Dilip Kumar, one of the best Indian actors ever is the most appropriate answer to how global is Bollywood. An Afghan son born in Pakistan who studded the Bollywood with gem of movies like Aan, Awaaz, Andaz, Devdas, Mughal-e-Azam.

Such was the acting caliber of this giant of the Indian film industry that he outperformed his peers in all sort of roles, be it an intense one, or dramatic, romantic, social or even comedy. But, he will always be remembered as the “Tragedy King” of Bollywood as those were the roles which always made people adore him. Rightly, he went on to become the first Indian actor to be awarded with the Filmfare best actor award.

Dilip Kumar was a great humanitarian as well and has worked for the poor and helped build bridges to overcome the cultural and communal gaps between India and Pakistan. For those efforts of his, he had been awarded the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1994 and the Nishan-e-Imtiaz in 1998. The latter being the highest civilian award conferred by the government of Pakistan which he asked to return during Kargil war.

Yusuf Khan (born December 11, 1922), also commonly known as Dilip Kumar is a legendary Indian Bollywood film actor.

He is considered to be one of the greatest actors of Indian cinema. Starting his career in 1944, Kumar has starred in some of the biggest commercially successful films from the late 1940s, 1950s, 1960s and 1980s. His performances have been regarded as the epitome of emoting in Indian Cinema.

His first film Jwar Bhata, was released in 1944 which went unnoticed. In 1947 he shot to prominence with the film Jugnu which was his first major hit.. In 1949, he co-starred with Raj Kapoor in the film Andaz, which went to become a huge success and made him a star.. Throughout the 1950s he was one of the biggest stars of Bollywood along with Raj Kapoor and Dev Anand.

He became known for playing tragic roles in popular films such as Deedar (1951), Amar (1954), Devdas (1955) and Madhumati (1958) which earned him the title of “tragedy king”.

He was also successful in playing lighthearted roles such as playing a swashbuckling peasant in Aan (1952), a comedy role in Azaad (1955) and the social musical film Naya Daur (1957). The 1960 historical film Mughal-e-Azam which is as of 2007, the second highest grossing film in Hindi film history had him play the role of the Mughal crown-prince Jehangir, the son of Akbar.

He was the first actor to receive a Filmfare Best Actor Award amd holds the record for most number of Filmfare Awards won for that category. Though he has done all kinds of films – he balanced a wide variety of roles

Dilip Kumar’s younger brother Nasir Khan was also an actor and appeared opposite him in Ganga Jamuna (1961) and Bairaag (1976) as well as some other films in the late 1940s and 1950s. His career was not as successful however. He died in 1974. Nasir Khan’s son Ayub Khan is also currently an actor in the industry. Nasir Khan’s wife was 1950s actress Begum Para who is making a comeback to films after 50 years in the film Saawariya in 2007.

Dilip Kumar’s siblings who are still alive include brothers Ehsan Khan and Aslam Khan who live in Mumbai, a sister Farida who lives in Fresno, California.

Dilip Kumar’s first romantic interest was rumored to be the already married Kamini Kaushal. Then Kumar was said to be romantically linked to the actress Madhubala. It is claimed that Madhubala’s family would not allow the couple to marry; some conjecture that this was because Madhubala was the main source of income for her family.

Dilip Kumar married actress and “beauty queen” Saira Banu in 1966 when he was aged 44 and she was 22. At the time, gossip columnists predicted doom for the high-profile couple, but the union has been one of the longest lasting marriages in Bollywood. The marriage was briefly under threat when Kumar married a woman called Asma in 1980 but the marriage was quickly dissolved.

Prasannakumar Daniel Farande author of Dilip Kumar Bhartiya Cinenayakache Charitra, the Marathi version of the biography on Dilip Kumar in English, Star Legend of Indian Cinema- Dilip Kumar written by Bunny Ruben years back.

The book, tailored around the actor’s birth, family, career path, and his heroines, is slated to release in December 2007. The book also states that Kumar spent a brief period in Pune before entering the film world. “From Peshawar, Kumarji’s family came to Mumbai and started a fruit business. He later came down to Pune after his studies and worked as a canteen manager in the military mess for a year. He made a lot of friends and enjoyed living in the city,” According to Farande.

Although a versatile actor who gave a new dimension to Indian cinema, Kumar had his own share of troubles at the start of his film career.

