Manohar Deepak was the youngest of the three Deepak Brothers. His brother, Avtar, was not much older than him, so it was natural that they were more like friends than brothers. Manohar’s earlier life was the mirror image of Avtar’s. Though he went on to get a normal education like anyone else, he was more interested in acting and dance. Society was such at that time that the children of affluent families were not seen as dancers and actors. So, Manohar completed his education at the Mahindra College Patiala. By then, his brother, Gurbachan, was enthusiastic about reviving the dances they had left behind in what was now Pakistan. So, Manohar started practising the dance that Gurbachan named Bhangra with his friends at Mahindra College.

Manohar was very good-looking, had a charismatic personality, and was physically fit. He entered the Mr PEPSU contest and won. It gave him the confidence to pursue a career in acting, as he was keen to do, but this affected his studies. He finished college with a Giani degree (equivalent to a bachelor’s degree). From Patiala, he moved back to Sunam, where the family lived. He planned to go to Bombay to try his luck with acting, but as soon as he returned to Sunam, just after his brother Avtar’s marriage, the family got him married too.