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An eternal love story: This is how Saira Banu-Dilip Kumar's love blossomed!

Updated : Jul 7, 2021, 20:05 IST

As the curtain comes down for one last time and Dilip Kumar takes a final bow to leave for his heavenly abode, our hearts go out to the legendary actor's wife, veteran actress Saira Banu. Married for 54 years, Saira and Dilip were one of the most celebrated couples in Indian cinema. The couple truly redefined marriage goals and stuck to each other in sickness and in health - a vow most make on their wedding day but fail to abide by. But not this couple. Not to forget, their love story is similar to that of a Bollywood film. Dilip Kumar was 22 years senior to Saira. The actress in several interviews admitted that she was attracted to Kumar from a young age. She had once said, 'I was not just another girl smitten by Dilip Kumar. For me, it was no castle in the air because I had given my dream the strong foundation of faith- faith in myself and faith in God'. Apparently, she had watched Dilip Kumar's 'Aan' and had even dreamt of becoming 'Mrs Dilip Kumar' one day. Saira's mother Naseem Banu was an actress herself and it was through her that the two had met for the first time. Recalling her first meeting with her future husband, Saira had said, 'When he smiled at me and remarked that I was a pretty girl, I could feel my whole being taking wing and flying rapturously. I knew somewhere deep within me that I was going to be his wife.' At 16, Saira Banu made her Bollywood debut opposite Shammi Kapoor in the 1961 film 'Junglee'. Initially, Kumar refused to work with Saira because he felt she was too young for him. This miffed Saira. However, one fine day, when he saw Saira wearing a brocade sari he couldn’t take his eyes off her and there began their love story. The two finally tied the knot on October 11, 1966. Banu was 22 and Kumar 44 years old at the time of marriage. The two conceived a child in 1972 but due to complications, during the eight-month of her pregnancy, they lost their child and they decided not to have children after that. Then in 1981, the actor married Asma Rehman which lasted for two years. Kumar admitted that it was a decision that he would regret for the rest of his life. Banu had even quit her acting career in 1976 to play the perfect wife to her 'Kohinoor', the love of her life. When asked about the problems she faced in her marriage, the actress had once said, 'I am still head over heels in love with my Kohinoor, Yousuf Sahab, the way I was when I first felt attracted to him as a 12 year-old. No marriage is perfect. How can it be, when as human beings we are not perfect? It is mutual love, respect and adoration that keep a marriage ticking.' As mentioned earlier, despite many, many trials and tribulations, their love withstood the test of time. Over the last 10 years or so when his health first began deteriorating, she was always photographed taking her husband to the hospital. She was there for every appointment, always giving updates on his health and talking very fondly of her dear husband. The actress was by his side, through thick and thin - till July 7 when he took his last breath at a Mumbai hospital, aged 98. She was his support system, and he, hers. Her devotion to Dilip Kumar over the years will remain an inspiration for all for many years to come.

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