This is Part 4 of Legends of Indian Cinema, our 20-part series on the actors, filmmakers and musicians who shaped Indian films across languages. New here? Start with Part 1: Dadasaheb Phalke, or read the previous part, Part 3: Raj Kapoor.
Many great actors have called him their guru. Dilip Kumar brought a quiet, natural style to Hindi films at a time when acting was often loud and theatrical. His work set the standard for screen acting in India for decades.
Early life
- Born Muhammad Yusuf Khan on 11 December 1922 in Peshawar. His family later moved to Bombay and Deolali.
- He was running a canteen business in Pune when actress and producer Devika Rani of Bombay Talkies spotted him.
- She suggested the screen name "Dilip Kumar". He made his debut in Jwar Bhata (1944).
The Tragedy King
- His breakthrough came with Jugnu (1947), then Andaz (1949) alongside Raj Kapoor and Nargis.
- A series of intense, heartbreaking roles in Deedar (1951), Daag (1952) and Bimal Roy's Devdas (1955) earned him the title "Tragedy King".
- Playing so many sad roles affected him personally. On medical advice, he took on lighter roles in films such as Azaad (1955) and Kohinoor (1960).
Landmark films
- Naya Daur (1957): a villager's tonga races against a bus, a film about people versus machines.
- Madhumati (1958): an early reincarnation drama, directed by Bimal Roy.
- Mughal-e-Azam (1960): he played Prince Salim opposite Madhubala's Anarkali in K. Asif's epic. It became one of the biggest hits in Indian film history.
- Ganga Jamuna (1961): he produced it and played a villager turned dacoit, speaking in the Bhojpuri-influenced Awadhi dialect.
- Later, he played powerful character roles in Kranti (1981), Shakti (1982, opposite Amitabh Bachchan) and Karma (1986).
Records and honours
- He was the first winner of the Filmfare Award for Best Actor, for Daag (1954).
- He won eight Filmfare Best Actor awards, a record later equalled by Shah Rukh Khan.
- Dadasaheb Phalke Award (1994) and Padma Vibhushan (2015). Pakistan awarded him its highest civilian honour, the Nishan-e-Imtiaz, in 1998.
- He also served as a Rajya Sabha member from 2000 to 2006.
Legacy
Dilip Kumar married actress Saira Banu in 1966. He died on 7 July 2021 at the age of 98. Actors from Amitabh Bachchan to Shah Rukh Khan have spoken of studying his performances. He was acting with subtlety, silence and inner emotion long before "method acting" became a popular term in India.
Next in the series: Part 5: Madhubala.
