Saira Banu remembers how Dilip Kumar proposed her after her 22nd birthday

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], August 23 (ANI): Veteran actor Saira Banu took a trip down memory lane in an Instagram post on her 79th birthday.

Saira posted a series of pictures on Instagram on Wednesday with a lengthy caption.

She wrote, “As far as I can remember, birthdays have been so “Special” for me — my mother Pari Chehra Naseem Banuji went to the ends of the world to always give me the best fun time with my friends whether here in Mumbai or in London School, not to forget once a towering layered cake that would have put the “Qutub Minar” to shame!”

She added, “We were a very close-knit small family that lived doting on each other — my grandma, my grand-aunt, my mother and my darling brother Sultan. Then Hey Presto! What good luck! No sooner than I finished my London School and came back home to Bombay I had the sheer luck of getting to do “JUNGLEE” the super hit Eastman Colour Film that became the rage of the time. Until now Black and White films were the order of the day and held the roost.”

She continued, “Soon life became a blast of light and joy and occasions such as birthdays blossomed into a flood of appreciation, flowers, messages from friends and fans making the whole house into a “Garden of Eden.”

She added, “On 23rd August 1966 such a quality evening, the House Warming of our new residence at 34-B Pali Hill was on, the house was made intentionally and absolutely Dilip Sahib’s ‘Dar Kay Saamney’ (Ghar Kay Saamney). He was shooting in Madras and on my mother’s invitation flew into town to attend my birthday.”

She concluded, “Life became besieged with good luck, one miracle after another and can you imagine that the “Emperor Of Acting” for whom the world was his stage? Mr.Dilip Kumar who knew me since I was a little girl and consequently refused to work with me but soon after meeting me at this House Warming Party, exclaimed, “You have grown up into a beautiful girl!”.

The next couple of days he travelled on whirlwind flights from Madras to Bombay every other night and had dinner with me. On one of these magical evenings, he popped the question “Will you marry Me?”. Here came the realization of a dream that I had nurtured ever since I was in my teens. We were happily married and I started my life from an admiring fan to a devoted wife. I got to see the different aspects and qualities of this great human being. He was unlike any person that I had ever met —- a man who oozed a royal halo of understated elegance.”

In the first picture, young Saira can be seen holding a bouquet while Dilip Kumar was pointing towards a cake. Rajendra Kumar and Dev Anand can also be in the image.

The other image showcased Dilip and Saira cutting a cake.

Saira Banu married Dilip Kumar in 1966 and fans and supporters have always looked up to their 55 years of marriage as an eternal love story and have showered their love and blessings.

Satyajit Ray had also claimed Dilip Kumar was “the ultimate method actor” despite not working with him. They have been the most iconic couple of all time with terrific on-screen and off-screen chemistry.

Films featuring the duo such as ‘Gopi and Bairaag’, ‘Sagina Mahato’ and ‘Duniya’, have always been a treat for the audience.

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