India’s beloved actor Dilip Kumar died today aged 98. The actor who has a significant body of work in Bollywood was dear to cinema lovers in both India and Pakistan. Kumar died at a Mumbai hospital in the morning after a prolonged illness. He was 98.
Kumar was born on 11 December 1922, at his family home in the Qissa Khawani Bazaar area of Peshawar in British India. In the 1930s, his family moved to Bombay.
Kumar had often recalled memories of his time at his ancestral home in Pakistan. He had even written a blog where he mentioned how vividly he remembered the sounds, the chatter and laughter of his family. "My mother who was frail and delicate was always in the spacious kitchen of the house and as a little boy I would wait for her to finish her chores so that I could just sit by her side and gaze at her beautiful face," he had said.
Pakistan's Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa provincial government on Wednesday condoled the demise of Kumar, saying he will always be remembered for the love and affection he had for the people of his ancestral home town.
In a statement, Kamran Bangash, the Special Assistant on Information to Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), expressed profound grief and sorrow over the demise of the film legend. The KP government spokesman said he was saddened to know about Kumar's passing.
"Late Dilip had great regard and respect for the people of his birthplace Peshawar. He will always be remembered for his services, love and affection he had for the people of Peshawar," the statement said.
In June this year, the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa provincial government had decided to convert the ancestral homes of Dilip Kumar and showman Raj Kapoor, who also belonged to the same town, into museums, writes Mumbai Mirror.
The homes were bought from the owners by the government and have now been transferred to the archaeology and museum department. Reportedly, the government had spent Rs 24 million (Pakistani rupee) to purchase the two homes, according to Dawn.
The government of Pakistan had honoured Kumar with the highest civilian award, the Nishan-E-Imtiaz in 1993.
Several noted Pakistani figures also expressed their grief over Kumar's demise. The country's prime minister Imran Khan tweeted how Kumar's generosity in raising funds for the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Trust and Hospital in Peshawar will never be forgotten.
Here is the tweet
Apart from this, for my generation Dilip Kumar was the greatest and most versatile actor.
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) July 7, 2021
Cricketer Shahid Afridi also expressed his tributes to the legendary actor and extended condolences to Kumar’s wife Saira Banu.
Indeed to Allah we belong and to Allah we shall return.
A huge loss for Yousuf Khan sahib's fans from KPK to Mumbai and across the globe. He lives on in our hearts. Deepest condolences to Saira Banu sahiba. #DilipKumar pic.twitter.com/T51NelBl6O— Shahid Afridi (@SAfridiOfficial) July 7, 2021
Actor Imran Abbas, who had a brief role in Ae Dil Hai Mushkil shared a picture of himself with Kumar and Banu. Calling him the biggest star the subcontinent could ever produce, Abbas said that Dilip was the epitome of stardom and kindness.
— Imran Abbas (@ImranAbbas) July 7, 2021
(With inputs from Press Trust of India)
source https://www.firstpost.com/entertainment/dilip-kumar-passes-away-actor-born-in-british-indias-peshawar-honoured-by-pakistans-known-figures-9785731.html
