Thursday, July 15, 2021

GOOD BYE DILIP KUMAR : A TRIBUTE TO THE LEGEND


                                     
                                                  ( Getting married to Saira Banu)

                                                         ( Lata Mangeshkar ties a Raakhi )
                                                     ( With MGR and NTR )
                                     ( With Raj Kapoor,Ashok Kumar and Sunil Dutt)
                                                        ( With Alfred Hitchcock )
                                                          ( With. Satyajit Ray )
                                                   ( With buddy Devanand )
                                                 ( With Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee )
                                                ( With Lata Mangeshkar )
                                                   ( The ideal couple )
                                                     ( With Vaijanthimala )
                                                  ( Young Dilip Kumar and Nargis)

                                                              ( In Naya Daur)
                                       ( With Raj Kapoor leading the Baraat of actor Prem Nath)

GOOD BYE DILIP KUMAR  :  A TRIBUTE TO THE LEGEND

We are told that thespis, the Greek poet (c. 534 bc) happened to be the first actor, who actually did acting on the stage when theatre entirely comprised chorus performances. He was the inventor of tragedy. In acting ,beyond any shade of doubt, thespis was the pioneer . And no one deserves the title ‘thespian’ , the adjectival or noun form of thespis, than Dilip Kumar.

Born in 1922 in Peshawar, Mohammad Yusuf Khan ( Yusuf Khan) came to Mumbai with his well-off fruit-trading family as a school-boy. Sometime in 1943, when Devika Rani of the Bombay Talkies saw Yusuf Khan , she offered him the job of an actor on a salary of  rupees 1250 per month. Devika Rani’s Bombay Talkies was on the look-out for a new hero. Yusuf Khan thought the amount offered was for a year. He requested his friend, Dr Masani, who had taken him to Devika Rani , to find out whether he had heard it right. And a surprised Devika Rani told Dr Masani that she had offered the amount as monthly salary because she had seen good acting potential in the newcomer and did not want to lose him. That is how Yusuf Khan entered the film industry after leaving the canteen business that he was engaged in at Pune. Devika Rani was responsible in giving him a new identity by naming him Dilip Kumar.

 Without any training in acting, he was thrust into the lead in Jwar Bhata (1944). From Jwar Bhata (1944) to Qila (1998) he acted in about 65 films . His magnum opus and home production ,Ganga Jamuna broke all previous records at the box office. His two films Aag Ka Dariya and Kalinga (1996) have been completed but remain unreleased. And he will always be remembered for his spectacular performances in films such as Andaz (1949), Arzoo (1950) Aan ( 1953 ), Devdas (1955), Naya Daur (1957), Mughal-e-Azam (1960) , Kohinoor ( 1960), Ganga Jamuna (1961), Leader ( 1964) , Dil Diya Dard Liya ( 1966) , Ram Aur Sham ( 1967 ) ,Sangarsh ( 1968 ), Gopi (1970) , Sagina (1974 ), Bairag(1976) , Shakti (1982 ) , Mashaal (1984 ) and Saudagar (1991 ) . He revived the memory of his tragedian days to enact one of the most heartbreaking scenes in Mashaal when his wife, played by Waheeda Rehman, needs desperate medical attention and no one is  willing to give them a lift.

 A perfectionist, he studied film-making in all its aspects, sought advice from his many directors mainly Nitin Bose and Bimal Roy. He also kept learning from Ashok Kumar, his senior at the studio. Ashok Kumar advised him to be himself in front of the camera, possibly the best career-shaping advice he received. He read literature including classic English and Urdu/ Hindi novels which reflected in his choice of roles. He read Prem Chand , Emily Bronte , Jane Austen, Bernard Shaw,Charles Dickens, Anton Chekhov,Fyodor Dostoevsky and Shakespeare. He remained a life long lover of Ghalib. In 2021 ,I was participating in an online  discussion  relating to acting skills of the thespian.It was organised by Prof Liaqat Jafri of Jammu. Film lyricist and screenplay writer , Hassan Kamaal ( who wrote songs of B R Chopra production Nikaah )  ,who was also in the panel said this:-

