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Daily Times
July 10, 2021
Mohammad Yusuf Khan was born on December 11, 1922, in Peshawar in the house of a fruit merchant. In the late thirties, the family shifted to Bombay. Here, a chance meeting with Devika Rani, who was the boss of the famous Bombay Talkies, proved to be a turning point in his life. Recognizing his latent potential for acting, she selected him for a role in a new film Jawar Bhata, in which he shone to light with a screen name of Dilip Kumar. Though the film was a flop at the box office, it introduced the budding actor to the film world of which he was going to be the undisputed king for the next six decades.
‘Ye Zindagi ke mela, Dunniya mein kam na honge, Afsos hum na honge’ (There will be lots of merry moments in this word and sadly I will not be there), a line from the Hindi film ‘Mela’ (1948) starring Dilip Kumar and Nargis. Dilip Kumar (Mohammad Yusuf Khan) the greatest Indian Bollywood star ever breathed his last on the morning of Wednesday at the age of 98 in Mumbai and was buried in the evening ending a golden era of Hindi movies. It is unlikely that Indian film industry will have another star of the height Dilip Kumar left behind. He was one of the heroes of our time and my generation grew up watching his movies. He acted in only 63 movies and these 63 movies have made him not only immortal in the Hindi movie world but also transformed him into a legend of India’s movie industry. The song mentioned was sung in the film ‘Mela’ by another maestro Mohammad Rafi who died on July 31, 1980. While doing a running commentary India’s Doordarshan played the song in the
NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among the many people who paid tribute to legendary actor Dilip Kumar on Wednesday, calling his departure “a loss to our cultural world.”
Kumar died on Wednesday morning aged 98 following a prolonged illness, leaving behind an “incredible legacy” of films and fans. He is survived by his wife, veteran actor Saira Banu.
“With a heavy heart and profound grief, I announce the passing away of our beloved Dilip Saab, few minutes ago. We are from God and to Him we return,” read a brief statement on his official Twitter account confirming the news.