As the legendary actor Dilip Kumar leaves for his heavenly abode, celebs pay rich tributes…

A pall of gloom descended on cinephiles as ‘Tragedy King’ Dilip Kumar breathed his last on Wednesday morning. However, he will continue to rule his fans’ hearts. Many acting legends, including Amitabh Bachchan and Manoj Kumar, credit the actor for being their inspiration in the world of cinema. Dharmendra, Anupam Kher, Shabana Azmi, Shah Rukh Khan, Vidya Balan, Siddharth Roy Kapur, Karan Johar, Ranbir Kapoor, Anil Kapoor and Johnny Lever were amongst the celebs who paid their last respects to the Padma Vibhushan and Dadasaheb Phalke Award (1994) recipient, Dilip Kumar. He is survived by his wife Saira Banu.

End of an era

“To the world many others may be heroes. To us actors, he was The Hero. #DilipKumar sir has taken an entire era of Indian cinema away with him. My thoughts and prayers are with his family. Om Shanti,” wrote Akshay Kumar on social media. Ajay Devgn tweeted, “Shared many moments with the legend…Some very personal, some on stage. Yet, nothing really prepared me for his passing away. An institution, a timeless actor…Deepest condolences to Sairaji.” Shabana Azmi acknowledged that she saw her ‘guru’ in him, “Adieu Dilip Saab. Unknown to you, I have been your Eklavya. Thank you for the movies. Thank you for the language. Thank you for the dignity. Thank you for being socially responsible. Thank you.”

“No one like you!!! Have a great journey from here on … Rest in Peace,” wrote actor Manoj Bajpayee while Chiranjeevi wrote, “Deeply saddened by the passing of legend #DilipKumar Saab. One of the greatest actors India has ever produced… May his soul Rest in Peace.”

Filmmaker Anand Pandit said, “As an industry and as a nation we are mourning the legend who redefined our cinema. He made us laugh and cry with him, turned performance into an art form and taught us how powerful even silence can be. So long Dilip Saab. You live on in the heart and soul of Indian cinema.”

Final goodbye

Dilip Kumar was buried on Wednesday evening with state honours at Juhu Kabrastan, Santacruz, Mumbai. Many celebs from the film industry paid tributes at his house during the day, while Amitabh Bachchan and his son Abhishek Bachchan made it for the last rites. It was a touching gesture on the part of Big B, who has not stepped out much throughout the pandemic. — TNS

TWEET TRAIL

Amitabh Bachchan

T 3958 – An institution has gone…Whenever the history of Indian cinema will be written, it shall always be ‘before Dilip Kumar, and after Dilip Kumar’ …My duas for peace of his soul and the strength to the family to bear this loss… Deeply saddened…

Anil Kapoor

Our world is a little less bright today because one of our brightest stars has left us for the heavens. Dilip Sahab was very close to my father and I had the tremendous honour of sharing screen space with him in three of my most memorable films… He was and will always be the finest and greatest actor of our industry for me… He has inspired generations of artistes.

Madhuri Dixit

Every now and then some individuals come along, who single-handedly alter the present and write history… One such legend was Dilip saab for the world of cinema… I was fortunate to have spent some time with him both on and off screen, and I’ll cherish those memories forever. Praying for the peace of his departed soul and my heartfelt condolences to the family.

Salman Khan

Best actor Indian cinema has ever seen and will ever see… #RIP Dilip Saab

Kamal Haasan

Dililp Kumar saheb… Truly one of the greatest actors of India leaves us today, but also leaves us with a treasure trove of his brilliance through his acting.

LOOKING BACK AT DILIP KUMAR’S BEST FILMS…

In the course of his five-decade career, Dilip Kumar did 65 films, many that stood the test of time and are now considered classics. Here are 10 of his notable movies.

Mughal-E-Azam (1960)

Director K Asif’s epic extravaganza, which turned 60 last year, revolves around the star-crossed lovers — rebellious prince Salim (Kumar) and the headstrong dancer Anarkali (Madhubala) and their futile attempt to brave fate and his father, the Emperor of India — Akbar — played by Prithviraj Kapoor.

Naya Daur (1957)

The film narrates the story of Shankar (Kumar) and Krishna (Ajit), two best friends who fall for the same woman, Rajni (Vyjayanthimala). Directed by BR Chopra, the movie also explores the classic man versus machine theme.

Madhumati (1958)

This Bimal Roy film was also one-of-a-kind Hindi movie at the time of its release. Employing elements of paranormal and reincarnation, the story follows Anand (Kumar), a modern man who falls in love with a tribal woman named Madhumati (Vyjayanthimala).

Ram Aur Shyam (1967)

One of the first Hindi films to use the ‘twins-separated-at-birth’ trope, Ram Aur Shyam saw Kumar taking up this light-hearted movie to play two contrasting roles in a comedy of errors.

Devdas (1955)

Dilip Kumar played the doomed and alcoholic lover. as the eponymous character in one of the interpretations of Sharat Chandra Chattopadhya’s Bengali novel by the same name. His dialogue Kaun kambakht hai jo bardaasht karne ke liye peeta hai is as evergreen today as it was at that time.

Gunga Jumna (1961)

A defining example of the dacoit genre, this Nitin Bose-directed film tells the story of two impoverished brothers, Ganga and Jamna (Kumar and Nasir Khan), and sibling rivalry on opposing sides of the law, one a dacoit and the other a police officer.

Andaz (1949)

With Dilip Kumar, Nargis and Raj Kapoor in the lead, the film was a love triangle to remember. Directed by Mehboob Khan, Andaz was the only film to feature Kumar and Kapoor, friends and childhood neighbours, together on screen.

Daag (1952)

Kumar played Shankar, a poor family’s sole breadwinner, who drowns his sorrows in alcohol. Later, he gives up drinking and leaves for the city to earn money. Just as he returns home to pay off his mortgage, he finds out that the love of his life Parvati (Nimmi) is engaged to be married.

Shakti (1982)

This Ramesh Sippy film saw the clash of two generations and ideologies with Kumar, the police officer, and his defiant son, played by Amitabh Bachchan. Shakti was the only film to feature Kumar and Bachchan together.

Karma (1986)

Kumar essayed the role of a former police officer who offers a life of honour to three men on death row (Naseeruddin Shah, Jackie Shroff and Anil Kapoor), if they agree to embark on a secret mission to caputre the head of a terrorist organisation, played by Anupam Kher. — PTI