Dilip Kumar and Saira Banu's story defines what 'love' is
If there's one thing that defined Dilip Kumar, apart from his powerful filmography, it's his marriage with Saira Banu. Married for over five decades, the couple, with an age gap of 22 years, stayed with each other, powering through scandals, eventually creating numerous memories on the way. Today, Banu has lost her 'Kohinoor Yusuf Saab,' and life won't be the same again for her.
Dilip Kumar passed away today after prolonged illness
The superstar passed away today morning at a hospital in Mumbai. He was 98. He was admitted to the Hinduja Hospital on June 30, his second time in that month, and was undergoing treatment for breathlessness. Previously, he was wheeled in on June 6 and discharged five days later. But, sadly, he lost the battle this time. Rest in peace, sir!
'Not looking for praises to be called a devoted wife'
Banu was with him this entire time and her dedication garnered a lot of praise. But she wasn't looking after him for that. "It's out of love and not duress that I look after Dilip saab. I'm not looking for praises to be called a devoted wife. Just to touch and cuddle him is the world's best thing that's happening to me," she said.
The couple stayed strong despite facing numerous hurdles
It's this love that helped the couple stay strong, even when they faced a miscarriage at eight months or when Kumar saab tied the knot for a second time to a married Pakistani woman. The love Banu felt when he saw him for the first time, as a teenager, didn't change even after he proposed marriage to her ten years later.
Banu realized Kumar 'was made of a different fiber'
Recalling the time when she saw him first, Banu said, "He looked so polished, sophisticated and so different from everyone around. He was made of a different fiber." When she entered films and became a renowned actress, she was pining to work alongside Kumar, but the latter always refused to do so, leaving her fuming. She carried this anger for long, until things changed.
Banu in a brocade sari bowled Kumar over
Kumar, being close to them, was invited to a party by Banu's family. As he was entering the house, he saw Banu "standing in the foyer of her new house looking breathtakingly beautiful in a brocade sari. I was taken aback, because she was no longer the young girl I avoided working with because I thought she'd look too young to be my heroine."
A drive to Cuffe Parade changed everything for them
Two days later, she got a call from Kumar, marking the start of their conversations. One day they went out on a drive to Cuffe Parade. Post some random talks, the star popped the question, after which Banu told him to take permission from her grandmother. That same day, things settled, and we got one of the longest running love stories from the filmdom.
