Dilip Kumar

Dilip Kumar today is past his prime as Govinda showed during Stardust Awards Function. Govinda was to bestow `Life Time Achievement Award` on Dilip Kumar but after making him and the organizers wait with messages like “I am reaching in half an hour” and “I am on my way” he didn’t arrive at all! Kumar gritted his teeth and stoicily bore the humiliation. A master at image building, he knew that making a scene around that would work against him and the whole world will know of this incident.

He handled a similar situation as shrewdly when, years back, Rajesh Khanna stole the show at a public functioning. The admirers who were asking him for an autograph deserted him when Rajesh Khanna, at his peak, arrived. Instead of revealing his frustration, Kumar slowly clapped his hands to cheer Rajesh Khanna and moved closer to hug the super star.

The beginning of Dilip Kumar’s filmy journey started with a quarrel with his father for forgetting to buy sewing thread for his sister. He, Yusuf Khan at that time, ran away from his home in Ambala to Pune .There he worked as an assistant in an army canteen, washing vegetables and laying the tables for the Britishers. Later, he set up his own fruit stall.

However, fate had other plans for him. An interview with Devika Rani resulted in his becoming the hero of Bombay Talkies 'Jwar Bhatta', which was made in 1944. Yusuf Khan became Dilip Kumar, though he also toyed with the names like Ram, Jehangir or Vasudev. With 'Shaheed' in 1948, he became a star. This was followed by 'Mela', where Dilip's childhood sweetheart (Nargis) is married off to another man. This film set off a chain of films that depicted him as a doomed lover -'Andaaz' in 1949, 'Babul' in `50. 'Jogan' in `50 and 'Deedar' in `51 .He came to be known as the `tragedy king` . Playing the tragedian repeatedly took its toll, and he had to seek psychiatric counselling. He was advised to stay away from tragic roles and do more comic oriented movies. He then did 'Azaad', 'Kohinoor', 'Naya Daur', and 'Madhumati'. With 'Mughal-E-Azam' and 'Ganga Jamuna', Dilip's performance was ranked as high art. Hindi films had never witnessed the kind of angst Dilip expressed in these two films.

At 44, he married the 24- year old film star Saira Banu. After the comic triumph of 'Ram Aur Shyam' in 1967, Dilip's career seemed to run out of steam. The fall began when a CBI raid in his bungalow unearthed an illegal transmitter during the Indo-Pak war days. So total was the rejection that every film of his after the discovery bombed and he was without work for years. But loyal admirers in film industry rescued him from the oblivion. Manoj Kumar, who had modelled himself after Dilip brought him back in ` Kranti`. Subhash Ghai encashed his comeback in 'Vidhaata'. Ramesh Sippy made `Shakti` with him and Amitabh. Ghai repeated him in `Karma` and `Saudagar`. In fact, `Saudagar` pitted Dilip and Raaj Kumar again each other years after `Paighaam`.

Dilip has often directed his films behind the scenes and in fact, had director Kardar disgusting sitting outside the sets of his own film `Dil Diya Dard Liya` as hetook charge of the direction. But Sudhakar Bokade, flush with funds he had made from `Saajan` gave him a ready made opportunity to direct an expensive film. The film was `Kalinga`. Bokade put everything he had and whatever he could borrow in the film. Yet, `Kalinga` took so long that he and his distributers lost patience. There was a dispute and a public confrontation between the two. Later, when `Kalinga` - after over 7 years in making - there were no takers for the film.

Dilip Kumar was recently in news when Bal Thackeray asked him to return `Nishan-E-Imitiaz`, an award for excellence Pakistan government bestowed on this Indian actor. The actor refused to part with the award.

This is the only Indian actor who has, unwittingly, divided his fans on communal lines.

3to6: Dilip Kumar - offers a retrospective tribute.

IMDb: Dilip Kumar

Kumar, Dilip - profile and filmography.

Songs of Dilip Kumar - contains lyrics of Hindi songs.

Upperstall: Dilip Kumar - contains personal and career profiles.