TOWERING PERSONALITY

Dilip Kumar, the Indian actor who passed away on Wednesday, was one of the greatest actors in the country and a true legend. He was an ordinary fruit seller in Bombay (Mumbai name, from 1995 onwards). He was spoted by a top heroine and given a role in a film. Though his first film did not do well, he gradually became one of the most respected and loved actors in India (“Tragedy grips India, King is no more,” July 7, Gulf Today).

Even when he became a star and was admired nationally, he continued to be an actor. When actors become stars, they stop acting. Dilip Kumar was a self-taught method actor. He studied human beings around him and incorporated their nuances in his acting. He is perhaps the only actor in India or even in the world, who taught method acting to himself.

Dilip Kumar refined his acting skills to a level that he could play tragic, comedy and romantic roles. He was unparalleled in his portrayals. No other actor could replace or imitate him. His performances in his 65 movies like “Mela’, “Andaz”, “Naya Daur”, “Mughal-e-azam”, “Ram aur Shyam”, “Devdas”, “Shakti”, etc., were scintillating.

When British India was partitioned, Dilip Kumar (earlier named Mohammad Yusuf Khan) chose to stay on in India. Raj Kapoor, another great Indian actor, was Dilip Kumar’s childhood friend and lived in the same neighbourhood, in Peshawar, Pakistan. The childhood homes of both the actors are being renovated and converted to museums by the Government of Pakistan. Fantastic gesture.

Though Dilip Kumar had stopped acting in the last few years due to ill health, he continued to be loved and admired in India, Pakistan and many other countries. He was cared for very deeply, by his wife Mrs. Saira Banu. Her loss is mountainous. Condolences to her and the other family members.

Rajendra Aneja Mumbai, India