Legendary Actor Dilip Kumar Dies At 98; Remembering His Fashion In His Top 5 Movies

Mohammed Yusuf Khan or popularly known by his stage name, Dilip Kumar was one of the most celebrated Indian film actors of all times. The legendary actor, who had worked in over 65 films and was said to be among the rare actors and who popularised method acting, passed away at the age of 98 on 7 July 2021. Apart from his acting prowess, Dilip Kumar was also known for his philanthropy. Tributes from the Indian film industry and people from different walks of life have been pouring on social media. Amitabh Bachchan rightly tweeted, "Whenever the history of Indian cinema will be written, it shall always be 'before Dilip Kumar, and after Dilip Kumar'.

Today, we are not only going to talk about Dilip Kumar's hit films but we are also going to talk about his fashion in the movies.

1. Dilip Kumar's Fashion In Devdas (1955)

Devdas (1955) is a period-drama film that was directed by Bimal Roy and based on the novel by Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay. In the movie, Dilip Kumar performed the role of Devdas, who couldn't marry his childhood friend, Paro (Suchitra Sen) because of caste difference. Grief-stricken, he becomes an alcoholic at Chandramukhi's (Vyjayanthimala) place. Chandramukhi falls in love with Devdas but Devdas is confused between Paro and Chandramukhi. Devdas was much more than a romantic classic as it highlighted regressive customs in Bengal in the 1900s and perils of alcoholism. As Dilip Kumar played a young man from Bengal, his outfits included simple kurta-pyjamas and kurta and jacket with a dhoti. He also flaunted muffler in the movie to accentuate his look as Devdas.

2. Dilip Kumar's Fashion In Naya Daur (1957)

Naya Daur (1957) was also one of the most famous movies of veteran actor Dilip Kumar. The movie is a sports-drama film centred on the idea of man versus machine. Directed by B.R. Chopra and written by Akhtar Mirza and Kamil Rashid, the film also highlighted the fragile bonds of friendship against a romantic backdrop. In this movie too, Vyjayanthimala was cast opposite Dilip Kumar. Dilip Kumar is from a village in the movie and his clothes are kept in tune with the rural sensibility. Dilip Kumar as Shankar wore kurta pyjamas with cummerbunds and sleeveless jacket and stole with a locket.

3. Dilip Kumar's Fashion In Mughal-e-Azam (1960)

Mughal-e-Azam (1960) is one of the epic movies of the Indian cinema and was directed by K. Asif and produced by Shapoorji Pallonji. The movie was a love story between Prince Salim (played by Dilip Kumar) and Anarkali (Madhubala). Prince Salim later went on to become Emperor Jahangir. Prince Salim's affair with Anarkali was disapproved by Emperor Akbar (Prithviraj Kapoor), which leads to a conflict between father and son. His outfits in the movie are regal and resplendent with rich hues. He wore vibrant and intricately-done sherwanis in the movie with heavy jewels and layers of pearls as the most prominent jewellery. In fact, Mughal-e-Azam's fashion has largely influenced the designers, who have recreated the outfits of both Salim and Anarkali.

4. Dilip Kumar's Fashion In Ganga Jumna (1961)

Ganga Jumna (1961) was written and produced by Dilip Kumar and directed by Nitin Bose with dialogues by Wajahat Mirza. The film revolves around the life and perceptions of two brothers Ganga (Dilip Kumar) and Nasir Khan (Jumna). This movie too had Vyjayanthimala as the leading lady. In the movie, Dilip Kumar sported muted full-sleeved kurta pyjamas with lockets. Sometimes, he also wore cummerbunds and his half moustache also became famous after the movie.

5. Dilip Kumar's Fashion In Ram Aur Shyam (1967)

In Ram Aur Shyam (1967) Dilip Kumar played a double role and two diverse characters. Ram and Shyam are brothers separated at birth and while Ram is the goody-goody brother, Shyam is the mischievous brother. The movie also starred Waheeda Rehman and Mumtaz in the lead, and this film was among the most successful films of Dilip Kumar. In the movie, Dilip Kumar mostly wears western outfits including shirt, sweater, and pants, blazers, and sometimes kurta pyjamas. The outfits in this movie of his are relatable and simple.

Our deepest condolences to Saira Banu and family.

Rest in Peace, Dilip Kumar!