" The greatness  of Dilip Kumar was revealed to me when he asked me to change dialogues of the actor who was to face him in a movie for which I was engaged to write screen play ,dialogues and  songs. Dilip Sahib told me ," bhai agar aap ne mujhe bees (20) kar diya, inn ko to unees (19 ) karo.'  I changed the dialogues. In the movie, It had a dramatic effect on the personality of that particular actor. Dilip Sahib also looked more majestic with that upgradation.” 

Dilip Kumar has always been a painstaking individual. As an actor , he was his own teacher with a single aim to create his space . He would sit for hours and delve into a character and draw up his emotions to live the character . He would repeat dialogues and synchronize the dialogue delivery with his body movements . He used his hands , facial expressions , head movements and every joint and muscle to deliver dialogues . A strange Naturalism that he brought to the cinema , unknowingly freed it from the shackles of theatrics . He brought underplaying to the fore at a time when cinema was thriving on theatrics. He was the first actor to demystify the myth that actors on screen hardly carry any insight into human behaviour. About his Naturalism, Dilip Kumar has said this :-

 “ My personality was not flamboyant or given to exhibitionism of any kind. For example, it’s not that I consciously developed a style of delivering dialogue in a soft voice. That’s the way I speak in real life too. My father never shouted or ranted even when he was upset. My mother was gentle and docile. Even at work, I befriended people who were simple and refined. Sashadhar Mukherji, Anil Biswas, Narendra Sharma, Amiya Chakravarthy, Gyan Mukherji and, of course, Ashok Bhaiya ( actor Ashok Kumar ) were my friends at Bombay Talkies. ”

 A METHOD ACTOR

 Director Martin Scorsese once famously said of Marlon Brando, “He is the marker. There’s ‘before Brando’ and ‘after Brando’.” Brando, one of the first actors to bring focus to the idea of ‘Method Acting’, was a huge follower of Stanislavski System, and changed the rules of acting in Hollywood. American actor and director, Lee Strasberg popularised elements of Stanislavski's system at the Group Theatre in New York from 1931 to 1935. His approach came to be known as 'The Method'. Stella Adler, a fellow actor at the Group Theatre, created an approach to Method Acting that was said to be more in tune with that of Stanislavski. And Marlon Brando remained the only Method Actor in Hollywood . While the Hollywood continues to hail the Godfather (1972) actor as one of the 'greatest ever', there was another man known as Dilip Kumar , a star in India, who had independently found and mastered the technique.

 The term 'Method Acting' includes a number of different acting techniques, most of which involve actors drawing on their own emotions and experiences. A method actor has his own individual style essentially based on his personality . That is how he comes up as a natural actor. A Method Actor makes good use of his body language and his voice tone is always natural unless he has to convey some strong emotion to make requisite variations. If Brando gave a reference point to actors like Robert De Niro and Al Pacino to start with, Dilip Kumar influenced countless actors in Indian cinema. From Amitabh Bachchan to Naseeruddin Shah, Shah Rukh Khan to Nawazuddin Siddiqui, every actor of Hindi cinema carries some line or some page from the colossal book that Dilip Kumar wrote with his acting. His magnum opus ,’ Ganga Jamuna’ was refashioned as Deewaar, Naya Daur as Lagaan, Madhumati as Om Shanti Om as a reference was already created by Dilip Kumar . Javed Akhtar admitted that while scripting Deewaar (1975), he and Salim had Ganga Jamuna in their mind.The positioning of the brothers on either side of the law as done in Ganga Jamuna , was repeated in many films. Even Amitabh repeated the dialogue ‘ Munna hatt’ in his super hit film ‘Do Anjaane’. About Shah Rukh and Amitabh being influenced by his style , Dilip Kumar has said this :-

 “ I believe Amitabh is an accomplished and complete actor. Shah Rukh is extremely popular I understand. I’m not aware whether they have copied me. Generally speaking, it becomes easy for a serious actor to take a reference from a work he has liked and build on it. It should not be termed as copying or imitating.”

