Legendary Actor Dilip Kumar passes away: What you need to know

Picture Courtesy: Wikipedia

1. Bollywood legend Dilip Kumar passed away on Wednesday at Mumbai’s Hinduja Hospital. He was 98.

2. He was admitted to ICU at Hinduja Hospital on June 30 after complaining of breathlessness. He had age-related health problems.

3. His wife Saira Banu was with him the whole time. Earlier she had assured fans that his condition was stable.

4. Known as the “Tragedy King” of Bollywood, the veteran actor’s career spanned over six decades. He has acted in over 65 films in his career.

5. He is best known for his iconic roles in movies like “Devdas” (1955), “Naya Daur”(1957), “Mughal-e-Azam”(1960), “Ganga Jamuna”(1961), “Kranti”(1981), and “Karma”(1986). He was last seen in “Qila” in 1988.

6. Dilip Kumar - born Yusuf Khan- was a trendsetter in terms of acting, style and inspired generations of actors across the various streams of Indian cinema.

7. He was born in the Qissa Khawani Bazaar area of Peshawar (present-day Pakistan) . He debuted in films with 1944’s Jwar Bhata but gained popularity from 1947’s Jugnu, also starring Noor Jehan, which was also his first box office hit.

8. In 1949, “Andaz” made Dilip Kumar a big star. He was the first actor to win the Filmfare award for Best actor in 1954. He is also listed in the Guinness World Records for winning the maximum number of awards by an Indian actor.

9. PM Narendra Modi tweeted “He was blessed with unparalleled brilliance, due to which audiences across generations were enthralled. His passing away is a loss to our cultural world”