famed director said to him: “‘Chalu karo. Tume talent hai. You will be successful. We all started in a small way, don’t wait for that big day” (You should start, you have the talent).
Monty Nath talks about working with Manoj Kumar in ‘Kranti’
The multi-starrer film ‘Kranti’ was one of Manoj Kumar’s biggest films. At the time, Nath had assisted him on the film, which was one of his biggest achievements at the time. Talking about the film, the former actor shared that, “The director Manoj Kumar did not compromise with the producer Manoj Kumar. It was that big of a film.”He also shared that Dilip Kumar would often tell Manoj Kumar to stop the shoot because he was tired. Monty Nath revealed that he was willing to do all of this “Because he understood the mood of the actor, the soul; if he is not comfortable doing something, it will not come as I wanted it, coming from within. I don’t want anything forced.”Monty Nath’s recollection offers a heartfelt glimpse into the generosity and mentorship of Manoj Kumar, whose words of encouragement not only shaped the actor’s confidence but also helped him take the first step towards a career that began with Raj Kapoor’s iconic ‘Prem Rog’.
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