A Method Actor is a challenge for the directors and writers. The script and the director has to meet his expectations. Generally seen , the Method actors are selective in their choice of scripts and directors. 

 SHIFT  FROM  TRAGEDY

 Renowned tragedians like Sir John Gielgud and Sir Laurence Olivier played tragic roles during their middle age while Dilip Kumar started it at a very young age. He was in his ’20s. It had a significant impact on his personality. The gloomy outlook had entered and overtaken his personal life. He consulted doctors in the UK where he was advised to try comedy, which would give him relief and also bring the much needed variety in his acting. He refused Guru Dutt’s Pyasa as he was already doing Devdas and both the lead characters had similarity .When he became well known actor after Jugnu (1947), producers bee-lined to him with all sorts of scripts that he declined .That is the reason why Dilip Kumar has refused many films in his career . When David Lean offered him a role in Lawrence of Arabia , Dilip Kumar felt that the role had negative shades. He straightway declined the offer and it was finally given to Omar Sharif . Dilip Kumar was offered Zanjeer, a 1973 crime drama blockbuster. However, he declined the film and it went to Amitabh Bachchan. He also declined Baiju Bawra and Do Badan. By 1969, Dilip Kumar had transformed himself from being the ‘King of Tragedy’ from films like Devdas (1955), Deedar (1951) and Jogan (1950) to the versatile hero of Naya Daur (1957), Kohinoor (1960) and Ram Aur Shyam (1967).

 As a sensitive individual , Dilip Kumar had his fingers on the pulse of the society especially rural India . Novels of Munshi Prem Chand that he read had also made many issues clear to him. While scripting Ganga Jamuna , the reasons for the negative shades in the character of Ganga ( who is a victim of the trap set by the Zamindaar ) were well explained to arouse public sympathy. The film reflected the tyranny of the Zamindars in independent India and the intrinsic honesty of the farmers despite the poverty and oppression. In Ganga -Jamuna, the hero was on the wrong side of the law but he carried enormous audience sympathy. And none could portray Ganga better than the  thespian. Known for his meticulous homework, for Kohinoor, Dilip Kumar actually took lessons in sitar for almost a year. The end result is the song ‘madhuban mein radhika nache re’ which shows him playing the sitar, akin to Naushad’s composition.

 NITIN BOSE ( 1897 -1986 ) INFLUENCE

 Nitin Bose was a doyen of Bangali and Hindi cinema and a close relative of Satyajit Ray.He was a cinematographer , writer, director and photographer . Nitin Bose introduced playback singing in Hindi cinema with Bhagyachakra that he directed in 1935. He was a perfectionist to the core . From New Theatres Kolkata , he moved to Bombay Talkies. During the making of Milan ( 1946 ) , Nitin came close to Dilip Kumar. With Nitin Bose ,he also acted in Naukadoobi (1947 ) and Deedar (1951) .

 At Nitin Bose's insistence, ‘Deedar’ was made a multi-starrer film. It proved a trendsetter . Many multi-starrer films were made subsequently like B, R. Chopra’s Waqt , Yash Chopra’s ‘Kabhi Kabhi’ .In his range, depth and professional integrity, Dilip Kumar matched all the three greats of world cinema ; Hollywood's Marlon Brando , Japanese star Toshiro Mifune and Italian legend Marcello Mastroianni. He watched the latest Hollywood stars such as Paul Muni, Spenser Tracy, Henry Fonda, James Stewart, among others. However , he put his own feelings and experiences while portraying the screen characters together with what he learnt from Nitin Bose, his early mentor.

