Cinema legend Dilip Kumar passes away at 98

Screen legend and one of Hindi cinema’s earliest superstars Dilip Kumar was laid to rest with full state honours on Wednesday evening in Mumbai after suffering a cardio-respiratory arrest earlier in the day

Screen legend and one of Hindi cinema’s earliest superstars Dilip Kumar was laid to rest with full state honours on Wednesday evening in Mumbai after suffering a cardio-respiratory arrest earlier in the day. The news of his demise prompted tributes from politicians, sportspersons and actors across India and Pakistan – a signal of the immense popularity that the veteran actor, whose career spanned six decades, enjoyed in the subcontinent.

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“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,” the President of India, Ram Nath Kovind wrote on social media platform, Twitter.

“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,” prime minister Narendra Modi tweeted.

State chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, who visited the residence of Dilip Kumar and Saira Banu to pay his respects said, “We have lost the one who has enriched the Indian cinema and a shining star. He played everlasting roles and he will remain in the hearts of cinema lovers forever.”

The 98-year-old actor, a Padma Vibhushan awardee, was wrapped in the Indian tricolor and buried in the Santacruz kabristan [cremation ground]. While not more than 25-30 people were allowed inside for the funeral, the venue was packed with media and fans of the late star. A crowd of nearly 100 people, had gathered outside, while others stood on their rooftops to catch a glimpse of the late star.

According to the actor’s family friend Faisal Farooqui, a handful of Kumar and his wife Saira Banu’s relatives were present at the cemetery. Several state leaders, including Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar, as well as actors Dharmendra, Shahrukh Khan, Shabana Azmi and Vidya Balan, among a host of others, visited the actor’s Pali Hill residence to pay their respects.

Kumar was suffering from an advanced stage of prostate cancer as well as kidney failure, had been hospitalized twice last month and even underwent a blood transfusion. He was admitted to the Hinduja hospital once more on Sunday after he complained of breathlessness and was found to have bilateral pleural effusion (accumulation of fluid outside the lungs).

“He he already had several health issues and was bed-ridden,” said a doctor who was part of the team treating Dilip Kumar. “He had a medical set up in his house for his daily treatment. He had an advanced stage of prostate cancer. Along with it, he also suffered from kidney failure,” the doctor said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

Born Muhammad Yusuf Khan on December 11, 1922, to a Pathan family in Peshawar – the fourth of 12 children -- Kumar moved to what was then Bombay, and later studied in Deolali. After completing his college, he took up a job in an Army canteen in Pune. However, a chance meeting with silver screen legend Devika Rani changed the course of his life.

Kumar, Raj Kapoor and Dev Anand were Hindi cinema’s superstars in the 1950s and 1960s; but it was only Kumar – who took on the screen name to appeal to a wider audience – who earned the sobriquet, Tragedy King, for his performances in films like Devdas (1955). A proponent of method acting – where the actor identifies emotionally with the character he is expected to play – Kumar eventually moved to the comedy genre on the advice of a psychiatrist. His acting range won him several fans, and he was popular among cinema lovers in Pakistan as well. In 1998, he was awarded the “Nishan-e-Imtiaz,” Pakistan’s highest civilian honor-- the only Indian citizen to receive it.

“For my generation, Dilip Kumar was the greatest and most versatile actor,’’ Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan tweeted.

A large group of people on Wednesday offered ghaibana Namaz-e-Janaza (funeral prayers in absentia) for legendary Indian actor Dilip Kumar at his ancestral house in Qissa Khawani Bazaar area of Peshawar in Pakistan.

The first of the Khans, as he was sometimes referred to, was nominated to the Rajya Sabha for one term, awarded the Padma Bhushan and the Padma Vibhushan and also served as sheriff of Mumbai. He was also honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke award.

Kumar was under the care of a team of specialists, comprising cardiologist Dr Nitin Gokhale, pulmonologist Dr Jalil Parker and pulmonologist and urologist Dr Anita Patel. Even among his care-givers, he was known for his command over the Urdu language and his love for shayari. During his treatment, he often recited couplets to the medical staffers. “He was an ardent reader. When I was younger, I had seen him reading books in his car under a reading light. In fact, in hospitals, he would read books while lying on the bed,” Dr Parker said.

Last year, Kumar lost two of his younger brothers—Aslam Khan, 88, and Ehsan Khan, 90 — to Covid-19.

(With inputs from agencies)