Dilip Kumar seems to have gone more anaemic since his last picture—he does not act at all and we doubt whether he will ever act in future.’’ So pronounced Film India, one of the most influential magazines of the time when Kumar’s second film, Pratima, released. Whether this remark reflected the opinionated attitude of critics who are often proved wrong or was, in truth, an apt description of the actor in his early years is a moot point. What cannot be debated was the fact that the fruit merchant-turned-actor was determined to prove his detractors wrong. Undeterred (or, perhaps, spurred on) by the unflattering comments about his looks (cameraman Faredoon Irani never did like shooting ‘this monkey’) and acting talent, Devika Rani’s discovery ploughed on, quietly honing his skills by studying the Hollywood school of acting. Till, finally, the above sharp-penned magazine was forced to admit, ‘‘we certainly do not mind his whispers for a change in this loud industry.’’ Nuggets such as these are aplenty in a recent biography on the legendary actor by veteran film writer Sanjit Narvekar. In Dilip Kumar—The Last Emperor, Narvekar traces the latter’s life from the frontier city of Peshawar to his present address at 34B, Pali Hill, Mumbai. In the process, packing in fascinating accounts of the way films were created when passionate film-makers like Bimal Roy, Mehboob Khan, K Asif and Nitin Bose directed classics like Devdas, Andaz, Mughal-e-Azam and Ganga Jamuna. Apparently, Bimal Roy had first considered Nargis and Meena Kumari for the female roles in Devdas but later brought in Suchitra Sen from Bengal and the little-known Vyjayantimala—a trained classical dancer. Dilip Kumar recalls, ‘‘I found it difficult to do Devdas during the first eight to 10 days of shooting. I gradually drifted into it, bringing Devdas closer to my personality.’’ As is well-known, this practice of getting too close to his characters later drove the brooding actor to a psychiatrist who advised him to give tragedy a break and opt for lighter roles. Dilip Kumar didn’t just get too close to his characters, he often got intensely involved with his heroines. With dire results. When he fell hopelessly in love with the much-married Kamini Kaushal, her brother landed up on his sets, in full military uniform, armed with a pistol. When Madhubala and he made no secret of their affair, her father went to court to prevent her from going on an outdoor shoot with her co-star of Mughal-e-Azam. Later, his marriage to Saira Banu was equally dramatic. Nearly double her age, the almost confirmed bachelor seemed to have married her on the spur of the moment to put an end to her affair with Rajendra Kumar, a father of several children. It was one of the most glamourous weddings in the film industry with Prithviraj Kapoor, Raj Kapoor and Dev Anand leading the baraat. When he was almost 70, the veteran actor starred in the delightful Saudagar where he sparred with another veteran, Raj Kumar. Today, at 80, he can still thrill audiences with his inimitable acting—provided film-makers and scriptwriters can do justice to his talent.