 Dilip Kumar was always impressed by Nitin’s cinematic techniques and conceptual clarity. He maintained close friendship with this maestro who later won Dadasaheb Phalke Award. When Dilip Kumar started his home production Ganga Jamuna , he brought Nitin Bose as director and the great creative minds together did something that remains unsurpassed to this day. About Nitin Bose , Dilip Kumar has said this :-

 “ Nitin Bose (director) became a friend after Milan (1946) and he changed the way I interpreted and studied my scripts and roles. He was a master of his profession. A thorough gentleman and honest to  the core, he was a wonderful human being and with a fantastic creative mind. Real-life influences also impacted my acting style to a great extent in the early stages. Because that’s where I found my inspiration, especially since I had to be my own instructor.”

 Apart from Nitin Bose, Bimal Roy also had some influence upon Dilip Kumar. He worked with Bimal Roy in Devdas,Yahudi and Madhumati.

 THE   KASHMIR  CONNECTION

 

 Dilip Kumar has a strong connection with Kashmir that begins from the actor’s childhood. As a child, the actor and his brother lived with the family of Dr Haseeb A Drabu after they were diagnosed with tuberculosis. Since antibiotics or streptomycin was not discovered then, the only medical advice to tuberculosis patients was to move to some hill station or sanatorium. Dilip Kumar’s father had close links with the Drabu family of Rajpora, Kashmir on account of his fruit business. Sarwar Khan, Dilip Kumar’s father was trading in Kashmiri apples. This could be much before 1947. In 1956, when Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad invited him for the Jashn e Kashmir, Dilip Kumar was more than happy to come to Srinagar and don a white dress for an exhibition cricket match played by participating film stars. He brought Raj Kapoor, Nargis, Om Prakash, Nirupa Roy and a large group of some prominent film actors with him.

Dilip Kumar loved to stay in houseboats and Pahalgham remained his favourite destination. Sometimes, he would stay at 'Hotel Oberoi Palace' in Srinagar or 'Highland Park' in Gulmarg. He also liked Nigeen Lake and its peaceful ambience.

 

 He had many friends in Kashmir that include Dr Farooq Abdullah, M Y Khan ( former chairman of the  J&K Bank Ltd.), Ghulam Ahmed Shonthu ( former Chief Secretary), Sheikh Amin’s family,Tramboo family, Janki Ganju, Bashir Bakshi, Nazir Bakshi, Mir Inayatullah ( Chief Warden, Wild Life ), G R Renzu, Gani Sahib( hotelier), Ghulam Mohammad Dug ( proprietor of Taj Hotel) ,  Vijay Dhar(hotelier ),Capt S k Tikoo and many more.The list is long and accordingly, I am mentioning some prominent people who come to my mind at the moment. He loved Kashmiri food especially Goshtaba and Dum Alu. Coming from a family trading in Kashmir fruits, he loved cherries and Ambri apple of Kashmir. These special fruits were arranged for him and his family by a Mumbai fruit merchant. The actor loved Kashmiri handicrafts especially papier mache and wood carving. A Purohit from Mattan told me that Dilip Kumar would drop inside the Mattan spring to feed fish as and when he visited Pahalgham. The owner of Mir Paan House on the fashionable Residency Road, Srinagar  told me that he has personally offered a simple Paan to Dilip Kumar when some local host brought him to the shop during night time. The owner of ‘Hind Book Shop’ on the Residency Road, Srinagar once  told me that in 1973 or 1974, Dilip Kumar entered his shop to buy some  books . The manager of Ahdoo’s Hotel on the Bund in Srinagar  once told me that he arranged a late-night dinner for Dilip Kumar, Saira Banu and their local host in the restaurant. The guests entered from the Bund entrance and a seating arrangement had been created for them inside in a separate enclosure that was not visible to other guests. Many times musical  Mehfils were held in Srinagar in honour of Dilip Kumar. Very  select and limited people were invited to these gatherings. Some people still remember one such Mehfil organised by Bashir Bakshi wherein Vijay Malla and Ghulam Nabi Sheikh sang Ghazals. The thespian was impressed by Urdu Gazals sung by Vijay Malla .

