Saira Banu remembers her late husband Dilip Kumar on his birth anniversary, says, “essence of his love surrounds me”

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], December 11 (ANI): The ‘tragedy king’ of Bollywood, Dilip Kumar was known for his unrivalled acting abilities. His acting was larger than life and he was indeed a method actor. On his 101st birth anniversary, veteran star Saira Banu has recalled how the special day was celebrated at home. She shared old videos of his birthday celebration.

Sharing the glimpses of his birthday celebration, she wrote an emotional note, “Once more it is December the 11th, the day of days when the skies are blue with a smattering of dreams like puffy white clouds that seem to be dancing in the skies with happiness and exaltation. The whole house used to be flooded with so many flowers…that it seemed as though we had stepped into the Garden Of Eden”.

In the videos, Dilip Kumar can be seen celebrating his birthday with megastar Amitabh Bachchan, superstar Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, and many other celebrities.

She continued, “Now the Birthday greetings and cheer keep pouring in with messages of love and remembrance in a million ways, be it through offerings of beautiful Sketches, Cards, Paintings and umpteen messages of love and dedication that give me emotional goose pimples. All this for ‘The Ultimate Actor’ who has been a source of inspiration for generations of actors who have been inspired to touch the zenith of their accomplishments by Dilip Sahib who has not just been the greatest actor ever but also a very great human being.”

Saira Banu shared that getting married to the great actor was nothing less than a dream, as she mentioned, “Being wed to the Shahenshah himself was akin to living a dream of my childhood; he proved to be the most wondrous husband one could ever entreat. I recall Sahib would often scribe short notes to me, and in response to his endearing gestures, I would reciprocate via notes. Now imagine waking up from a deep slumber and discovering a handwritten note that said, ‘Saira, I shall return in 45 minutes, Love Yousuf.’ I wonder what an absolute delight it was to express love to your significant other in the times when mobile phones did not exist. I have lived and experienced an eternity full of love and warmth with Dilip Sahib while he was around, and to this day, the essence of his love surrounds me in the best way possible.”

“Likewise, on Sahib’s birthday, I would procure the most exquisite and carefully selected greeting cards to honor his special day. As a man as remarkably extraordinary as Dilip Sahib, he deserved nothing less. I always tried to be a devoted wife to him, and I found immense joy in his chivalrous nature, which unfailingly filled my life with happiness. Happy Birthday Yousuf Sahib! ..#HappyBirthdayDilipKumar #happy101birthday,” she concluded.

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Born on December 11, 1922, Dilip Kumar started his acting career with the 1944 movie ‘Jwar Bhata’ (1944). Later, he was seen in ‘Jugnu’, ‘Andaz’, ‘Aan’, ‘Daag’, Azaad’, ‘Madhumati’, ‘Devdas’, ‘Kohinoor’, ‘Mughal-E-Azam’, ‘Gunga Jumna’ and ‘Naya Daur’, among others. He passed away on 7 July 2021.