Mumbai, Dec 11 (IANS) Veteran actress Saira Banu, rekindling her memories of her late megastar husband, Dilip Kumar, has taken to her social media account to express her love and her admiration for her husband.
The actress highlighted how even after his passing away, he continues to inspire young artists. “For generations, artists have walked in your light. They still seek in you not just craft but purity of purpose.” She added, “For the audience, your films were like returning to festivals that never lose their warmth. People have loved you with a devotion I have rarely seen in this world. And yet, despite the reverence, you remained untouched by the noise of fame.”
Saira Banu highlighted how Dilip Kumar was a fine human being and always chose emotions over materialistic possessions. “I often smile when I remember how easily you parted with things others would treasure for a lifetime – a watch, a shawl, a pen – given away with the innocence of a child who values hearts more than possessions. Or that evening when you held my hand and led me to a wedding without a moment’s announcement, as though grace itself needed no preparation.”
The veteran actress, further remembering Dilip Kumar, wrote, “Your inner world, Yousuf Saab, was always carved from something rarer than time – simple yet profound, free of material wants, rich with meaning, and devoted to the quiet discipline of truth. To have lived beside you, to have witnessed the man behind the legend, remains the greatest honour of my life.”
Expressing her emotions for her husband, the doting wife wrote, “Sometimes, in a whisper only the heart understands, I find myself saying, “Khuda se poochun… Kya humein Yousuf hamesha ke liye nahin mil sakte?” Happy Birthday, Yousuf Jaan.” Along with penning the note, Saira Banu also shared three videos remembering her husband, featuring both herself and Dilip Kumar alongside.
In the first video, which appears to be an old interview of the couple, Saira Banu is seen elaborating on Dilip Kumar’s temperament. She says he has a typical ‘Pathan temper’ and is “a volcano”, to which Dilip Kumar also agrees. In the second clip, also taken from the same interview, Dilip Kumar can be seen admitting that he is one of the “henpecked husbands”.
Saira Banu then tells the interviewer that she is glad she married an actor from the same field, explaining that had she married a doctor or someone from another profession, it would have been a disaster, because being in the same line of work allows them to share common topics and understand each other deeply.
The third video appears to be from a different interview featuring the couple. In it, Saira Banu lovingly tells the interviewer that she adores her husband immensely and does not worry about how much he loves her in return. She says her love for him is enough for both of them and is what keeps their relationship strong forever.
For the uninitiated, the legendary veteran passed away on July 7, 2021, at the age of 98, after a prolonged illness.
The actor, who left behind a cinematic legacy spanning more than six decades, is still remembered for his iconic performances in films like Devdas, Mughal-e-Azam, Ganga Jamuna, Naya Daur, Ram Aur Shyam, Kranti, and many more.
--IANS rd/