 

Saira Banu has Kashmiri ancestry from her mother’s side. Saira Banu’s grandmother belonged to a Kashmiri family from Amritsar. Along with Dilip Kumar, Saira Banu once paid a visit to Baba Rishi Ziyarat near Gulmarg seeking the boon of a child that her family desperately desired. Saira Banu had conceived in 1972, but developed complications in the pregnancy, leading to the child's death.

 

 In the early sixties of the last century, Dilip Kumar wanted to make a film on "Habba Khatoon". The project was discussed in detail with Mehboob Khan who had even got the screenplay written. Dilip Kumar wanted to play a prominent role in the movie but the project was dropped due to the sudden death of Mehboob Khan in 1964. He also decided to make a film on Begaar ( forced labour ). The project was named ‘ Kar Begaar ‘. This project too was dropped at the last moment. He was seriously interested in setting up a film studio in Srinagar. Some meetings were held with entrepreneurs, local artists and government officials. Tramboo family especially, Nazir Tramboo was also actively involved in this project that could prove highly beneficial for  the artists from Kashmir and also give a flip to the tourism sector. This project too could not see the light of the day. For about 15 years, his assistant was a Kashmiri short-story writer – Deepak Kanwal, who now lives in Mumbai. Kanwal has written around 40 short stories and has done a feature film as well apart from assisting Dilip Kumar as Assistant Director  in the making of Kalinga.

 Ghulam Mohammad Dug , proprietor of 'Taj Hotel' at Amirakadal in Srinagar,  who had  links with Dilip Kumar told me this:-

"I visited him once in Mumbai in1967  and got introduced to the thespian. Thereafter as and when he visited Kashmir , he would ask for me . Together we went to Tsraar e Sharif  Hazratbal or many other places. Although I was worried lest some untoward may not happen due to crowds that thronged to see him but he would talk to people ,wait for them and reciprocate their love and affection. One day I went to see him in the houseboat . I found him sleeping on the narrow wooden  walking passage around the houseboat. He was sleeping without any bedding or sheet or pillows. Just  like a commoner. As he got up, he told me that he loved to sleep like that to see the lake ,the birds and the silence . According to him he felt more happy  when he came very close to nature. While talking to me ,he said ' You must save this lake. Save your culture and save the  unique and appreciable ways of your living from rapid westernisation’ . "

Although Ghulam Mohammad Dug has closed the Taj Hotel at Amirakadal, he continues to remain in the  hotel business . He has opened ‘Hotel Pine Grove’  on Boulevard, Srinagar.  On his  Facebook  wall, he has also written this:-

“ 1971 and  1973 I remained associated with him for all the days he stayed in Srinagar. He was here to select locations and  to consult authors/historians of Kashmir in connection with the  making of his new film titled " Kar Begar" under his own banner "Citizen Films India".The said film project was later abandoned for unknown reasons. Here I would like to make a mention of an incident which may not be of much significance to the readers but it shows how careful he was in pointing out  shortcomings of others  to  them. It so happened that while in Srinagar during his stay in a house boat in Dal Lake he fell ill and  Dr G Q Allaqaband visited him and treated him. On the day of his departure when he was about to cross in a Shikara,  he thanked houseboat owner for the  services rendered to him but very soberly added ," chacha agli bar jab hum ayenge apni boat mein ek peene ke paani ka nal zaroor laga lena" please remember those days direct tap water supply system was yet be launched in the  Dal Lake area and  houseboat owners had to fetch it from banks of the lake in a Shikara. I gather at that time from Dilip Kumar's specific remark made to houseboat owner was perhaps the supply of " polluted drinking water to him" during his stay in his houseboat was the  cause of his illness. It shows how great he was to draw the attention of the  houseboat owner for committing the  negligence, in such a polite  and  beautiful manner when he had other options, like reporting the matter to the  authorities, were also available  so as to initiate action under law .”