“Kumarji wanted to become a journalist but was destined to meet actor Devika Rani of Bombay Talkies and thus got the first role in Jwar Bhata followed by Pratima Swarna, which received a lot of criticism for his physique. But the turning point in his career was his subsequent movies Mela and Jugnu where he was recognised as an actor. Although Jugnu was banned in for a while Kumarji’s acting was applauded,” According to Farande.

He has seen his favourite star many a time, seen all his movies right from Mela to Jugnu and Naya Daur to Saudagar. But this take is different for Prasannakumar Daniel Farande as he’s turned author of Dilip Kumar Bhartiya Cinenayakache Charitra, the Marathi version of the biography on Dilip Kumar in English, Star Legend of Indian Cinema- Dilip Kumar written by Bunny Ruben years back.

“Sanjay Nahar of Chinar Publication approached me to do the project and I didn’t think twice when I came to know it was on the legend whom I have been tracking since my childhood. Now even the Puneites and all the Marathi readers can get an in-depth information of their favourite hero,” says Farande who started the translation about two years back.

The book, tailored around the actor’s birth, family, career path, and his heroines, is slated to release in December 2007. The book also states that Kumar spent a brief period in Pune before entering the film world. “From Peshawar, Kumarji’s family came to Mumbai and started a fruit business. He later came down to Pune after his studies and worked as a canteen manager in the military mess for a year. He made a lot of friends and enjoyed living in the city,” says Farande.

Although a versatile actor who gave a new dimension to Indian cinema, Kumar had his own share of troubles at the start of his film career.

“Kumarji wanted to become a journalist but was destined to meet actor Devika Rani of Bombay Talkies and thus got the first role in Jwar Bhata followed by Pratima Swarna, which received a lot of criticism for his physique. But the turning point in his career was his subsequent movies Mela and Jugnu where he was recognised as an actor. Although Jugnu was banned in for a while Kumarji’s acting was applauded,” he says.

Farande unearthed many anecdotes that made the legend popular amongst his peers in the industry. Farande says, “Once when Bimal Roy was going through a financial crunch just before the release of Madhumati , Kumarji talked to the distributors and got the finances arranged. He also gave a considerable amount of cash for the repair work of a temple and a masjid during one of his shoots in North India.”

There was a writer too hidden inside the versatile actor. “ The creative spark was the result of a fire burning in his belly as he was refused a role in Mother India. That’s not it, Bhojpuri dialect was introduced in Hindi cinema for the first time in Ganga Jamuna.”

Although Kumar was known for his affairs with his heroines, his true love was only one-Kamini Kaushal. Farande says, “In the book, Kumarji has

confessed that he loved only once and the first flame of love cannot be copied. He was totally heartbroken when Kaushal was forced to give up the relationship and left for London to get over it.” But cupid struck him once again in the form of Saira Banu.

Today it is hard to imagine Dilip Kumar as anything but an actor but interestingly the thespian never had stars in his Dilip Kumareyes when he was speeding through college, waiting to be asked to assist his abba with his fruit business. Handling mangoes, apples and oranges gave Yusuf Khan a strange kind of pleasure and it wasn’t long before his abba trusted him enough to let him clinch deals by himself. It was to fix one such deal that the young Yusuf went to Nainital where Devika Rani, the boss lady of Bombay Talkies, stumbled upon him, and life was never the same again.

Devika had come to Nainital to scout locations for her next film with her director, Amiya Chakravarty. Yusuf was amazed when the star handed him her card and insisted she meet him as soon as he returned to Bombay. He instinctively knew that she wanted to offer him a role but couldn’t believe that an ordinary looker like him would be given a chance to grace the silver screen. So after returning to Bombay instead of Devika Rani he fixed up a meeting with a contractor and convinced him to start a canteen in Pune which Yusuf ran efficiently and from which he made a tidy profit and kept his abba happy. But it wasn’t long before the monotony of his job began to bore him and on an impulse landed up at Bombay Talkies studio one day at 10.30 a.m. Unfortunately it was a Sunday and the office was closed.

