Veteran Actor Dilip Kumar Passes Away Lesser Known Facts About The 'Tragedy King' Of Bollywood

Be it 'Suhana Safar aur yeh mausam haseen' or 'Ude jab jab zulfein teri', these melodious songs always take us back in time and surely will remain our all-time favourites. Songs that have made us fall in love, made the journey of life a little easy. And all of this was possible due to the legendary actor Dilip Kumar.

One of the finest actors of Bollywood and fondly known as 'Dilip Saab', Dilip Kumar passed away after a prolonged illness on Wednesday morning in Mumbai. The veteran actor was admitted to Hinduja Hospital, Khar and his last rites will be held at 5 pm at the Juhu Qabrastan at Santacruz Mumbai. "He passed away due to prolonged illness at 7.30 am," Dr Jalil Parkar, who had been treating Dilip Kumar, told PTI. He was survived by his wife Saira Banu and was admitted to the hospital in June due to episodes of breathlessness.

This Hindi cinema veteran 'Tragedy King' of Bollywood will continue to be an all-time favourite of filmgoers for his unforgettable characters in classics such as 'Devdas' and 'Mughal-e-Azam'. This seasoned star's accolade-heavy career is proof of how much people loved him on screen.

Here are some facts about the iconic actor Dilip Kumar to honour him:

1. Dilip Kumar was born as Mohammed Yousuf Khan on December 11, 1922 to Ayesha Begum and Lala Ghulam Sarwar Khan in the Qissa Khawani Bazaar area of Peshawar, British India.

2. While his mother was a homemaker, Dilip Kumar's father was a landlord and a fruit merchant. Dilip Kumar had 6 sisters: Fauzia Khan, Sakina Khan, Taj Khan, Farida Khan, Saeeda Khan, and Akhtar Asif. His brothers were Nasir Khan, Aslam Khan, Ehsaan Khan, Noor Mohammed, Ayub Sarwar.

3. He was schooled in Nashik (Maharashtra) and not many know that his neighbour and childhood friend was another iconic actor of Bollywood, Raj Kapoor.

4. When he was a teenager, Dilip Kumar left Nashik for Pune (Maharashtra) and with the help of a Parsi contractor, he got his first job.

5. His career kickstarted when he met actress Devika Rani, owner of Bombay Talkies and Ashok Kumar who later inspired his acting style.

6. He was diagnosed with bilateral pleural effusion, a build-up of excess fluid between the layers of the pleura outside the lungs, and underwent a successful pleural aspiration procedure. He was discharged after five days only to be admitted to the hospital again.

7. Jwar Bhata was Dilip Kumar's first film in 1944. Unfortunately this didn't bring him any fame and it was followed by several unsuccessful films.

8. Alongside Noor Jehan, Dilip Kumar did a film Jugnu, which brought him fame. His first breakthrough film was Andaz alongside Raj Kapoor and Nargis. Apart from this he also starred in Shaheed and Mela.

9. In the 1950s, Dilip Kumar became the first actor to charge a hefty amount of lakh per film.

10. Actress Saira Banu was 22 years younger to Dilip Kumar when the couple tied the knot on 11 October, 1966. It is said that the love between the two blossed on the sets of Jhuk Gaya Aasman and it was Naseem Banu, Saira's mother who played the cupid.

11. Not many know that Dilip Kumar had another wife, Asma Rehman, who he married 16 years after Saira Banu. However, the marriage ended in 1983. He had no children from both his wives.

12. The actor's superlative performances will be etched in our hearts forever because of his films like Nadiya Ke Par (1948), Arzoo (1950), Daag (1952), Devdas (1954), Naya Daur (1957), Mughal-E-Azam (1960), Ram Aur Shyam (1967), and Karma (1986). Before quitting, his final film was Qila in 1998.

As India mourns the loss of this iconic actor, politicians, actors have also poured their hearts out on Twitter.

"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," PM Narendra Modi said on Twitter.

"Dilip Kumar summarised in himself a history of emerging India. The thespian's charm transcended all boundaries, and he was loved across the subcontinent...Dilip Saab will live forever in the heart of India," President Ram Nath Kovind said.

Expressing grief, actor Amitabh Bachchan, who co-starred with Dilip Kumar in Shakti, wrote, "...whenever the history of Indian cinema will be written, it shall always be ''before Dilip Kumar and after Dilip Kumar. My duas for peace of his soul and the strength to the family to bear this loss... Deeply saddened."