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 ,
