The Tragedy King of India, Dilip Kumar has taken his last breath. The 98-year-old actor was suffering from a prolonged illness and he succumbed to it on Wednesday morning at a hospital in Mumbai. Known for his iconic performances in Devdas (1955), Mughal-e-Azam (1960) and Ganga Jamuna (1961), amongst many others, Dilip Kumar was the last surviving actor from the classic era of Bollywood.
Dilip Kumar, also known as Dilip Saheb, was born Mohammed Yusuf Khan in 1922 in Peshawar. His family then moved to India and he joined the Hindi Film Industry with Jwar Bhata in 1944. While his first few films were unsuccessful, he struck gold with Jugnu (1947). Though his next few films were equally successful, his breakthrough role was in Andaz (1949).
The 50s was the decade for Dilip Kumar- the actor, with him delivering multiple blockbusters like Daag (1952), Amar (1954), Insaniyat (1955), Devdas (1955) and Naya Daur (1957). Devdas, in particular, established his image as a method actor and “The King of Tragedies”.
Then came the 1960s when Dilip Kumar’s stardom reached such heights that he was being offered roles in English films like Lawrence of Arabia (1962) which he declined. It was all due to his performance as Salim in Mughal-e-Azam (1960) which brought him global acclaim. His role in Ganga Jamuna as a dacoit in Ganga Jamuna (1961) established him as one of the greats.
Dilip Kumar continued to deliver excellent performances as an actor in Ram aur Shyam (1966), Kranti (1981), Shakti (1982), Mashaal (1984), Karma (1986) and Saudagar (1991). He was also a Member of Parliament from 2000 to 2006.
Over the years, many films of Dilip Kumar went past borders and had his films released in Europe, Soviet Union and USA. Mughal-e-Azam was the highest-grossing Indian film for 15 years after its release. Many modern-day actors, such as Shahrukh Khan, view Dilip Kumar as their inspiration for joining the industry.
An outpour of grief emerged over Bollywood and the whole country as people mourned his death. From Amitabh Bachchan to Chiranjeevi to PM Narendra Modi, all came to Twitter, expressing their condolences and support for the bereaved.
The burial rites of Dilip Saheb will be performed on 7 July 2021, at 5 PM at Juhu in Mumbai. The legendary actor is survived by his wife Saira Banu.
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