On the occasion of Dilip Kumar's 102nd birth anniversary, take a look at the time when Shah Rukh Khan revealed his deep connection with the late, legendary star.
Dilip Kumar's name will forever be etched in the minds of Hindi movie lovers. He was one of the finest stars of Indian cinema and was known for his natural acting style, which got him the title of India's greatest actor. Everyone loved him, however Shah Rukh Khan was very close to Dilip Sahab. On his 102nd birth anniversary, let us remember the time when King Khan revealed that he had a deep connection with Dilip Sahab.
Shah Rukh Khan once said that he had a strong connection with Dilip Kumar since the megastar was a kid. This was because SRK's dad, Mer Taj Mohammed Khan and Dilip Kumar were neighbours when they were in Delhi. During childhood, King Khan often went to Dilip Kumar's house, where they lived in the same gully. SRK, in an interview with Filmfare, even revealed that Dilip's wife, Saira Banu, did not know that his aunt used to send medicines for the actor from London. In King Khan's words:
"Sairaji doesn’t remember this but her medicines used to be sent by my aunt from London. Years later, when I was working with Ketan Mehta, I saw a picture of Dilip Kumar in his office and I was like oh! that’s me. He looked so much like me in that picture. Or rather I looked so much like him. But my relationship with Dilip saab goes beyond films. Dilip saab and Sairaji have always thought of me as their son."
SRK, going ahead in the interview, also revealed that his family had a close fondness for movies. During his growing-up years, he just had a black-and-white TV along with a VCR, and watching movies at night became a practice. The actor recollected of a guy named Vinit, who had acted in two movies, he used to sell VCRs in Chandni Chowk. SRK befriended him for the love of movies. His mom, Lateef Fatima Khan used to have pain in her legs. So every night, his sister, Lala Rukh and he used to press her legs and watch movies. The actor also revealed that his mom thought him to be a spitting copy of the late veteran actor. In the words of King Khan:
"That was a ritual. We used to watch all kinds of films. Biswajeet was my mother’s favorite hero. She thought he looked handsome. She loved Dilip Kumar and thought I looked like him. Every time a new movie released, mom, sister and me would watch it at Uphar theatre."
It was in 2023 when Saira Banu shared a heartfelt note for SRK and highlighted his bond with Dilip Kumar. She remembered when Dilip Kumar passed away on December 7, 2021, King Khan had emerged as a beacon of solace. Saira in her emotional post revealed:
"In that moment, his affection for the 'Kohinoor of Hindustan,' Dilip Sahib, shone brightly as he was among the very first to offer his comforting presence in the face of adversity."
Watch the full video here.
What do you think of Shah Rukh Khan's bond with Dilip Kumar?
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