Dilip Kumar biography, Career, Family, Networth, Marriage

Who is Dilip Kumar?

Dilip Kumar was an Indian actor and film producer, best known for his work in Hindi films. Referred to as the “Tragedy King” for his portrayal of serious roles and contemporarily as “The First Khan” of Bollywood, he has been described as one of the most successful film stars in the industry and is credited with bringing a distinct form of method acting technique to the cinema.

Kumar holds the record for most wins for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor (which was later equaled by Shah Rukh Khan) and was also the inaugural recipient of the award. Kumar debuted as an actor in the film Jwar Bhata (1944), produced by Bombay Talkies.

In a career spanning over five decades, Kumar worked in over 65 films. Kumar is known for 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). Mughal-e-Azam remains the highest-grossing film in India when adjusted for inflation.

Dilip Kumar’s Career

First film roles and initial success

Kumar’s first film was Jwar Bhata in 1944, which went unnoticed. After a few more unsuccessful films, it was Jugnu (1947), in which he starred alongside Noor Jehan, that became his first major hit at the box office.

His next major hits were the 1948 films, Shaheed and Mela. He got his breakthrough role in 1949 with Mehboob Khan’s Andaz, in which he starred alongside Raj Kapoor and Nargis. Shabnam was another box office hit that was also released in 1949.

How Old was Dilip Kumar at Death?

Kumar was born on 11 December 1922 in Peshawar, North-West Frontier Province, British India. He died on 7 July 2021, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India at 98 years.

Dilip Kumar‘s Family

Who are Dilip Kumar’s parents?

Kumar’s parents were Lala Ghulam Sarwar Khan and his wife Ayesha Begum. His father was a fruit merchant.

Does Dilip Kumar have siblings?

Kumar was born in a family of 12 siblings whose names are not available.

Dilip Kumar‘s Education

Kumar attended Barnes School, Deolali, Nashik.

Dilip Kumar‘s wife

In 1966, Kumar married actress Saira Banu, who was 22 years younger than him. He later married Hyderabad socialite Asma Sahiba, taking her as a second wife in 1981. That marriage ended in January 1983.

Dilip Kumar‘s Children – Kids

Kumar didn’t have any children, but the couple didn’t regret the same. However, they lost a child in 1972.

Dilip Kumar‘s Directorial Works

In 1991, Kumar starred alongside fellow veteran actor Raaj Kumar in Saudagar, his third and last film with director Subhash Ghai. This was his second film with Raaj Kumar after 1959’s Paigham. Saudagar was Kumar’s last box office success. In 1994, he won the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to the industry.

In 1992, producer Sudhakar Bokade announced a film titled Kalinga which would officially mark Kumar’s directorial debut after he had allegedly previously ghost directed Ganga Jamuna (1961) and Dil Diya Dard Liya (1967).

Kumar was also set to star in the title role with the cast including Raj Babbar, Raj Kiran, Amitoj Mann and Meenakshi Seshadri. After being delayed for several years, Kalinga was eventually left incomplete and shelved.

In 1998, Kumar made his last film appearance in the box office flop Qila, where he played dual roles as an evil landowner who is murdered and as his twin brother who tries to solve the mystery of his death.

Dilip Kumar’s Net Worth

Kumar had an estimated net worth of $85 million.

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Dilip Kumar’s political career

In 2001, Kumar was set to appear in a film titled Asar – The Impact alongside Ajay Devgan and Priyanka Chopra, which was shelved. His classic films Mughal-e-Azam and Naya Daur were fully colourised and re-released in cinemas in 2004 and 2008 respectively. An unreleased film he had shot and completed in 1990 titled Aag Ka Dariya was set for a theatrical release in 2013 but has not been released to date.

He was also set to appear in Subhash Ghai’s war film Mother Land, alongside Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan, but this film was shelved after Khan decided to leave the project.

Kumar was a member of the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of India’s parliament, from 2000 to 2006. He was nominated by the Indian National Congress to represent Maharashtra. Kumar utilised a significant portion of his MPLADS fund towards the construction and improvement of the Bandstand Promenade and the gardens at Bandra Fort at Lands End in Bandra.

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Dilip Kumar‘s Death

Kumar died at Hinduja Hospital, Mumbai, on 7 July 2021 at 7:30 am, aged 98. He had been suffering from prostate cancer. The Government of Maharashtra approved his burial with state honors at Juhu Cemetery on 7 July 2021.

The Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan condoled his death and remembered his efforts in raising funds for the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital in a tweet.