Dilip Kumar 1922-2021: The doyen of Hindi film industry is no more

Mumba: Yusuf Khan, better known as Dilip Kumar as the doyen of the Hindi film industry, breathed his last at the age of 98 on Wednesday morning at the Hinduja Hospital in Mumbai. He had been admitted to the hospital after complaining of breathlessness. He was survived by his wife, veteran actor Saira Banu.

Dr Jalil Parkar, who was treating Dilip Kumar at Hinduja, said that the actor passed away due to prolonged illness. It was the second time in a month Yusuf Khan had been hospitalised. He was said to have been given a blood transfusion to maintain the falling haemoglobin level and since his blood group was O-negative, it was quite difficult for the hospital to arrange blood for the transfusion process.

In a Twitter post on his official handle, his family friend Faisal Farooqui wrote "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."

Giving a tribute to the late actor, President Ram Nath Kovind tweeted: "Dilip Kumar summarised in himself a history of emerging India. The thespian's charm transcended all boundaries, and he was loved across the subcontinent. With his demise, an era ends. Dilip Saab will live forever in the heart of India. Condolences to family and countless fans."

Condoling the death of the legendary actor, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted "Dilip Kumar ji will be remembered as a cinematic legend. He was blessed with unparalleled brilliance, due to which audiences across generations were enthralled. His passing away is a loss to our cultural world. Condolences to his family, friends and innumerable admirers. RIP."

Over the last few years, Yusuf Khan had been in and out of the hospital for various illnesses, including kidney ailments to pneumonia. Two days ago his wife Saira Banu shared this message on Dilip Kumar's Twitter: "We are grateful for God's infinite mercy on Dilip Saab that his health is improving. We are still in hospital and request your prayers and duas so that Insh'Allah he is healthy and discharged soon."

Yusuf Khan was born to Ayesha Begum and Lala Ghulam Sarwar Khan in the Qissa Khawani Bazaar area of Peshawar in Pakistan in 1922. His film acting career spanned over five iconic decades after having debuted in the film Jwar Bhata in 1944. He was considered a trendsetter in the acting style that inspired generations of actors across the various streams of Indian cinema.

Some of his best-known films are Devdas, Mughal-e-Azam, Gunga Jamuna, Ram Aur Shyam, Naya Daur, Madhumati, Kranti, Vidhaata, Shakti and Mashaal, to name just a few. Though he had his masterly contributions to a score of films, it was the film Andaz in 1949, starred Raj Kapoor and Nargis, that made him a big star. He was the first actor to win the Filmfare Award for Best Actor in 1954 and won it a total of 8 times.

Dilip Kumar is also one of the actors who gained maximum awards and being listed in the Guinness World Records for it. He is also credited as the first method actor in India. He was honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1994 and Padma Vibhushan in 2015.