It was the second time he had been hospitalized in the same month.\u00a0 Dilip Kumar was first taken to hospital on June 6 and was put on oxygen support and found to be stable.<\/p>\n
Over the last few years, the actor had been in and out of hospital over the last few years with ailments varying from kidney disease to pneumonia. Dilip Kumar, who would have been 99 in December, close to a century!, survived by his wife of over 50 years, Saira Banu, a famous Indian film actress.<\/p>\n
Dilip Kumar, real name Yusuf Khan, performed in some of Indian cinema’s most far-reaching landmark films including Naya Daur, Mughal-e-Azam, Devdas, Ram Aur Shyam, Andaz, Madhumati and Ganga Jamuna.\u00a0 His career spanned several decades, starting in the ’40s. He transitioned from playing the romantic-tragic lead to character roles from the ’80s on, in films such as Kranti, Shakti, Karma and Saudagar. 1998’s Qila was his last film.<\/p>\n
Early Life, He Rose to be a Star from Humble Origins:<\/strong><\/p>\n Dilip Kumar was born as Mohammad Yusuf Khan to Ayesha Begum and Lala Ghulam Sarwar Khan, one of 12 children, on 11 December 1922 at home in the Qissa Khawani Bazaar area of Peshawar, British India. His father was a landlord and fruit merchant who owned orchards in Peshawar and Deolali near Nashik. Mohammad Yusuf Khan studied at Barnes School, Deolali, Nashik.\u00a0 He grew up in the same religiously mixed community as Raj Kapoor, his childhood friend, and later his colleague in the film industry.<\/p>\n In the latter half of 1940, while still in his teens and after a dispute with his father, Mohammad Yusuf Khan left home for Pune in Maharashtra. With the help of a Parsi caf\u00e9-owner and an elderly Anglo-Indian couple, Kumar met a canteen contractor. Without letting on his family antecedents, he got the job on the merit of his knowledge of good written and spoken English. He set up a sandwich stall at the army club and when the contract ended, he headed home to Mumbai, having saved Rs. 5000.<\/p>\n In early 1943, eager to start a venture to help his father with household finances, he met Dr. Masani at Churchgate Station, who asked him to accompany him to Bombay Talkies, in Malad. There he met actress Devika Rani, owner of Bombay Talkies, who asked him to sign up with the company on a salary of Rs. 1250 per month. He also met actor Ashok Kumar, who influenced his acting style by telling him to act “natural,” as well as film producer Sashadhar Mukherjee. Both of these people became close to Kumar over the years. Initially, Kumar helped out in the story-writing and scripting department because of his proficiency in the Urdu language. Devika Rani requested him to change his name to Dilip Kumar, and later cast him in a lead role for Jwar Bhata, which marked Kumar’s entry into the Hindi film industry.<\/p>\n Heartfelt condolences are pouring out for him from all quarters:<\/p>\n My heartfelt condolences to the family, friends & fans of Dilip Kumar ji. <\/p>\n His extraordinary contribution to Indian cinema will be remembered for generations to come. pic.twitter.com\/H8NDxLU630<\/a><\/p>\n — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 7, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n