Death Of A Real Legend : Dilip Kumar : The Real Vs Chocolaty Heroes

I was genuinely saddened today when I heard that Dilip Kumar alias Mohammed Yusuf  Khan passed away today at 98 years of age . Born on 11 th December 1922 ,in Peshawar ,  his age was a reflection of his value and contribution to Indian cinema . In fact I am wondering why I am so sad on his death .

Like in many north Indian families , I was not the film type which were often regarded as scourge .  In fact if I recall correctly ,in good cinema halls , I saw Mughle Azam in Golcha Delhi in 1961

and saw Sholey in 1975 in Plaza . In between I saw some movies in ramshackle halls NI and  Avantika and Uncle series in Gymkhana hostel  and some old movies in Railway Club  in Jamalpur/ Bihar  . In good halls, I saw Chhota Chetan in technical  tour in south .  I also saw  some old Raj Kapoor movies on being urged by  girls in RSC / Baroda when 23 years old  .  I was born in 1951 , started seeing hindi movies in substatial number from the age of 25 or rather after the VCR era of 1980s . So really I belong to the age of Rajesh Khanna and Amitabh Bachchan , Sridevi and Madhuri.

So it is a mystery,  why Dilip’s death has made me so sad ? We will understand it in the end .

  I did not only like Dilip Kumar more but my respect for him increased with time till I really started adoring him . I was not seeing movies when Ram Aur Shyam , Ganga Jamuna came ,LEGENDARY DAEVDAS WAS MADE IN 1955 and Madhumati in 1958. I missed his golden years by a few decades .   Unfortunately I saw his decline phase in 1964  when Leader failed at box office . Like Amitabh he too was also ordinary human with his share of strengths and weaknesses . and did not realise that his time was over and kept giving flops after flops in Bairag,Sagina and Dastan .

In love also he proved so human . The Venus of India , Madhubala , was madly in love with him . Dilip was so upset with her father , Atta Ullah Khan , that he made it a pre condition that Madhubala must give up her father . Madhubala obviously did not agree so she remained unmarried till Kishore Kumar married her in 1960 . Dilip married 22 years old beauty Saira Banu at an age of  44 .

Though the marriage lasted his life but in between he fell in love with a divorcee with two children , Asma but Saira raised hell in family circles . Finally Asma was settled in Canada .

Here too Dilip was not really a role model for strictly one marriage one woman person like me . Like Amitabh , Dilip did make a come back when he started doing roles befitting his age .Shakti was a legendary film pitting rebel son Amitabh with principled father police officer Dilip . I associated more with Dilip than Amitabh in Shakti .

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So what made Dilip so special ?

It is the way he carried success till the end of his life . Rajesh Khanna could not do it and became pitiable in the end . Michael Jackson was almost crazy as was Tyson . Dilip remained a symbol of dignity and poise up to the end . If he had scars he did not show them . He was expecting to be invited in Aishwarya’s marriage . He , Rajesh Khanna , Shatrughan Sinha returned sweets Amitabh sent later . It must be one of the rare snubs Dilip delivered .

So it was that I admired and associated more easily with principled Dilip than uncopiable Amitabh and Rajesh in both real and reel life . I totally dislike current heroes or chocolaty Salman or Amir of 90s.

I wish more of our celebrities follow him in real life too . Later when I saw his films in larger number , my belief in him was reinforced . Unfortunately men are not and cannot be the super beauty Madhubala, to be adored and missed so much even after forty years of death . But male Dilip was a close second to Madhubala .

May his soul rest in peace.