MUMBAI, India — Late cinema legend Dilip Kumar once recalled introducing his future wife, Saira Banu, to iconic actress Madhubala during the filming of Mughal-e-Azam, sharing the memory in an old interview with Lehren TV.
Reflecting on the first time he met Saira Banu, Dilip Kumar said she was very young at the time and that he had known her even before she entered the film industry. “My first impression of Saira ji was that she was very young. I knew her even before she entered the film industry,” he said.
He went on to describe how she appeared briefly as a child at the beginning of Mughal-e-Azam. “She was just a little girl when she appeared briefly at the beginning of Mughal-e-Azam. I introduced her to Madhubala. I used to pick her up and make her sit on a stool; that was the beginning,” the actor recalled.
Dilip Kumar also spoke about his initial reservations when Saira later expressed her desire to pursue acting. “When she expressed her desire to join the film industry, I was initially opposed to it. I used to think, what would girls do in the film industry? She was well educated and had studied in England. I felt it was time for her to get married to a nice person, so why films?” he said.
He added that Saira Banu remained determined to follow her passion for acting. “However, she was determined to pursue acting, and the rest of the story is better told by her than by me,” he said.
Dilip Kumar and Madhubala had reportedly shared a relationship for several years before parting ways due to personal circumstances involving the actor and Madhubala’s family.
Dilip Kumar married Saira Banu in 1966, when she was 22 years old and he was 44, marking an age difference of 22 years between the two.
The legendary actor passed away on July 7, 2021, at the age of 98, following a prolonged illness. He left behind a cinematic legacy spanning more than six decades and remains celebrated for his performances in classics such as Devdas, Mughal-e-Azam, Ganga Jamuna, Naya Daur, Ram Aur Shyam, Kranti, and many others. (Source: IANS)