Disappointed, Yusuf was on his way out when he saw a man nibbling raw mangoes outside the office and it wasn’t long before he was telling him about the reason for his impulsive dash to the studio. The man was S. Guruswamy, production secretary of Bombay Talkies, who urged Yusuf to return the next day and when he did, dragging his feet, rushed him into Devika Rani’s office. She asked him if he’d ever acted before. Yusuf shook his head sadly. “Would you like to join films?” she rapped out. Yusuf’s answer was a vigorous nod. There were just two other things Devika Rani wanted to know. “Did he smoke?” Another shake. “Did he speak good Urdu?” Another nod. And the interview was over.

Back home Yusuf decided she wasn’t interested and was wondering whether to start another canteen when he got a letter from Bombay Talkies. Devika Rani wanted to meet him again. Reluctantly, Yusuf dragged himself to the studios and was shocked when Devika Rani greeted him with a piece of paper that turned out to be a contract. He was being signed by Bombay Talkies to play the lead opposite a new girl Mridula in their next film, Jwar Bhata. There was only one condition. He’d have to change his name. Devika Rani had three names waiting-Jehangir, Vasudev and Dilip Kumar. He could take his pick. Without thinking Yusuf mumbled Dilip Kumar and was relieved he wouldn’t have to immediately tell abba he was acting in a film. But very soon he started running out of excuses about why he was returning home later and later everyday even though he had closed down his canteen. Finally, he confided his secret in his elder brother, Ayub Khan, who told abba that Yusuf had got a job with Glaxo. Abba was ecstatic. Now the family would get milk and biscuits for free at a time when everyone else was hungering for them. Poor Yusuf had to buy the items in black every week to keep abba from guessing his secret.

Dilip KumarJawar Bhata came and went without abba guessing that his ladla was acting in films. Dilip Kumar then shot for another film, Pratima and managed to keep even that from his father. Then one day Prithviraj Kapoor’s father, Lala Bashesharnath who was his abba’s old friend from Peshwar and whom abba had berated many times for allowing his children to act in films, strode into the house waving a newspaper. “See your son is also acting in films. Check out his photograph,” Lalaji boomed pushing the newspaper into abba’s hands. Shivering, Yusuf waited to be summoned. He was, in minutes. “Was this his picture?” Abba demanded to know. “No way,” Yusuf muttered thankful that the photograph was too hazy to be recognized. He was let off. But soon others started streaming into the house with the same newspaper. Realizing he was caught, Yusuf confessed all. Abba stopped speaking and interacting with him. For days the silence continued and then one day, he was forgiven.

After that Dilip Kumar’s luck changed. Jwar Bhata, Pratima and Milan had sunk but Mela was a superhit and so was Shaheed. And soon Dilip Kumar was a household name.

Personal Profile:
Original Name of Dilip Kumar was Yusuf Khan. His nickname is Sri Dilip Kumar. People commonly call him tragedy king. He was born on December 11, 1922 in Peshawar (Pakistan). His father had relocated to Mumbai. A filmmaker had spotted him and helped him to enter the Hindi film industry. He owned India’s greatest award for his excellence in cinema. His zodiac sign is Sagittarius. He has also been a Member of Parliament.

Family Background:
Brother(s): Nasir Hussain
Spouse: Saira Banu

Film Background:
Debut Film: Jwar Bhata
Hit Movies: Gunga Jumna, Leader, Izzatdaar, Mughal-E-Azam, Saudagar, Madhumati, Kanoon Apna Apna, Ram Aur Shyam, Sunghursh, Aag Ka Dariya, Dharam Adhikari, Karma, Mashaal, Kranti, Vidhaata, Dastaan, Kohinoor, Bairaag, Koshish, Gopi, Aadmi, Musafir, Aan, Hulchul, Arzoo, Naya Daur, Azaad, Devdas, Insaniyat, Foot Path, Babul, Nadiya Ke Paar, Shaheed, Jugnu, Jogan, Andaz, Shabnam, Ghar Ki Izzat, Mela.
Upcoming Movies: Khazan
Film Awards: Best actor filmfare award (1982) for Shakti. The lifetime achievement in 1997

King of Tragedy, Dilip Kumar  was born in  Peshawar (now Pakistan) as  Yusuf Khan in a Pathan Family of 12 children who later moved to Maharashtra as fruit merchants. From being the assistant manager in an army canteen, he set up his own fruit stall.

