Hyderabad:Dilip Kumar, the celebrated actor who ruled the silver screens with spellbinding performances in one hit film after another in his almost six-decade-long career bids adieu to his umpteen admirers across the border. The Peshawar-born actor was a living symbol of secular India. Yusuf Sarwar Khan was the fifth of the 13 children of a successful fruit merchant who migrated to Bombay and Nashik, for medical rather than economic reasons.
He had his school and early college education in Bombay before joining his father's fruit-selling business. A chance meeting with the legendary Devika Rani, during a business trip to Naini Tal, resulted in a brief interview at the Bombay Talkies office and a break in movies in 1943.
The charming and handsome actor who began his career with Jwar Bhata in 1944 went on to carve a niche for himself as the ultimate method actor. In the following six decades he has starred in precisely 57 films two of which were in Bengali, and gave a guest appearance in four others.
Dilip began as a diffident novice in Hindi cinema in the early 1940s. With his innovative capability, determination, hard work and never-say-die attitude, he attained the pinnacle of stardom within a short time.
Out of the 57 starrers his performance won him a record eight Filmfare trophies. He was also awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1991, Filmfare Raj Kapoor Lifetime Achievement Award in 1993, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1995, the controversial Nishan-e-Imtiaz, the highest civilian award in Pakistan in 1997, apart from numerous others.
Although Kumar did not regret his decision, three films that he declined went on to become landmarks in Indian cinema. Mehboob Khan's Mother India, Guru Dutt's Pyasa and Raj Kapoor's Sangam. Not only Bollywood iconic films that he turned his back to. Dilip also rejected a role in David Lean's Lawrence of Arabia. The very part which made Omar Sharif a global superstar. Dilip apparently refused the offer thinking that he would be an outsider in the setup.
He marked his every performance with unique intensity. However, back then, there also existed a popular view that the tragedy king of the Indian screen has always worked within the ambit of a limited range.
Motilal, who was effortlessly natural with his craft, once said that: "I have watched Dilip in several films since 'Jwar Bhata' and I find - and Dilip will be the first to agree with me here - that he has fallen into a rut. He is very definitely, the great lover, but what else is he besides? He gives masterly emotional performances in all his pictures, but in his roles, there is a sameness which he must avoid if he wants to remain where he is today - right on top. He must give himself a chance to be versatile."
Kumar also tried his talent by essaying some interesting comedy roles. Kohinoor, Leader, Gopi, Azad, Ram Aur Shyam and Sagina were his escape route as a performer from the intense drama. In fact, a British psychiatrist had advised him to switch over to comedy since essaying tragedies for so long had started affecting his psyche adversely.