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'Thespians don’t die': Pakistani leaders, fans mourn legendary actor Dilip Kumar

Fans of late Bollywood actor Dilip Kumar, who died today in Mumbai at the age of 98, gather outside Dilip's ancestral home in Peshawar, Pakistan, on July 7, 2021. (AFP)
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Updated 08 July 2021
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'Thespians don’t die': Pakistani leaders, fans mourn legendary actor Dilip Kumar

  • Pakistan-born Kumar is widely considered greatest actor in history of Hindi cinema
  • Pakistani PM mourns actor’s death, calls him "most versatile actor of his generation"
Updated 08 July 2021
Sabah Bano Malik

Rawalpindi: Pakistani leaders, celebrities and fans on Wednesday mourned the passing of Dilip Kumar, one of the greatest stars of the golden age of Indian cinema from the 1940s to the 1960s, who died in Mumbai aged 98. 
Kumar, who had a career spanning over 50 years and acted in nearly 60 films, was born Mohammed Yusuf Khan on December 11, 1922, in Peshawar in what was then United India, before independence from British rule and the creation of Pakistan. He was an actor, film producer and philanthropist, as widely revered in Pakistan as he was in India. 
Kumar is survived by his wife, Saira Banu, a top Bollywood leading lady in the 1960s and 1970s.
“With a heavy heart and profound grief, I announce the passing away of our beloved Dilip Saab, few minutes ago,” a family friend of Kumar’s, Faisal Farooqui, posted on the late actor’s official Twitter. “We are from God and to Him we return.”

Prime Minister Imran Khan wrote that he was “saddened” to learn of Kumar’s passing, calling him the “greatest and most versatile actor” of his generation. He also highlighted the actor’s efforts to help raise funds for Shaukat Khanum Memorial Hospital, the cancer hospital Khan founded in the 1990s. 
“I can never forget his generosity in giving his time to help raise funds for SKMTH when the project launched.”

President Dr. Arif Alvi also took to Twitter with a message of condolence: “An outstanding actor, a humble man, and a dignified personality.”

Kumar has been credited for bringing a distinct form of method acting and realism to Indian cinema and holds the record for the most Filmfare Award for Best Actor wins. He was also the inaugural recipient of the award.
The New York Times in its obituary called him “the last of a triumvirate of actors who ruled Hindi cinema in the 1950s and ‘60s.”
“In post-independence India, Mr. Kumar and two other stars set about defining the Hindi film hero,” the Times said. “Raj Kapoor reflected the newly minted Indian’s confusion: his signature role was that of the Chaplinesque naïf negotiating a world that was losing its innocence. Dev Anand, known as the Gregory Peck of India, embodied a Western insouciance that still lingered; he became a stylish matinee idol.”
Kumar delved deeply into his characters, “breaking free from the semaphoric silent-movie style of acting popularized by megastars like Sohrab Modi and Prithviraj Kapoor.”
As one of the country’s earliest method actors, he was often compared to Marlon Brando, another early adopter of the technique, even though Kumar credited himself with using the technique first.

Kumar received the Padma Bhushan, one of India’s highest civilian awards, in 1991, the Dadasaheb Phalke, India’s highest award for cinematic excellence, in 1994, and the Padma Vibhushan in 2015. From 2000 to 2006, he served as a member of the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of Parliament.
In 1998, the Pakistani government conferred on him their highest civilian honor, the Nishan-e-Imtiaz - the only Indian to get the award.
Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said Kumar was loved by millions of people across India, Pakistan and around the world: “Tragedy king will be missed always.”

“A man of all seasons. He will be mourned by millions in India, Pakistan and wherever Indian cinema is followed,” journalist Raza Rumi tweeted:

Ajmal Jami, a special correspondent and talk show host at top TV channel Dunya News, wrote that Kumar would live on in the hearts and memories of all people around the globe who were familiar with Bollywood:

Pakistani cricketer Shahid Afridi wrote, “A huge loss for Yousuf Khan sahib’s fans from KPK [Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan] to Mumbai and across the globe. He lives on in our hearts.”

Senator Faisal Jawad Khan shared a number of photos of Imran Khan and Kumar together and wrote: “Truly a legendary actor, humanitarian. His universal acting style inspired generations of actors.”

Pakistani actors also turned to social media to express their grief.

“Dilip sahib was an institution in himself. Legend would be an understatement. Thespians don’t die. They live on in their work,” actor Adnan Siddiqui wrote. 

Kubra Khan posted a classic black and white shot of the late actor with the words: “They’ll be one more star in the sky tonight.”

Actor Reema Khan shared images of her and Kumar and wrote” “Showbiz all around the world are in a state of shock on the sad demise of the greatest legendary figure. Venerable Dilip Kumar Sahib who will remain alive in the hearts of all the people.”

