Happy Birthday Dilip Kumar: When Saira Banu said she ‘got sort of used to’ other women vying for his attention, even on their engagement

As Dilip Kumar turns 98, his wife, actor Saira Banu, recently said she ‘got sort of used to’ other women vying for his attention. She shared an interesting anecdote from the day of their engagement.

With their inspiring love story, Dilip Kumar and Saira Banu have set the bar for relationships very high. The two have been happily married for decades now, with her looking after him through many spells of ill health. As Dilip Kumar turns 98, here is a titbit from his life, as revealed by Saira in a recent interview. She talked about his immense popularity with women and how many of them would stand in front of his car, wishing to be run over.

Dilip Kumar and Saira Banu are not celebrating his birthday this year.

“Even the day we got engaged, one girl - not from the industry - who was supposedly his girlfriend and had been almost up to the altar with him, took sleeping pills. Dilip saab had to rush to her and make her understand that he’s in love with me. He pacified her and came back to the engagement ceremony. I got sort of used to such things. There were girls who would stand in front of his car and wish that the car would run over them,” she told The Times of India.

Dilip is not celebrating his birthday this year, as he lost his brothers, Ahsan Khan and Aslam Khan, to Covid-19 earlier this year. “We are still unable to come to terms with the passing of our brothers, Ahsan bhai and Aslam bhai. Moreover, Sahib never plans anything for his birthday. In fact, he remembers the event only when he sees the flowers sent by his friends and well-wishers, lining the drawing room and the foyer and the phone keeps ringing ceaselessly,” Saira told Hindustan Times in an interview.

She also recalled his birthday celebrations in earlier years, when they would not only be visited by friends and family members but also fans. “In the past, we kept an open house for our well-wishers and even though it was rather tiring, Sahib met everyone without exception and ensured that everyone was fed delicious food,” she said.

Dilip is considered to be one of the greatest actors in Indian cinema and was conferred with India’s second highest civilian award, the Padma Vibhushan, in 2015. He received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, Indian cinema’s highest honour, in 1994.

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