In Bombay, he was given his first break by Devika Rani, who cast him as the hero of Bombay Talkies Jwar Bhatta (1944). He attained stardom with Jugnu (1947) opposite singing diva Noorjehan. The success of Mela (1948), a Devdas type of film set Dilip Kumar off in a chain of films were he played a doomed lover – Andaaz, which made him a superstar, Babul (1950), Jogan (1950), Deedar (1951), Udan Khatola (1955) and of course Devdas. But at times his heavy mannerisms acquired in his tragedy roles gave his characters a heavy-handedness that could be quite difficult to take – like in Devdas and particularly in the adaptation of Wuthering Heights – Dil Diya Dard Liya (1966).

Playing mostly serious roles however began to take its toll on him and on psychiatric advice he switched over to do more light-hearted musical films and what`s more actually appeared quite at home in them. (Azaad, and Kohinoor (1960)). Mughal-e-Azam (1960) and Ganga Jamuna (1961) marked the peak of Dilip Kumar`s career. But though his performance as Salim in the former has often been rated as among his best ever, he actually looks strangely uncomfortable in the film. Ganga Jamuna however was a flawless performance and perhaps the greatest of his career.

He married actress Saira Bano in 1966 and was absolutely brilliant in the comedy Ram Aur Shyam (1967) essaying a double role and displaying razor sharp comic timing but his career ran out of steam in the 1970s. Taking a break from acting, he made a grand comeback in character roles with Manoj Kumar`s Kranti (1981) and Ramesh Sippy`s Shakti (1982) where his larger than life author-backed role confirmed his legendary status. It was yet another brilliant performance. But unfortunately the film failed at the box-office. It won Dilip Kumar yet another Filmfare Award for Best Actor though.

Dilip Kumar has continued to do strong central character roles in films though his first official directorial venture Kalinga is yet to be released. Interestingly, Dilip Kumar refused Guru Dutt`s Pyaasa (1957) feeling that the character of the poet Vijay in the film was just an extension of his role in Devdas. And turned down 20th Century Fox`s offer of The Rains Came and David Lean`s offer of the role which ultimately went to Omar Sharif in Lawrence of Arabia (1962).

Dilip Kumar`s acting has inspired many Indian actors to try and copy his style but none have even remotely been able to match him. Which just goes on to prove that Dilip Kumar was sorry… is truly one and one of a kind.

Dilip Kumar (born December 1, 1922) is an Indian film actor and Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha). He is the recipient of India’s highest award for cinematic excellence, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award and also the Nishan-e-Pakistan , Pakistan’s highest civilian award.

Dilip Kumar was born Yusuf Khan in Peshawar (now Pakistan) in a Pathan family of twelve children. His father relocated to Bombay (now Mumbai) and Yusuf Khan got introduced to the Bombay film industry in the 1940s. Khan adopted the screen name of Dilip Kumar for his first film Jwar Bhatta released in 1944.

In 1949, he co-starred with Raj Kapoor in the film Andaz , which went to become a major success and made him a superstar. In the 50s, his role in Bimal Roy’s Devdas as a tragic drunken hero earned him the title of the “Tragedy King”. The film Mughal-e-Azam (1960) in which he played crown-prince Jehangir, the son of Akbar, was a record-breaking film in the history of the Indian film industry. He tried his hand as Producer for the film Ganga Jamuna and was rewarded as the film turned out to be successful.

Dilip Kumar was offered a role by the Lawrence of Arabia director David Lean which Dilip Kumar declined as he was unsure of doing films outside India in which he had no say. The role later went to Omar Sharif.

He was awarded the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1995. In 1998 he was awarded the Nishan-e-Pakistan , the highest civilian award conferred by the Pakistan government. He is the first Indian to receive the award. However his award ran into controversy when war-like conditions strained relations between India and Pakistan, and he was asked to return the award by Hindu extremists like Balasaheb Thackeray.

Dilip Kumar is considered one of the best actors produced by the Hindi film industry. His style of acting is characterised by rich dialogues in Urdu and a poetic manner of delivery. His acting has influenced his successors and many actors look up to him and try to emulate his style.

He is married to actress Saira Banu . He married her when he was 44 and she was half his age, and despite apprehensions from the media, the marriage has been one of the longest lasting marriages in Bollywood.

He has been active in efforts to bring the people of India and Pakistan closer. He has been a member of Parliament since 2000.