A Birthday of Nostalgia and Love
Veteran actress Saira Banu turned 82 on August 23, marking the occasion by sharing a throwback picture with her late husband, legendary actor Dilip Kumar, on Instagram. In her post, she took fans on an emotional journey through cherished memories of birthdays spent with her mother, actress Naseem Banu, grandmother Shamshad Waheed Khan, and elder brother Sultan.
Banu described her birthdays as "wonderfully excessive," with cakes that were "architectural achievements" giving the Qutub Minar an "inferiority complex," as reported by multiple outlets. The presents, she wrote, carried "the unmistakable signature of someone who had spent time thinking, What would make my girl happy?"
A Childhood Crush That Became a Lifelong Bond
In her Instagram post, Banu revealed that she had been "hopelessly smitten" with Dilip Kumar from the age of twelve. She admitted to cherishing the dream of meeting him or sharing a film with him. According to her recollection, Dilip Kumar initially declined her youthful romantic notions, insisting she was too young for him.
This sentiment was echoed in various reports. The Indian Express noted that Saira fell in love when she met Dilip Kumar at age 12, while he was 34. They first met on the set of Mughal-E-Azam, and she once told Subhash K Jha in an interview, "While still a teenager, I wanted to be his wife." NewsX added that she even learned Urdu and Persian to impress him.
The Road to Marriage
Despite her early admiration, Dilip Kumar was reluctant to cast her in his films. NewsX reported that he refused to make her his heroine, citing their age gap, and objected to her casting in Ram Aur Shyam, with Mumtaz getting the role instead.
Everything changed on her 22nd birthday, August 23, 1966. Dilip Kumar, who was shooting in Madras, made a special effort to attend her birthday party in Bombay. According to NewsX, when he proposed, her reply wasn't a direct yes—she asked how many others he had proposed to. They married in October 1966, as reported by The Indian Express and NewsX.
Marriage and Challenges
The Indian Express provided a deeper look into the couple's early married life. Dilip Kumar warned Saira that his sisters would not accept her, as they were used to having sole right on him. She faced a "hostile atmosphere" at his home and sometimes returned to her parents' house for early morning shoots. The couple also lost a baby in the eighth month of pregnancy.
In 1981, Dilip Kumar married Asma Rehman, yet Saira accepted him and chose to stand by him. She gave up her career to look after him, not because he asked, but out of her own choice, saying she did so "out of love and not duress." Dilip Kumar passed away in 2021 at the age of 98, ending their 55-year marriage.
Career Highlights and Family Legacy
Before and during her marriage, Saira Banu had a successful acting career. Her debut film, Junglee (1961), was a major success and the first Eastman Colour Film. She described it as her "grand magnanimous debut," and reports note that its success led her family to move to Pali Hill. NewsX listed her notable films, including Bluff Master, Ayee Milan Ki Bela, Shagird, Padosan, Victoria No. 203, and Sagina. She was nominated for a Filmfare Best Actress award for Junglee.
Throughout her birthday recollections, Banu's love for cinema and Dilip Kumar remained intertwined, as she reflected on the two passions that shaped her life.