Muhammed Yusuf Khan, popularly often called Dilip Kumar, breathed his final on Wednesday (July 7) morning. Often known as ‘The Tragedy King’, Kumar is credited for introducing a brand new type of technique appearing within the Hindi movie trade. His demise was mourned by his followers in India and Pakistan. Dilip Kumar was not only a nice actor but in addition a director and a author. However, he too needed to face hurdles in his inventive pursuit beneath the Nehru authorities.
The Congress social gathering had grow to be the gatekeepers of ‘social morality’ and started interfering within the movie trade. Congress MP Lilavati Munshi, who headed the Society for the Prevention of Unhealthy Trends in Motion Pictures, had moved a decision within the Parliament in 1954 in search of a ban on ‘undesirable’ and ‘objectionable’ scenes. As such, all kissing scenes have been banned. The Nehru authorities thus adopted the decision in 1959 beneath the Cinematography Act. Lilavati Munshi additionally had an issue with Dilip Kumar’s coiffure. She alleged that it had an ‘adverse’ impact on the youth.
Dilip Kumar’s tryst with censorship beneath Nehru Raj
When Dilip Kumar’s Ganga Jamuna film was being made, the actor learnt that it had been banned by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I & B). The then Minister, Dr. BV Keskar, was least bothered about movies and likewise regularly banned the airing of film songs on All India Radio (AIR). Keskar was agency in his resolve of banning the film Ganga Jamuna on grounds of violence and vulgarity. The Censor Board had advisable 250 cuts within the film for it to be launched. A determined Dilip Kumar reached out to PM Nehru for assist.
The assembly was scheduled for quarter-hour initially by Nehru’s daughter Indira Gandhi. During the assembly, Dilip Kumar defined how the Censor Board officers behaved like demigods and wouldn’t take heed to the movie administrators or producers. He had highlighted a number of cases the place the Censor Board didn’t do its job and it by some means impressed PM Nehru. The assembly lasted for over 1.5 hours, following which the ban on his film Ganga Jamuna was lifted. A couple of days later, Dr BV Keskar was sacked from the I&B Ministry.
Dilip Kumar – Career in Politics
In his ebook, ‘Nehru’s Hero: Dilip Kumar within the Life of India’, British Parliamentarian Lord Meghnad Desai wrote that Dilip Kumar was a Nehruvian man and likewise the hero of the primary Prime Minister. PM Nehru invited the veteran actor to handle a convention of Indian Youth Congress (IYC) throughout the Nineteen Fifties. He even pressurised Dilip Kumar to marketing campaign for VK Krishna Menon within the 1957 Lok Sabha election from the North Mumbai seat. As a results of the actor’s efforts, Menon managed to grow to be an MP. However, Dilip Kumar distanced himself from Menon following India’s loss within the 1962 battle.
Reportedly, the actor by no means joined electoral politics as such and remained dedicated to the rules enshrined within the Indian Constitution. Kumar was made the Sheriff of Mumbai between 1980-1981 throughout which he labored for the welfare of the differently-abled individuals. He had campaigned for a number of politicians resembling VP Singh (1994 fundraiser), Manmohan Singh (1999), and a Congress candidate from Alwar in 1996. It was solely within the yr 2000 that the veteran actor Dilip Kumar was nominated to the Rajya Sabha by the Congress social gathering from Maharashtra.
During his 6-year tenure, the actor actively participated in parliamentary proceedings and growth work. He was additionally a member of the Standing Committee of the Parliament on Health and Family Welfare. The committee ready a report, which ultimately led to the modification of the Indian Medical Council Act, 2006. Dilip Kumar additionally used MPLAD funds for the event of gardens in Bandra Fort, the development of Jogger’s Park, and the Bandstand Promenade. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1991, adopted by Nishan-e-Imtiaz in 1998. The Modi authorities additionally awarded him with Padma Vibhushan in 2015.