Remembering Dilip Kumar: Some Lesser Known Facts About The Legendary Indian Actor

Dilip Kumar, one of Indian cinema's greatest actors breathed his last on Wednesday, July 7. The legendary actor was often referred to as the 'Tragedy King.' He was described as the greatest method actor by Satyajit Ray. He'd been offered a role in Lawrence of Arabia by David Lean. Guru Dutt in his Pyaasa, wanted him to perform the lead role. In the mega-hit Mughal-e-Azam, he played Prince Salim, who was portrayed as a true blue-blooded prince.

Dilip Kumar's death marks the end of an era in Bollywood. Here are some of Dilip Kumar's lesser-known facts.

Dilip Kumar was born Muhammad Yusuf Khan on December 11, 1922, in Peshawar, Pakistan, and attended school in Deolali, Maharashtra, where his fruit merchant father maintained orchards.
Dilip Kumar moved to Pune in 1940 and opened a shop selling dry fruits and operating a canteen.
After three years, Devika Rani who was an actress and her husband, actor-director Himanshu Rai, spotted him in a military canteen and cast him in Jwar Bhata, a 1944 film. The young actor took his first hesitant steps towards stardom after author Bhagwati Charan Varma changed his name from Yusuf Khan to Dilip Kumar.
Jwar Bhata, flopped at the box office, as did his subsequent film Pratima.

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Then came Jugnu, a 1947 film starring Noor Jehan and Ruby Myers, as well as a little-known Mohd Rafi, who later became one of cinema's most iconic voices.
Following the popularity of Jugnu, the patriotic-themed Shaheed was released in 1948.
In 1949, Dilip Kumar became a sensation after acting alongside Raj Kapoor and Nargis in the blockbuster Andaz.
Deedar (1951), Daag (1952), Devdas and Azaad (1955) were among his many dramatic films. In 1958, he co-starred in the reincarnation and retribution film Madhumati with actress Vyjayanthimala.
He played Prince Salim in the epic Mughal-e-Azam (1960), in which he fought his father, Emperor Akbar, to rescue his infatuation with the dancing girl Anarkali.
Dilip Kumar, crowned "Bollywood's Tragedy King," and reportedly encouraged by his director to move to lighter fare, which he did with great success in films such as Aan (1952), Azaad (1955), and Kohinoor (1958).
In 1961, he produced and starred in Ganga Jamuna alongside his brother Nasir Khan. He starred in Ram Aur Shyam in 1967, a film that influenced following hits Seeta Aur Geeta and Chaalbaaz.
In December 2015, Dilip Kumar was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, India's second-highest civilian honour.
In 1991, Dilip Kumar was also awarded the Padma Bhushan, India's third-highest civilian honour.
He received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1994.

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Dilip Kumar's career suffered in the 1970s as a result of Rajesh Khanna's superstardom and the success of Amitabh Bachchan's Angry Young Man. He then smoothly transitioned from leading to supporting roles, acting with Raaj Kumar and Manisha Koirala in films like Ramesh Sippy's Shakti (1982), Yash Chopra's Mashaal (1984), and Saudagar (1991). His last film performance was in Qila in 1998.

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences on the passing of the 98-year-old legendary actor and tweeted,

Dilip Kumar Ji will be remembered as a cinematic legend. He was blessed with unparalleled brilliance, due to which audiences across generations were enthralled. His passing away is a loss to our cultural world. Condolences to his family, friends and innumerable admirers. RIP.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 7, 2021