Bollywood veteran Dilip Kumar has died at the age of 98

• Veteran Bollywood actor, Dilip Kumar, born Mohammed Yusuf Khan, has died.
• 98 years old, the actor's career within the industry spans 50 years. He became a major star in Indian cinema's golden age, starring in nearly 60 films.
• Whenever the history of Indian cinema will be written, it shall always be 'before Dilip Kumar, and after Dilip Kumar'," Amitabh Bachchan, Bollywood's biggest star, said in tribute.

Tributes poured in Wednesday from actors, politicians, sports stars and even an animal rights group after much-loved Bollywood veteran Dilip Kumar died aged 98.

Born Mohammed Yusuf Khan in Peshawar - now part of Pakistan - in 1922, Kumar became a major star in Indian cinema's golden age between the 1940s and 1960s, starring in nearly 60 films in a career spanning 50 years.

He died in a Mumbai hospital early on Wednesday.

"Dilip Kumar... will be remembered as a cinematic legend," Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said 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."

Indian President Ram Nath Kovind said: "Dilip Kumar summarised in himself a history of emerging India. The thespian's charm transcended all boundaries, and he was loved across the subcontinent. With his demise, an era ends."

The young Kumar was spotted selling fruit at his father's stall in Bombay - now Mumbai - by actress Devika Rani, who convinced him to try acting.

Changing his name to hide his profession from his disapproving father, he went on to become a beloved household name who transcended generations, as well as India's social and religious divides.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said he was "saddened" by the news, and praised Kumar's charity work.

Amitabh Bachchan, Bollywood's biggest star, called Kumar his "idol" and said on Twitter: "An epic era has drawn curtains... Never to happen again."

"An institution has gone. Whenever the history of Indian cinema will be written, it shall always be 'before Dilip Kumar, and after Dilip Kumar'," Bachchan added.

Akshay Kumar, another of modern Bollywood's biggest luminaries, said: "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."

The veteran actor enjoyed a following across the Indian subcontinent and among the global diaspora.

Former Pakistan cricket captain Shahid Afridi said his death was a "huge loss" for his fans in Pakistan "and across the globe".

"He lives on in our hearts," Afridi added.

India cricket captain Virat Kohli, who is in England to lead the national Test squad for a series against the hosts, said: "Today, an icon who was loved by generations passes away. Rest in peace Dilip ji. My condolences to the family."

Animal rights group PETA India offered its condolences too, saying: "Animals everywhere have lost a great friend."

The organisation said Kumar had helped it enact a ban on the entry of elephants into Mumbai, "sparing them violence and cruelty and ensuring the safety of Mumbai's human residents".

In Mumbai, the centre of India's film industry, fans joined in the tributes.

"All the Bollywood greats like Shahrukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Anil Kapoor and others -- all of them learned from him and progressed in their careers. He was a superstar," Nurul Amin Siddique told AFP.

"He was my favourite hero."

And Manoj Waghmare said: "In the coming 100 years of Bollywood, it is impossible to have another gentleman actor like him, maybe even for the next 200 years."