Dilip Kumar: Cinematic legend and a social reformer
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Dilip Kumar: Cinematic legend and a social reformer

He never restricted the art of cinema Just being a source of mere entertainment but he always considered cinema as one of the most influential and powerful tools in addressing various social issues via the medium of a screenplay

Post by on Thursday, July 8, 2021

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“Honestly, I've still to figure out how an intensely shy young man called Yusuf Khan became the actor Dilip Kumar," these are the words that he uttered when the Hindustan Times reporter interviewed him on his 85th birthday. This particular sentence reflects his highness, maturity, and politeness. He never restricted the art of cinema Just being a source of mere entertainment but he always considered cinema as one of the most influential and powerful tools in addressing various social issues via the medium of a screenplay. Therefore, considering the diversity and outreach of films in comprehending, communicating, persevering history, culture, and language, changing the attitudes and behaviors of the audiences, this legendary inborn actor contributed a lot on all fronts through his classical acting.

 

He was born in Peshawar, Pakistan on December 11, 1922, then part of British-ruled India. His father was a fruit merchant who took his family to India's entertainment capital in the 1930s. But the son turned his back on the chance to take over the business when actress Devika Rani spotted him on his father's fruit stall in Bombay, leading to a part in his first film, "JwarBhata", in 1944. Rani persuaded him to change his name, so he chose Dilip Kumar, allowing him to hide what he was doing from his disapproving father. Although "JwarBhata" flopped and leading film magazines criticized his performance. Then he came with another film “Jugnu” which proved to be the first major box- office hit followed by several hits like Mela (1948), Andaz (1949), Deedar (1951). The Fifties anointed Kumar as the ‘Tragedy King’ of Bollywood, the only superstar who excelled in this form at the time of Raj Kapoor and Dev Anand. The tragic roles, however, took their toll. At the suggestion of his psychiatrist, Dilip Kumar decided to do light-hearted roles. And he did that with films like Aan (1952), Azaad (1955), and Kohinoor (1960). In the same year he played the historical role in the film Mughal-e-Azam, where he played the role of Salim. This film became a blockbuster. It was the second highest-grossing film in the history of Bollywood.  

The ‘70s wasn’t a particularly good time for Kumar with several new and young actors entering the film industry. His career was at an all-time low. He tried his hand at experimenting with his roles in films such as Dastaan (1970) and Bairaag (1976), even playing a triple role, but neither of the films did well. From 1976 to 1981, he decided to take a hiatus from acting. After five years, in 1981, Kumar returned to the big screen with the super hit, Kranti, proving once again that a superstar of his caliber would always score big. He then moved on to playing only quality roles in films such as Shakti (1982), Vidhaata (1982), Mashaal (1984), and Karma (1986)- all of which were hits. For me, it was the unmatched acting in Mashaal that fascinated me to follow his acting career. It was the movie with a social cause that revolves around the character Vinod (Dilip Kumar), an honest fearless and crusading editor of an outspoken newspaper, who vowed to eradicate the evils of illicit liquor, bootlegging, and organized crime from his city. Kumar made his last film appearance in the movie Qila (1998), leaving a legacy of some of the most memorable movies. The actor was married to fellow Hindi cinema actress Saira Banu, who always accompanied her husband and took care of him in his old age. The love story of this star couple is as special as their stardom.

 

Actors like Dilip Sahab underscored the social responsibility of Cinema that is why he never believed in promoting obscenity, vulgarity, violence, double-meanings which are hurting our society. Instead, his films raised social issues, promoted peace and imbibed hope for desperate people through his acting. No one hesitates to watch his movies in a family setup.  He used cinema as a mode to bring social reforms into the Indian society at a time when then the country was facing various social, economic, and political issues. Dilip Sahab will always be remembered as a cinematic legend, dynamic personality, film producer, philanthropist, and a nice human being. May Almighty Allah (SWT) give peace to the departed soul!

 

 

(Author is a teacher by profession and can be reached at: minamharoon123@gmail.com)

 

 

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