Veteran actor Dilip Kumar passes away aged 98

Veteran Bollywood actor Dilip Kumar has died at the age of 98. Members of the industry have been flooding social media with their tributes.

Veteran actor Dilip Kumar passes away aged 98 f

"An institution has gone…"

Veteran Bollywood actor Dilip Kumar has passed away at the age of 98.

Kumar died on Wednesday, July 7, 2021. His funeral and burial will take place on the same day.

The actor was hospitalised twice in June 2021 after experiencing breathlessness.

He was then diagnosed with bilateral pleural effusion, a build-up of excess fluid between the layers of the pleura outside the lungs.

Kumar’s death was announced on his official Twitter account by his family friend Faisal Farooqui.

https://twitter.com/TheDilipKumar/status/1412600233062699008

The tweet read:

“With a heavy heart and profound grief, I announce the passing away of our beloved Dilip Saab, a few minutes ago.

“We are from God and to Him we return.”

Dilip Kumar made his acting debut in the 1944 film Jwar Bhata.

He appeared in over 65 films throughout his career, including the likes of Andaz (1949), Devdas (1955), Mughal-e-Azam (1960) and Ram Aur Shyam (1967).

Nicknamed “the tragedy king”, he had been a popular Bollywood figure across generations and was one of India’s first method actors in the late 1950s, claiming he had adopted the technique before Marlon Brando.

The actor leaves behind a six-decade-long career in Bollywood, and tributes from the industry are pouring in.

Iconic Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan tweeted:

“T 3958 – An institution has gone…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…”

Akshay Kumar also took to Twitter to remember Dilip Kumar.

Tweeting an old photo of the actor, he wrote:

“To the world many others may be heroes. To us actors, he was The Hero.

“#DilipKumar Sir has taken an entire era of Indian cinema away with him.

“My thoughts and prayers are with his family. Om Shanti.”

Anil Kapoor took to Instagram to pay tribute to Dilip Kumar, and spoke of how close the late actor was to his father, Surinder.

Sharing a photo, Kapoor wrote:

“Our world is a little less bright today because one of our brightest stars has left us for the heavens.

“Dilip Sahab was very close to my father and I had the tremendous honour of sharing screen space with him in three of my most memorable films…

“He was and always will be the finest and greatest actor of our industry for me…he has inspired generations of artists.

“Rest in peace Dilip Sahab. You remain in our minds and hearts forever.”

Bollywood filmmaker Karan Johar also took to Instagram to remember Dilip Kumar.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CRA4Rbjpz3s/

He wrote:

“DILIP KUMAR SAAB set the standard for all solid actors to follow…he was a bonafide institution…his performances are textbooks of nuance and celluloid screen presence…

“He leaves behind a legendary legacy that will continue to inspire generations of artists…

“His journey can never end because his legacy will always live on…”

“Rest in peace Dilip Saab and thank you for being the force that you were…that force is unmatchable and irreplaceable but forever inspirational…

“Prayers to Saira aunty and the entire family…the entire fraternity mourns the passing away of a LEGEND…”

Many other members of the Bollywood industry took to social media to pay tribute to Dilip Kumar.

The likes of Madhuri Dixit, Sanjay Dutt and Ajay Devgn all paid their respects to the late Bollywood star.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted:

“Dilip Kumar Ji will be remembered as a cinematic legend.

“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.”

Dilip Kumar’s funeral will take place in Mumbai on Wednesday, July 7, 2021. He is survived by his wife, Saira Banu.

Louise is an English and Writing graduate with a passion for travel, skiing and playing the piano. She also has a personal blog which she updates regularly. Her motto is "Be the change you wish to see in the world."

Images courtesy of Akshay Kumar and Dilip Kumar Twitter




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