 Padma-shri Pran Kishore Kaul told me this :-

“ I was entrusted the job of recording detailed interview of the thespian  by Shri N L Chawla , the then  Station Director AIR, Srinagar.It was a challenging task. We invited him to the Radio Station . Dilip Kumar arrived on time and I recorded something great  for the AIR.  As usual , he was tidy and well dressed .  He  had profound knowledge of English literature , music , Urdu poetry , Bangla literature and novels of Munshi Prem Chand . From the interview , I  could understand the depth of his study and his  understanding of the issues relating to cinema. After the recording , I requested him to join  special cultural show at the Tagore Hall in the evening that day. We  , the members of Akashvani Club were holding an event in aid of victims of Budgam earthquake  . When he heard the details , he immediately agreed to come .  Joined by Saira Banu, he  was there on time . His presence served a  great purpose .

In the interview, I touched the question of 'New Wave Cinema'   and he was forthright in his reply. While he appreciated the talent of all the artists and directors connected with the 'New Wave  Cinema', he clarified that cinema has a commercial angle as well. One needs money to create a film . If one is able to recover at least what he spends   ,it is fine . With losses, how long can one continue making films . He believed  that commercial aspect of a film can't be ignored or overlooked. "

Dilip Kumar has also attended the marriage ceremony of two daughters of Janki Ganju of Srinagar. Janki Ganju was a close friend of the thespian .Janki was a very well-known and well connected Washington based  NRI .Capt S K Tikoo has told a beautiful story with regard to his interaction and proximity to the thespian. He  told me this:-

" It may sound strange but I am telling you something that is true . I met Dilip Kumar in 1974 at Chandrajeet Yaday's house in New Delhi. Yadav  was  then General Secretary AICC (in-charge youth affairs) .It was a dramatic meeting wherein I made every effort to impress the thespian with  theatrics taught to me by Padma-shri Moti Lal Kemu and I succeeded . He didn't forget me . Surprisingly, the great actor had conveyed minutest details of this meeting to his close  family including Saira Banu and Naseem Banu . I was possibly presented as some special character by the thespian to his family.Back in Srinagar, sometime later, I received a call from Hotel  Broadway that Dilip Kumar was in Srinagar and wanted to see me .When I went to the hotel,   the emperor of Hindi cinema,  accompanied by Bakshi Bashir , came to me and gave me a tight hug. He sent a word to his waiting family members to go to their suites after pointing his finger towards me. I could see them smiling. I reciprocated the smile.

He had come to Srinagar alongwith Saira Ji, Naseem Bano and two more ladies to join the marriage function in the family of Janki Ganju ,his close friend. The boarding and lodging arrangements were done for the family in Hotel Broadway. Janki Ganju was the in-house guest of the then  Governor and was staying with him in Raj Bhavan. The marriage was to be solemnised at Karan Nagar .Dilip Kumar wanted to attend all family functions and remain nearby, so Hotel  Broadway was the most suitable choice . For me ,  It was amazing to see   three greats of  Hindi cinema ; I mean Pari Chehra Naseem Banu, Dilip Kumar and Saira Banu . While the ladies went to their suites, Dilip Kumar and I sat at the bar that was in the hotel  lobby itself.Sita Ram, the then bartender at Hotel Broadway  had served Dilip Kumar in some hotel in South India. He called his wife from the house telephone and smilingly conveyed to me what Saira had just talked to him,' hum to samjhay thei aap hum se mazaaq kar rahey thay magar yeh to waqai ek moajaza hai". He had discussed me and our meeting in Chanderjeet Yadav' house  thoroughly with Saira Ji in particular. I could feel it.

