FILM FRATERNITY’S FOND FAREWELL TO A LEGEND
THERE were glowing tributes for late actor Dilip Kumar from all over the world, after he passed away aged 98, which summed up his greatness and extraordinary life.
These tributes included condolence messages for his devoted wife Saira Banu. Here is some of the praise from the Indian film fraternity for Bollywood’s most influential leading man.
Amitabh Bachchan: An institution has gone. Whenever the history of Indian cinema will be written, it shall always be ‘before Dilip Kumar, and after Dilip Kumar’.
Shabana Azmi: Adieu Dilip Saab. Unknown to you I have been your Eklavya (student). Thank you for the movies. Thank you for the language. Thank you for the dignity. Thank you for being socially responsible.
Alia Bhatt: Dilip Kumar Saab. The power of his being lies in his unmatchable body of work. Every time I have watched him portray legendary characters, I felt like I was being swept away and yet being educated. Educated by his nuances, his silences, unparalleled depth and sheer aura. He will always be the gold standard for actors to imbibe from. The cultural world just lost its shine but the legacy of his light lives on forever.
Ajay Devgn: Shared many moments with the legend, some personal, some on stage. Yet, nothing really prepared me for his passing away. An institution, a timeless actor. Heartbroken.
Salman Khan: Best actor Indian cinema has ever seen and will ever see. RIP Dilip Saab.
Kamal Haasan: Dilip Kumar Saab. A career that teaches many actors like me a standard and commitment to maintain in their performance. Truly one of the greatest actors of India leaves us today but leaves us with a treasure trove of his brilliance through his acting. His understated approach is still tried by contemporary actors who are brave enough to attempt it. Allu Arjun: Legendary Dilip Kumar garu no more. May his soul rest in peace. His contribution to Indian cinema is unparalleled. An inspiration to actors across generations and generations to come. Dilip Saab will always be cherished, celebrated and missed.
Madhuri Dixit: Every now and then some individuals come along who singlehandedly alter the present and write history. One such legend was Dilip Saab for the world of cinema.
Mahesh Babu: A timeless legend. His towering brilliance will continue to be an inspiration to actors all around the world. A huge loss for Indian cinema. Rest in peace Dilip Kumar sir. You will be terribly missed.
Yami Gautam: Dilip Kumar ji. Your legacy shall be celebrated forever.
Hrithik Roshan: Legends transcend space and time. The memories of Dilip sir will forever adorn the pillars of Indian cinema.
Shilpa Shetty-Kundra: A legend, an icon! From being called the tragedy king to being an institution for generations of performers, there’ll never be anyone like you. Your legacy will live on forever.
Anil Kapoor: Our world is a little less bright today because one of our brightest stars has left us for the heavens. Dilip Saab 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 artists. Rest in peace, Dilip Saab. You remain in our minds and hearts forever.
Suniel Shetty: Today marks the end of an era, as we lost the brightest star of Indian cinema. You will always live in our hearts Dilip Saab. Rest in peace.
Sanjay Dutt: So many special moments with Dilip Saab. He was like a father figure in my life. A huge loss for the film fraternity and for all of us. We have lost a legend today.
Manisha Koirala: I was extremely lucky and blessed to have worked with him. We lost the most dignified person. A legend! No one comes close to him.
Shahid Kapoor: We are all nothing but versions of you Dilip Saab. Every actor has studied you in awe. Wondering how you did it all. You were as close to perfect as it can get. As you return to your spiritual home, the prayers of millions are with you. Thank you for giving us all you did and sharing your enlightened soul with us through all your breath-taking performances. You will live on forever sir. You are timeless. Rest in peace.
Priyanka Chopra: Yusuf saab’s contribution to the arts is invaluable and irreplaceable. Today, the curtains have come down on one of India’s greatest. An end of an era.
Akshay Kumar: To the world many others may be heroes. To us, actors, he was the hero. Dilip Kumar sir has taken an entire era of Indian cinema away with him. My thoughts and prayers are with his family. Om Shanti.
Abhishek Bachchan: Today, an entire era of cinema came to an end. Thankfully, many generations will be able to watch and learn but, most importantly, enjoy and respect the immense talent of Dilip Saab through his movies. We thank you for blessing us with your work, wisdom, talent and love.
Anushka Sharma: Sir, you have touched innumerable lives through your life and work. Have set the foundation for so many actors and contributed to the industry in innumerable ways. The outcome of your life will show in every great film that will be made and performances that will be lived for years to come. May you find infinite peace and love as you bid this world
goodbye.