Mumbai: Dilip Kumar, the veteran actor of Hindi cinema, is no more with us. The Tragedy King breathed his last at the age of 98. With his passing, an era of Hindi cinema has come to an end. Dilip Kumar died in the hospital at around 7.30 am on Wednesday. Dilip Kumar was ill for a long time.
The funeral was relatively muted because of COVID restrictions – only family and close friends attended; most of the actor’s celebrity colleagues paid their last respects at his residence earlier in the day. Actor Amitabh Bachchan was among the handful of celebs, who attended Dilip Kumar’s funeral. Amitabh Bachchan was accompanied by his son, actor Abhishek.
Filmmaker Subhash Ghai, who directed Dilip Kumar in 1991 movie Saudagar, attended the funeral with his wife Mukta. Dilip Kumar’s wife Saira Banu, who was photographed at the cemetery, was surrounded by a support group of well-wishers and police personnel.
Hours after Dilip Kumar’s death, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray tweeted that the actor would be given a state funeral. In the afternoon, Uddhav Thackeray visited Dilip Kumar’s wife Saira Banu at her residence along with son Aaditya, who tweeted: “Paid our respects to the legend, Dilip Kumar Saheb. He will be accorded state honours today.”
Dilip Kumar was revered by his peers and younger colleagues. After his death, Saira Banu was visited by several celebs such as Shah Rukh Khan, Anil Kapoor, Dharmendra, Shabana Azmi, Ranbir Kapoor and Vidya Balan, among others.
Dilip Kumar, who was born Mohd Yusuf Khan in Peshawar, was best known for his starring roles in films like Madhumati, Devdas, Mughal-e-Azam, Ganga Jamuna, Ram Aur Shyam and Naya Daur in a career spanning over six decades. Dilip Kumar and Saira Banu, who married in 1966, starred together in films such as Sagina, Mahato, Chhoti Bahu and Duniya. Dilip Kumar was honoured with the Padma Bhushan in 1991 and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1994. Dilip Kumar, who was the first ever winner of the Filmfare Best Actor prize, won eight Filmfare Best Actor awards, a record he shares with Shah Rukh Khan.
