'Sagina Mahato' to 'Gopi': Dilip Kumar's films with Saira Banu
"Tragedy King" Dilip Kumar would have turned 101 on Monday. The late actor's ability to slide into the characters' skins, portray roles transcending genres, and move audiences to tears through his heart-rending portrayal of pathos remains absolutely unrivaled. Not only was he known for his copious filmography but also his love story with his actor-wife Saira Banu. We revisit some of their films together.
'Gopi' (1970)
Gopi, directed by A Bhimsingh, starred Kumar, Banu, Pran, Om Prakash, Nirupa Roy, and Lalita Pawar, among others. It is a remake of the Kannada movie Chinnada Gombe (simultaneously shot in Tamil as Muradan Muthu). Gopi's synopsis reads, "Unorthodox, honest, simple-minded, and unemployed Gopi is blamed for a theft he did not commit and gets thrown out of his home by his elder step-brother."
'Sagina Mahato' (1970)
Tapan Sinha's Sagina Mahato is best remembered for Kumar's portrayal of the titular character, the trade union leader of a factory in Siliguri, while Banu played Lalita. This Bengali-language film was a major box office success and drew its inspiration from the labor movement of the early 1940s. It holds a 7.9/10 rating on IMDb. It was later remade in Hindi as Sagina (1974).
'Bairaag' (1976)
Bairaag is bejeweled with the who's who of Hindi cinema: Kumar, Banu, Leena Chandavarkar, Prem Chopra, Madan Puri, Helen, Kader Khan, and Nazir Hussain, among others. Kumar was nominated for a Filmfare Award for Best Actor. No surprises there since he played not one or two but three roles! Helmed by Asit Sen (Annadata), Bairaag is streaming on ZEE5 and Amazon Prime Video.
'Duniya' (1984)
Ramesh Talwar's Duniya had a large ensemble cast: Kumar, Banu, Ashok Kumar, Amrita Singh, Amrish Puri, Rishi Kapoor, Om Puri, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, and Pran, among others. IMDb explains the plot as follows, "Framed for a crime he didn't commit, Mohan Kumar (Kumar) loses his wife, son, and freedom, then he emerges from prison vowing revenge." You can watch it on Netflix and Prime Video.
