Legendary Bollywood actor Dilip Kumar celebrates his 95th birthday on Monday.
To mark the occasion Kumar’s wife and former actress Saira Banu has planned to treat him to his favourite delicacies which include biryani and vanilla ice cream.
“He loves biryani and that will be made for him but I will give him only little as he is unwell. He is also very fond of vanilla ice-cream and I will ask the doctors if we can give him a little bit of that too. Then we will have a birthday cake,” Banu said.
Dilip who is just recovering from pneumonia will only be having a small celebration at home due to his ill health.
Banu is also planning to buy the actor a new pair of shirt and trousers for his birthday.
“Dilip Sahab is fond of good and simple clothes. He likes cotton shirts and trousers and matching shoes and socks. He has a huge collection of shoes, which he has from the world over. Every year I order things of his choice. He is not a materialistic man. He doesn’t like expensive gifts. My one consistent gift to him every year is my love, which keeps intensifying,” said Saira Banu, gushing.
The Bollywood film fraternity also took to social media to wish their favourite actor a happy birthday.
Former co-star, Amitabh Bachchan has shared a throwback picture that shows Dilip in a candid mood as Raj Kapoor tries his hands at harmonium. Bachchan captioned the picture, “T 2737 – Two maestros! Iconic picture…Raj Kapoor and Dilip Kumar making music!! Love and admiration…for their immense contribution to Indian Cinema.”
T 2737 – Two maestros ! Iconic picture .. Raj Kapoor and Dilip Kumar making music !! Love and admiration .. for their immense contribution to Indian Cinema pic.twitter.com/actUtiE4Wj
— Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) December 10, 2017
Dharmendra also shared a picture and wrote, “Happy Birthday to my loving brother and a darling actor @TheDilipKumar, who inspired me to become an actor!!”
Happy Birthday to my loving brother and a darling actor @TheDilipKumar, who inspired me to become an actor!! pic.twitter.com/yas9D9GO7q
— Dharmendra Deol (@aapkadharam) December 11, 2017
Filmmaker Subhash Ghai tweeted, “Happy birthday and prayers for my ideal, my hero, my favourite Dilip Kumar. I learnt so much from him while directing him in Vidhata, Karma, Saudagar; all blockbusters and deeper experience to know the art of screen acting in relation with writer-director of a film.”
Happy birthday n prayers for My ideal my hero my favourite #Dilip kumar @TheDilipKumar I learnt so much from him while directing him in #vidhata #karma #saudagar all blockbusters n deeper experience to know art of screen acting in relation with writer director of a film ?? pic.twitter.com/SJBnvyUfbd
— Subhash Ghai (@SubhashGhai1) December 11, 2017
Anil Kapoor also shared his thoughts on Twitter and wrote, “My father always referred to @TheDilipKumar ji as Yusuf Saab…Here they are together, the two great influences in my life in one frame! Wish you a very happy birthday Dilipji! I grew up watching your films & your friendship with my father & both were inspirational! Lots of love!”
My father always referred to @TheDilipKumar ji as Yusuf Saab…Here they are together, the two great influences in my life in one frame! Wish you a very happy birthday Dilipji! I grew up watching your films & your friendship with my father & both were inspirational! Lots of love! pic.twitter.com/ELppKZkLgU
— Anil Kapoor (@AnilKapoor) December 11, 2017
Peshawar also celebrated the Indian actor’s birthday. Kumar was born in Peshawar and spent the early years of his life there.
Celebrations were arranged in Peshawar Press Club, where Saira Banu, spoke to the attendees over the phone.
“I’m thankful to all those in Pakistan who pray for the health and well-being of Dilip Kumar,” she said. “He will speak to the people of Peshawar himself soon, once his health improves.”
“He loves the city of his birth,” she concluded.
Speaking to the media, one of the organisers of the event said that Kumar was born in Mohalla Khudadad in 1922. His father was in the fruit business, because of which he would frequently travel to and from the areas that are now divided between India and Pakistan.
“The star’s birthday is celebrated in Peshawar every year to strengthen ties between India and Pakistan,” Gul added.
Having ruled the Hindi film industry for 6 decades right from 1940’s to 1990’s, the megastar took a sabbatical from acting to tend to his ailing health. Having starred in the biggest blockbusters of Bollywood such as Mughal-e-Azam, Naya Daur, Devdas, Ram Aur Shyam and Madhumati, Dilip Kumar(born as Mohammad Yusuf Khan) earned himself the title ‘Tragedy King’ for his realistic portrayal of sensitive and pathos-driven roles. Critics and experts from Hindi Film Industry, acclaim him among the greatest actors of Hindi cinema history, inspiring many actors in successive generations to follow his footsteps of realistic acting.
Born in Peshawar in the year 1922, Dilip Kumar left for Pune in 1940 wherein he managed to set up a sandwich stall at the army club. After having saved enough money from the earnings at the stall he headed to Bombay to work his luck in the films and the rest, as they say, is history.
