When Dilip Kumar revealed that leaving Saira Banu was a grave mistake. On Throwback Thursday

Dilip Kumar and Saira Banu’s magical love story is well known. But, did you know about Dilip’s second wife, Asma Rehman? On Throwback Thursday we revisit the greatest love story and one mistake Dilip Kumar made in his marriage.

Mumbai, July 8 There is a bit of Dilip Kumar in everyone’s life. A veritable cultural icon, Dilip Kumar passed away yesterday (July 7), but his legacy lives on, forever. The thespian carved out his own niche in the Hindi film industry. With few examples to follow, Dilip Kumar brought method acting to Hindi cinema, something actors to date follow.

Apart from his brilliant acting and excellent choice of movies, what drew fans’ attention was his love story with someone half his age. While Dilip Kumar debuted in Bollywood in 1944, his wife, Saira, was born the same year. The gorgeous actress was an ardent fan of Dilip and grew up watching his films.

In this week’s Throwback Thursday, we revisit Saira and Dilip Kumar’s love story and talk about the one mistake that Dilip made in his perfect marriage setting.

SAIRA BANU AND DILIP KUMAR’S MAGICAL LOVE STORY

Dilip Kumar, who was formerly known as Yusuf Khan, was discovered by Devika Rani of the Bombay Talkies. His film career started with the 1944 film Jwar Bhata and then continued to rise with films like Aan, Daag, Devdas and more. By the time he first met Saira, Dilip had already established himself in the film industry.
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Saira, a big fan of Dilip Kumar, had reached the premiere of Mughal-e-Azam to catch a glimpse of her favourite actor. She was 16. However, her heart was broken when Dilip skipped the premiere, and she failed to catch a glance of her forever crush.

A few years later, Saira met Dilip for the first time. The thrill of seeing her childhood crush overcame her and she was floored by Dilip’s kind words for her. In an old interview, she recalled the moment when she first met Dilip Kumar. She had said, “When he smiled at me and remarked that I was a pretty girl, I could feel my whole being taking wing and flying rapturously. I knew somewhere deep within me that I was going to be his wife.”

After Saira Banu became an actress, Dilip refused to work with her. The reason? She was too young and he felt she would not suit in a role opposite him. But all that changed one fine day.

In his autobiography, Dilip Kumar: The Substance and the Shadow, he wrote that his thoughts about Saira changed suddenly one day when he saw her in a beautiful brocade saree outside her house. The age difference ceased to matter to the Nehruvian hero and he fell in love with his future wife.
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An extract from his biography reads, “I was taken aback because she was no longer the young girl I consciously avoided working with because I thought she would look too young to be my heroine. She had indeed grown to full womanhood and was in reality more beautiful than I thought she was. I simply stepped forward and shook her hand and for us time stood still (sic).”

With Saira’s mom playing Cupid in their lives, the legendary actors got married in the year 1966. Saira was 22, Dilip was 44.

DILIP KUMAR’S SECOND MARRIAGE

While his marriage to Saira was all rosy and happy, the two remained childless. Saira Banu had become pregnant in 1972, but she suffered a miscarriage. The couple never tried having a child after the tragic incident.

Dilip, still married to Saira, wedded Asma Rehman in 1981. A marriage that he regretted and a relationship that lasted only two years (1981-1983). The actor had met his second wife, Asma Rehman, at a cricket match in Hyderabad. He was introduced to Asma by his sisters Fauzia and Saeeda.

In his autobiography, he called his second marriage a ‘grave mistake’ that Saira and he had ‘pushed into eternal oblivion’.

A portion of the text from his autobiography reads, “Well, the one episode in my life that I would like to forget and which we, Saira, and I, have pushed into eternal oblivion is a grave mistake I made under pressure of getting involved with a lady named Asma Rehman whom I had met at a cricket match in Hyderabad.”

WHAT DID SAIRA BANU SAY ABOUT DILIP KUMAR’S SECOND MARRIAGE?

Saira Banu, a self-confessed fan of Dilip, had said that many women wanted to marry Dilip, but he chose her every time. The actress, who ditched her acting career to be a homemaker in 1976, said that she wanted to be Dilip’s wife ever since she was a teenager, and once she made up her mind, nothing could deter her.

Saira Banu was quoted saying in an interview, “For me, it was always Saab, no one else. I was his fan from the time I can remember. While still a teenager, I wanted to be his wife. I’m very headstrong and once I made up my mind, there was no stopping me. I knew many beautiful women wanted to marry Saab, but he chose me. It was my dream come true and that’s what my marriage has been – a perfect dream.”

A perfectly imperfect marriage, Dilip Kumar and Saira Banu have been an inspiration for generations.