Kumar did his first film, “Jwar Bhata” in 1944, which tanked. His breakthrough role came in 1949, with “Andaz,” where he played a jilted lover who is caught in a triangle between the woman he loves and her husband.
That role catapulted him to stardom and was the beginning of a decade where he made a career of playing tragic roles.
Bimal Roy’s adaptation of Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay’s seminal novel “Devdas” was the turning point in an already successful career, catapulting him to superstardom.
His role as the doomed lover in “Devdas,” earned Kumar the epithet of “tragedy king” — the man who embodied melancholy on screen.
“An institution has gone .. whenever the history of Indian Cinema will be written , it shall always be ‘before Dilip Kumar, and after Dilip Kumar,” legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan said on Twitter.

Kumar said he felt weighed down after years of playing tragic roles. In the late 1950’s, he made a conscious attempt to play more upbeat roles, acting in romantic films like “Madhumati,” “Aan” and “Naya Daur.”
In his later years, although the hits were harder to come by, Kumar retained his stature as India’s first marquee star — the man whose face on a poster was enough for audiences to throng the theaters.
“Dilip Kumar ji will be remembered as a cinematic legend. He was blessed with unparalleled brilliance, due to which audiences across generations were enthralled,” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said.

Topics: Pakistan India actor dilip kumar

Nine killed, one child injured as avalanche hits house in northwest Pakistan

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Nine killed, one child injured as avalanche hits house in northwest Pakistan

  • Avalanche strikes family home in Arandu area of Lower Chitral district
  • Heavy snowfall cuts off towns and villages across northern Pakistan
Updated 5 sec ago
WASIM SAJJAD & REHMAT MEHSUD & Saadullah Akhtar

PESHAWAR/QUETTA: At least nine people were killed while an injured child was rescued alive when an avalanche struck a house in a mountainous district of northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, officials said on Friday, as the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) warned of more rain and snowfall in the area along with southwestern Pakistan.

The incident occurred in the Arandu region of Lower Chitral district, affecting members of the same family, as the PMD urged tourists to avoid unnecessary travel while authorities worked to prevent weather-related emergencies.

Rescuers evacuated dozens of residents and tourists as heavy snow blocked roads in Khyber, South Waziristan and Swat districts, where authorities cleared routes and provided food, clothing and bedding, the Rescue 1122 service said.

“An avalanche fell in Sarigal village of Arandu, a far-flung area in subdivision Drosh,” Deputy Commissioner of Lower Chitral Rao Hashim Azeem told Arab News over the phone.

“Ten people from the same family came under the avalanche in which nine were found dead and one child was rescued alive,” he added. “Police, Chitral scouts, rescue and local administration took part in the operation.”

Azeem said the rescue efforts were hampered by heavy snowfall and the area’s remote location, adding that the bodies were taken to Drosh for burial.

Heavy snow hit Azad Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, Murree, and Galiyat, stranding vehicles and causing power outages, local media reported.

“The system causing rain/snowfall is active over northern parts of the country,” the PMD said in its advisory on Friday at noon, predicting more showers and snow in the next few hours.

“Tourists [are] advised to stay vigilant and avoid unnecessary travel during rain and snowfall,” it added.

TEMPERATURE DROP IN BALOCHISTAN

The PMD said temperatures in several in districts southwestern Balochistan province dropped to –9°C as a snowstorm with strong winds hit Quetta, Kalat, Chaman, Killa Saifullah, Nushki and Loralai, disrupting daily life.

“Dozens of vehicles including passenger buses have been stranded at N-50 highway near Muslim Bagh due to heavy snowfall since Thursday night,” Assistant Commissioner Muslim Bagh Dheeraj Kalra told Arab News.

“District administration accompanied by PDMA [Provincial Disaster Management Authority] Balochistan removed the snow from the N-50 highway and opened the roads for traffic on Friday morning.”

Meanwhile, PMD Balochistan Deputy Director Muhammad Afzal said the next spell of snowfall and rain would hit the southwestern parts of the country from Jan. 25 to 27 but will not be as harsh as the first one.

“The recent system of snowstorm entered Balochistan through the Iran-Afghan border which dropped the mercury to –9°C and this freezing temperature will continue till tomorrow evening,” he said.

Weather authorities this week forecast intermittent rains and snowfall in northern regions of the country between Jan. 21 and Jan. 24, with heavy snowfall likely in upper and hilly areas of the province.

Tens of thousands of tourists flock to Pakistan’s scenic north every winter to witness snowfall, often neglecting warnings from disaster management authorities.

In Jan. 2022, at least 21 people, including children, died after they were stuck in freezing temperatures during a snowstorm in the Pakistani hill station of Murree.

In view of the situation, Federal Minister Abdul Aleem Khan on Friday directed the National Highway Authority (NHA) to ensure that all highways remain open and fully operational under all circumstances.

“The minister has instructed NHA field staff to remain on high alert and to maintain 24/7 monitoring of weather conditions on highways in snowfall-affected areas,” the Pakistani information ministry said.

“He emphasized that ensuring uninterrupted traffic flow on national highways, particularly in upper regions, is a top priority.”

Topics: Avalanche risk in Pakistan Climate Change in Pakistan

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