I think, it is essential for me, to let you  know, what really took Dilip Kumar, by utter surprise, when we had that accidental meeting at Chanderjeet Yadav's place in New Delhi.When Dilip Kumar wanted my visiting card ( it was not business card yet), and my telephone  number , and I disappointed him, by replying, that I didn't have either of the two. 'How do I meet you, if/when I come to Srinagar? ‘ He was stumped, when I replied, ' when you land in Srinagar, ask anybody  you come in contact with on your arrival in Srinagar, that you want to meet Captain Tikoo, and you will be escorted to me. ‘  That is why Saira had said, ‘yeh tou Moujaza hai .’

We talked about many things ,many issues. The thespian was  warm and affectionate to me in the entire conversation. After he left ,I stayed at the bar for sometime.Another 15 minutes and Sita Ram,the highly impressive bartender,   handed over the telephone receiver to me ; it was an in-house call and it was Dilip Kumar,” kal aath baje, idhar he, theek hai'. I said ,' theek hai '.Next day ,Janki Ganju was also there. Dilip Kumar introduced him to me. Janki was warm and cheerful. From the conversation , I could  feel that  Dilip Kumar was very close to Janki Ganju. He  would always call him "Jaan".Speaking in chaste Urdu, Dilip Kumar  addressed his friend,' Janki tumhe dekh kar aisa lag raha hai mai booda hota ja raha hoon.” I had some gala time with Mr Ganju, he was full of life and liked all good things in life.However I could not join the reception and some functions in Janki Ganju's house as the dates clashed with the prefixed appointment that I had with my Delhi doctors. Dilip Kumar was a regular visitor to Kashmir I met him again and he invited me to Mumbai. I could feel that Dilip Kumar's love for Kashmir was deep and sincere  He wanted to do something for Kashmir . To me,he talked about the  hurdles that came in his way. Let me tell you in short, Hindi cinema will not see another Dilip Kumar for many many years to come. I have more to convey about the great actor . Let us keep that for our next meeting. "

 AWARDS AND HONOURS

 For his contribution to films, the Government of India awarded him with the Padma Bhushan in 1991 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2015, the country's third and second-highest civilian awards respectively. He was also awarded India's highest accolade in the field of cinema, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1994. In 1998, the Government of Pakistan conferred Kumar with Nishan-e-Imtiaz, the highest civilian decoration. Dilip Kumar is listed in the Guinness World Records for winning the maximum number of awards by an Indian actor. Upon his death , he was given a state funeral. His body was covered by the Indian flag. He was buried in a Muslim cemetery at Juhu , Santa Cruz in Mumbai. Dilip Kumar’s wife , 

 
                                                                     

                                           

 ( Programme' Kuchh Yaadein Kuchh Baatein'  was  organized by Prof. Liaqat Jafri of Jammu, India..Tributes to the thespian ) 

Saira Banu thanked the authorities for according Dilip Kumar a state funeral. She shared this message via Dilip Kumar’s Twitter account.

“Thank you @PMOIndia and @CMOMaharashtra for according Dilip Sahib burial with state funeral protocols. – Saira Banu Khan.”

 This is what Ram Nath Kovind , President of India tweeted :-

 Dilip Kumar summarised in himself a history of emerging India. The thespian’s charm transcended all boundaries, and he was loved across the subcontinent. With his demise, an era ends. Dilip Saab will live forever in the heart of India. Condolences to family and countless fans.”

 Prime Minister, Narendra Modi tweeted:-

“Dilip Kumar will be remembered as a cinematic legend. His death is a loss to our cultural world.”

Amitabh Bachchan tweeted:-

“Whenever the history of Indian cinema will be written, it shall always be ‘before Dilip Kumar, and after Dilip Kumar’. ”

I conclude this tribute with a couplet of Allama Iqbal……

 “Ataa aissa bayaan mujh ko huwa rangeen bayaanon mein

Ke baam-e-arsh ke taaer hain meray hum zubaanon mein”………( Allama Iqbal )

 

(I am bestowed with such speech among the elegant speakers

That the birds of the ‘sky ’s roof are concordant with me…)

 

( Avtar Mota )




 

CHINAR SHADE by Autarmota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 India License.
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