VIDEO: Bollywood 'Tragedy King' laid to rest in Mumbai
Saira Banu touches the forehead of her husband Dilip Kumar at their residence in Mumbai on Wednesday. AP
Gulf Today Report
Dilip Kumar the legendary actor and the first actor to win Filmfare Best Actor Award passed away on Wednesday. He was 98.
The veteran died at the private Hinduja Hospital due to age-related illness. The actor was hospitalised over breathing issues.
His close aide Faisal Farooqui broke the sad news and tweeted: “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.”
Later during the day, Dilip Kumar was laid to rest in a suburban cemetery amid full state honours. Dilip Kumar's body was kept at his Bandra home a few hours for people to pay their last respects even as huge crowds assembled outside to catch a glimpse of the legendary star before his final journey.
President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered their condolences to his family and fans.
Kovind said, Dilip Kumar summarised in himself a history of emerging India. The thespian's charm transcended all boundaries, and he was loved across the subcontinent. With his demise, an era ends.
Modi tweeted which reads: "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.”
The Indian film fraternity members mourned the death of veteran Bollywood actor Mohammed Yusuf Khan, known to movie lovers across the world as Dilip Kumar.
Amitabh Bachchan called Kumar his "idol" and said on Twitter: "An epic era has drawn curtains... Never to happen again."
"An institution has gone. Whenever the history of Indian cinema will be written, it shall always be 'before Dilip Kumar, and after Dilip Kumar'," Bachchan added.
Akshay Kumar said: "To us actors, he was The Hero. #DilipKumar Sir has taken an entire era of Indian cinema away with him. My thoughts and prayers are with his family."
Among those who visited and condoled his wife Saira Banu Khan were Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Tourism Minister Aditya Thackeray, Karan Johar, Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Ranbir Kapoor, Vidya Balan, Johny Lever, and Anupam Kher.
Police officers salute during the guard of honour for Dilip Kumar in Mumbai. AP
Later, his body was ceremonially draped in the national Tricolour by a Mumbai Police contingent, and taken in procession to the Juhu Muslim Cemetery with scores of people lined up on both sides of the roads to bid a tearful adieu.
At the cemetery, many other top Bollywood personalities had gathered for his final ‘deedar,’ awaiting the funeral cortege brought by the police and his family members.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray (left), Saira Banu (third left) and actor Dharmendra (right) mourn near the body of Dilip Kumar. AP
Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli tweeted, "today, an icon who was loved by generations passes away. Rest in peace Dilip ji. My condolences to the family."
Animal rights group offered its condolences too, saying "animals everywhere have lost a great friend."
The organisation said Kumar had helped it enact a ban on the entry of elephants into Mumbai, "sparing them violence and cruelty and ensuring the safety of Mumbai's human residents."
In Mumbai, the centre of India's film industry, fans joined in the tributes. "All the Bollywood greats like Shahrukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Anil Kapoor and others — all of them learned from him and progressed in their careers. He was a superstar," Nurul Amin Siddique said. "He was my favourite hero."
And Manoj Waghmare said: "In the coming 100 years of Bollywood, it is impossible to have another gentleman actor like him, maybe even for the next 200 years."
