Saira Banu says Dilip Kumar's absence reflects on her health: 'I am all alone now'

Saira Banu has said in a new interview that she is all alone after Dilip Kumar's death. Saira and Dilip got married in 1966.

Dilip Kumar died on July 7, 2021 following a prolonged illness. On the veteran actor's first death anniversary, his wife Saira Banu remembered him and said that his absence has started reflecting on her health. Saira and Dilip tied the knot in 1966.

Saira Banu and Dilip Kumar got married in 1966.

In an interview with PTI, Saira Banu remembered Dilip and said, “My life is pheeka (tasteless) without Yousuf saheb. This is a different kind of love. You just cannot replace some people in your life. Give me all the wealth in the world and Dilip saheb on one side, and I would want Dilip saheb. We will have a prayer meeting with our family and close friends, who remembered the day when we lost him. We will get together to meditate and pray that his soul rests in peace and that he may be in the best place of Jannat with his God.”

She added, “I had the courage to move on then because I had the tender care and strong emotional support of Yousuf Saheb. He had his own way of telling me to come to terms with the inevitable and insurmountable hardships and losses in my life. He had his own way of consoling me and also subtly asserting that life has to go on and no mortal is immortal. Today, a year has gone by and I am trying… (but) in vain to move on. I miss him. I’m all alone now. Emotionally, I am not well and that reflects on my health.”

Dilip Kumar is regarded as one of the greatest actors and biggest stars of Hindi cinema. He starred in some of the most prominent Hindi films like Andaz, Madhumati, Mughal-e-Azam, and Kranti. Saira Banu had shared screen space with Dilip in a few films like Sagina, Bairaag, and Gopi

When Dilip died last year, numerous Bollywood stars including Dharmendra, Amitabh Bachchan, and Shah Rukh Khan made their way to Dilip's house and burial ground to pay their last respects. Less than two months after his death, Saira was admitted to Mumbai's Hinduja Hospital following breathlessness, high blood pressure, and high sugar.