Legendary actor Dilip Kumar passed away at the age of 98 on early Wednesday, that is he breathed his last at 7:30 AM. The actor died due to age-related health issues. This news was confirmed by Dr. Jalil Parkar, the pulmonologist treating the actor at Mumbai’s PD Hinduja Hospital. A few days ago veteran actor was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) after complaining of breathlessness while his wife Saira Banu kept her fans updated on his health.
Dilip Kumar’s Twitter handle, which was being managed by a family friend Faisal Farooqui did also confirm the actor’s demise with the public by tweeting on Dilip’s Twitter account, “With a heavy heart and profound grief, I announce the passing away of our beloved Dilip Saab, a few minutes ago. We are from God and to Him, we return,”
Two days ago, his wife Saira Banu, posted a tweet from the official Twitter account of Kumar asking his fans to pray for the actor so that he is successfully discharged from the hospital “soon.”
“We are grateful for God’s infinite mercy on Dilip Sahib that his health is improving. We are still in hospital and request your prayers and duas so that Insha’Allah he is healthy and discharged soon,” Saira’s tweet read.
Considered as one of the greatest actors in the history of Hindi cinema, he holds the Guinness World Record for winning maximum awards by an Indian actor. He has received many awards throughout his career, including eight Filmfare Awards for Best Actor and one Lifetime Achievement Award for Filmfare.
Veteran actor #DilipKumar, who enthralled India with ‘Devdas’ & ‘Mughal-e-Azam’, passes away at 98; Modi mourns ‘cinematic legend’https://t.co/snYD5FrKTx pic.twitter.com/zlW5VwqECK
— Economic Times (@EconomicTimes) July 7, 2021
We are grateful for God’s infinite mercy on Dilip Sahib that his health is improving. We are still in hospital and request your prayers and duas so that Insha’Allah he is healthy and discharged soon. Saira Banu Khan
— Dilip Kumar (@TheDilipKumar) July 5, 2021
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 .. 🙏— Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) July 7, 2021
His name originally was Mohammad Yusuf Khan. While he was often referred to as “The First Khan” of Bollywood, he was also known for bringing a distinct form of method acting technique to the cinema.
Dilip Kumar holds the record for the highest number of Filmfare Awards for Best Actor in Bollywood. He has also been honored as the recipient of the inaugural Filmfare Award.
An inspiration for many actors, Dilip with his characters and dialogues touched a chord in millions of cinema lovers.
His debut movie as an actor in 1944 with Jwar Bhata (1944), Dilip Kumar’s career spanned over five decades. He has worked in over 65 films and has been known for his roles in films such as the romantic Andaz (1949), the swashbuckling Aan (1952), the social drama Daag (1952), the dramatic Devdas (1955), the comical Azaad (1955), the epic historical Mughal-e-Azam (1960), the social dacoit crime drama Gunga Jamuna (1961), and the comedy Ram Aur Shyam (1967).
Among the other iconic roles, the most memorable one for Dilip Kumar is the historic portrayal of Prince Salim in Mughal-E-Azam, which proved to be the greatest tale of romance upon its release. In the making for over seven years, K Asif’s epic love story also emerged as the highest-grossing film of Indian cinema back in the 1960s and held the record for almost 15 years, until the release of Sholay. With his acting talent, Dilip Kumar has inspired a generation of actors, including the likes of Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan.
He has also been awarded the prestigious Padma Bhushan award in 1991 for his outstanding contribution to Indian Cinema. Kumar was bestowed with Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1994 and Padma Vibhushan in 2015.