At the age of 98, iconic Bollywood actor Mohammed Yusuf Khan, better known as Dilip Kumar, bid farewell to the world on July 7, 2021. A cinematic great had been ailing for a long time and had lately been admitted twice to Mumbai’s Hinduja Hospital, where he breathed his final breath. In his final days, his beloved wife Saira Bano stayed with him like a shadow and bid him farewell with teary eyes.
Dilip Kumar created news not only for his professional accomplishments and films, but also for his personal life. Dilip Kumar’s real life was no less than a movie on the screen, from falling in love with Mudhabala to marrying 22-year-younger Saira Bano.
Kamini Kaushal, a Pakistani actress, had an affair with Dilip Kumar.
In his biography Dilip Kumar: The Substance And Shadow, Dilip Kumar admits to having a crush on Pakistani actress Kamini Kaushal. Kamini, on the other hand, had married her brother-in-law in 1948 to raise her late elder sister’s children when she died. According to reports, Dilip and Kamini wanted to depart even after her marriage, but they were forced to abandon their plans due to familial and societal pressures.
Madhubala in life of Dilip Kumar
The first storey that comes to mind when it comes to Bollywood’s failed love romances is Dilip Kumar and Madhubala’s unsuccessful love affair. The love affair between Dilip Kumar and Madhubala began in 1957 with the film Tarana. For nearly seven years, Madhubala and Dilip Kumar had been in love. Since the first time they saw one other, Dilip Kumar and Madhubala had fallen in love. Dilip Kumar was hesitant to show his love for her because to his timidity. As a result, Madhubala had become the lead in this love storey.
Her family, on the other hand, did not approve of their connection. Madhubala’s father is a producer and owns a production firm, thus her family isn’t against marriage. As a result, he asked Dilip Kumar to collaborate with him, but Dilip was adamantly opposed. As a result, relations between them became tense, and Madhubala eventually caved in to her father’s demands, bringing this tragic love tale to a close.
But it was Saira Banu who had been written into Dilip Kumar’s fate by God himself.
Saira Bano, a Peshawar girl, was born in the house of Ayesha Begum and Lala Ghulam Sarwar Khan in 1944. After the Indo-Pak partition, Saira Bano relocated to London. Saira Bano has stated numerous times that she is Dilip Kumar’s biggest fan. She wished when she was 12 years old that she could marry Dilip Kumar. When Saira Bano visited India for a vacation, she would spend hours in the studio watching Dilip Kumar’s films being shot.
Saira revealed in one of her interviews that the first time Dilip Kumar smiled at her, she knew she wanted to marry him one day. She later moved to Bollywood and became a successful actress, working alongside a number of veteran stars. Saira Bano, on the other hand, has fallen in love with Bollywood actor Rajendra Kumar. Rajendra Kumar, on the other hand, was married with children. Saira Bano’s mother was devastated when she learned about this. She gave his daughter a lot of information. Dilip Kumar then revealed everything to Saira Bano, who then requested him to marry her, which Dilip Kumar eventually accepted.
Dilip Kumar and Saira Banu’s marriage
Dilip Kumar and Saira Bano’s mother also wanted them to marry. Dilip Kumar was not ready to marry such a young girl when she told him about it. He even told Saira, “Can’t you see my greying hair?” But that didn’t bother Saira, who was obsessed with Dilip Kumar. Dilip Kumar, too, fell in love after a few slow meetings and stunned everyone by marrying Saira.
In 1966, they tied the knot. When Dilip Kumar married Saira Bano, he was 44 years old and she was 22 years old. Their 22-year age difference was not an issue in their marriage.
When Asma entered Dilip Kumar’s life,
Dilip Kumar fell in love with a Pakistani lady named Asma while married to Saira Bano in the 1980s. They met in Hyderabad at a cricket match. For a couple of years, they were in love with one other. Asma and Dilip Kumar were said to have secretly married in 1979. After some time had passed, Dilip realised his error, ended his connection with Asma, and returned to Saira Bano.
Dilip Kumar was linked to film co-stars Waheeda Rehman and Vyjayanthimala throughout his five-decade career. Saira, on the other hand, didn’t have any doubts about Dilip Kumar and was confident that her ‘Saab’ would come to his senses. That’s precisely what happened!
Saira had said in an interview with the Hindustan Times,
“It was always Saab for me, no one else. Since I can remember, I’ve been a fan of his. I wanted to marry him when I was a teenager. I’m a pretty determined person, and once I made a decision, there was no stopping me. Many attractive women vied for Saab’s attention, but he selected me. It was a dream come true for me, and my marriage has been nothing short of a beautiful dream.”
you’re a daughter of moon, who’s come down from the heavens. (bint-e-mehtab ho garduon se utar aayi ho بنت-مہتاب ہو گردوں سے اتر ای ہو ) pic.twitter.com/1b34D3s3B3
— Dilip Kumar (@TheDilipKumar) October 10, 2016
Dilip Kumar and Saira Banu’s Children and her Miscarriage
Their link is unbreakable, and their love is profound. Saira had a miscarriage in 1972 in her eighth month of pregnancy due to excessive blood pressure, and physicians warned Dilip Kumar that she would never be able to conceive again. In an interview with the Hindustan Times, Saira was asked if she regretted not having children with Dilip, and she said,
“The most important thing in my life is my marriage. Saab is like a child at heart, therefore I don’t miss having a child.”
Message frm Saira Banu: My Kohinoor, my sahab, the man of my dreams, my Yusuf jaan and I can’t thank enough- the millions of well-wishers, friends and family for your beautiful messages, calls and greetings on our 52 years of marriage today, Attaching a personal fav. photo -SBK pic.twitter.com/1mViBY3tN4
— Dilip Kumar (@TheDilipKumar) October 11, 2018
The pinnacle of love and romance
Saira was often complimented by Dilip Kumar for always being by his side. His Twitter profile demonstrates this. Saira Banu revealed in an interview with TOI that she looks for Dilip Kumar out of love, not because she wants to be praised. According to reports, she said,
“I tend after Dilip saab out of love, not out of necessity. I’m not looking for accolades to be referred to as a dedicated wife. Touching and cuddling him is the finest thing that has ever happened to me. I admire him, and he is the source of my life.”
Dilip Kumar died on July 7, 2021, at the age of 98, after a protracted illness, leaving Saira Bano alone.
Latest. An hour ago. pic.twitter.com/YBt7nLLpwL
— Dilip Kumar (@TheDilipKumar) June 7, 2021
Their bond is undeniably more than just affection. The way they met and how they got together is nothing short of a predestined love storey that everyone wishes to have.
