The eternally charming, Saira Banu was just 16 when she made her acting debut alongside Shammi Kapoor in the film, Junglee in 1961. Daughter of actress, Naseem Banu, Saira’s beauty and grace had won many hearts. She was also one of the highest-paid actresses in Hindi cinema during the 1960s and 1970s. It was after her wedding to Dilip Kumar, that Saira Banu quit acting.
Saira Banu and Dilip Kumar’s love story was nothing less than a fairytale. Saira was a die-hard fan of Dilip Kumar and was head-over-heels in love with him since the age of 12. So when Dilip Kumar proposed to her, she didn’t have to think twice before saying yes to him. With an age gap of 22 years, the duo had got married on October 11, 1966, and had proved to the world that age is just a number.
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It was on July 7, 2021, that the superstar, Dilip Kumar had left for the heavenly abode. And since then, there has been no single day when Saira Banu doesn’t miss his presence. On August 23, 2022, Saira Banu turned 77, and in an interview with News18.com, she revealed that she cannot have a happy birthday without Dilip saab. Talking about the same, she revealed:
“I am fortunate that messages from Dilip saab’s well-wishers have started to pour in from the last few days. There have been many who are also calling to wish me as they don’t want me to feel alone and lonely. My relatives and friends are all getting in touch with me to wish me a happy birthday. But without Dilip saab, I can’t have a happy birthday. It just cannot be the same happiness and the same life that I used to live when he was around.”
In the same interview, Saira Banu recalled how Dilip Kumar had thrown lavish parties for her on her birthday. Reminiscing the same, Saira Banu shared that he would handpick flowers and would have the best arrangements to make her feel special. In her words:
“He would fill the entire house with flowers. Dilip saab would personally go with our niece (Shaheen) to handpick and make a bouquet of flowers under his supervision. Later, they would go to my favourite shop in Mumbai from where I would buy my clothes from, and he would pick up some of the most beautiful outfits for me. He would make me wonderfully happy in every way. His memories are etched in my mind and I don’t think I will ever forget how he always ensured to make this day special for me. We spent some unforgettable moments together, something on which I shall sail and survive on.”
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Saira Banu had literally and wholeheartedly fulfilled her wedding vow to be with her spouse 'in sickness and health'. In an interview with The Times Of India, Saira had once said:
"It is out of love and not duress that I look after Dilip saab. I am not looking for praises to be called a devoted wife. Just to touch him and cuddle him is the world's best thing that's happening to me. I adore him and he is my breath itself."
Here’s wishing a very happy birthday to Saira Banu!
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