Mumbai, April 4 -- The legendary actor and filmmaker Manoj Kumar passed away at the age of 87 on Friday morning.

The actor breathed his last at 4:03 a.m. on April 4 at the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Mumbai, after battling a long illness.

Veteran actor Raza Murad remembered him as an "era in himself". In a conversation with ANI, he said, "Manoj Kumar was not just an actor and film director but an era in himself... he was a legend in his own right. The flame of patriotism he ignited in the hearts of the countrymen continues to burn even today..."

Film director and host Sajid Khan also paid tribute to late actor, saying, "A very significant chapter of the film industry has come to an end, but it is a chapter that has taught us...