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Legendary Bollywood Actor Dilip Kumar Dies Aged 98

By Michael Bamidele

07 July 2021   |   11:07 am

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Indian actor and film producer, Dilip Kumar, who is popularly known as the ‘Tragedy King’ of Bollywood has died. He was 98. Kumar died on Wednesday at Hinduja hospital in Mumbai, India. His death was confirmed by Faisal Farooqui, a family friend, who posted a brief statement on Mr. Kumar’s official Twitter account. "With a…

Dilip Kumar | Image: Dinodia Photos / Alamy Stock Photo

Indian actor and film producer, Dilip Kumar, who is popularly known as the ‘Tragedy King’ of Bollywood has died. He was 98.

Kumar died on Wednesday at Hinduja hospital in Mumbai, India. His death was confirmed by Faisal Farooqui, a family friend, who posted a brief statement on Mr. Kumar’s official Twitter account.

“With a heavy heart and profound grief, I announce the passing away of our beloved Dilip Saab, few minutes ago. We are from God and to Him we return,” Farooqui wrote.

Dilip Kumar, center right, in 2006 with the actor Shah Rukh Khan, center left, in Mumbai. | Image: Gautam Singh/Associated Press

Politicians and film stars have sent tributes for the legendary actor on social media:

“Dilip Kumar Ji will be remembered as a cinematic legend. He was blessed with unparalleled brilliance, due to which audiences across generations were enthralled. His passing away is a loss to our cultural world. Condolences to his family, friends and innumerable admirers. RIP,” Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India wrote on Twitter.

Veteran Indian film actor Amitabh Bachchan, wrote on his Twitter page: “T 3958 – An institution has gone .. whenever the history of Indian Cinema will be written , it shall always be ‘before Dilip Kumar, and after Dilip Kumar’ .. My duas for peace of his soul and the strength to the family to bear this loss .. 🤲🤲🤲 Deeply saddened .. 🙏”

Imran Khan, the Prime Minister of Pakistan wrote: “Saddened to learn of Dilip Kumar’s passing. I can never forget his generosity in giving his time to help raise funds for SKMTH when project launched. This is the most difficult time – to raise first 10% of the funds & his appearance in Pak & London helped raise huge amounts.”

Kumar was born Muhammad Yusuf Khan in 1922, in Peshawar — in what is now part of Pakistan. His father was a fruit merchant, and the family moved to Mumbai, then known as Bombay, during Kumar’s childhood in the 1930s.

Kumar debuted as an actor in the film Jwar Bhata (1944), produced by Bombay Talkies. In a career spanning over five decades, Kumar worked in over 65 films. Kumar is known for roles in films such as the romantic Andaz (1949), the swashbuckling Aan (1952), the social drama Daag (1952), the dramatic Devdas (1955), the comical Azaad (1955), the epic historical Mughal-e-Azam (1960), the social dacoit crime drama Gunga Jamuna (1961), and the comedy Ram Aur Shyam (1967).

In 1976, Kumar took a five-year break from film performances and returned with a character role in the film Kranti (1981) and continued his career playing leading roles in films such as Shakti (1982), Mashaal (1984), Karma (1986) and Saudagar (1991). His last film was Qila (1998).