Dilip Kumar no more: 9 lesser-known facts about the legendary actor

First Published Jul 7, 2021, 10:06 AM IST

Dilip Kumar passed away on July 7 owing to age-related health issues. Here's looking back at some of the lesser-known facts about the veteran actor.

Dilip Kumar was one of the most prestigious and celebrated actors in the Hindi film industry. With a successful career, he managed to rope immense fan-following and vowed everyone with his magnificent craft. He was profoundly called the tragedy king of Bollywood; let's dig in nine lesser-known facts of the actor.
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Dilip Kumar's real name was Muhammad Yusuf Khan. He was born in Peshawar, present Pakistan. His father, Lala Ghulam Sarwar Ali Khan, was a landlord and a fruit merchant who owned orchards in Peshawar and Deolali.
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Dilip Kumar did his schooling at Barnes School in Deolali, Nashik. Raj Kapoor was his childhood friend, and they grew up together in the same religiously mixed neighbourhood.
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Dilip Kumar left his home in the year 1940, after an argument with his father and ran away to Pune, he was still a teenager at that time.
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Dilip Kumar's first step in the film industry was in 1942.
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In 1942 Dilip Kumar joined Bombay Talkies as a scriptwriter for Rs 1250 per month.
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After 2 years, Devika Rani requested Dilip to change his name to Dilip Kumar and cast him in the lead role in the movie Jwar Bhata in 1944.
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Mughal-E-Azam was Dilip Kumar's highest-grossing film to date. It stayed as the highest-grossing film for 11 years.
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Dilip Kumar suffered from depression due to the roles he did in movies in the 1950s.
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British director David Lean approached Dilip Kumar for the role of Sherif Ali in his movie Lawrence of Arabia in 1962. However, he declined the offer.
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