Dilip Kumar secretly married another woman after 16 years with Saira Banu, called it a ‘big mistake’, she is mother of…, her name was…

In his memoir, Dilip Kumar expressed the regret of marrying another woman and causing immense pain to Saira Banu. Read full story!

Dilip Kumar, once considered Bollywood’s most eligible bachelor, remained unmarried for a long time before finally tying the knot at the age of 44. His wife was Saira Banu, who was just 22 at that time. However, 16 years into marriage, the couple went through a major upheaval when Dilip secretly married another woman. At first, Saira couldn’t believe the news, but soon the truth came to light after she read in newspapers, leaving her devasted.

Dilip later expressed his regret of marrying another woman and causing immense pain to Saira. In his memoir The Substance And The Shadow: An Autobiography, the actor spoke about the most painful period of his life, sharing when he first met Asma Rehman in Hyderabad during a cricket match. He explained that he was introduced to her through his sisters, and she came as a married woman with three children. However, he soon observed that Asma and her husband appeared whenever he went, if they were aware of his schedule. Later, he realised that it was a trap set by the two and that there were hidden motives behind their meetup, “I was completely unaware of a connivance that was being mischievously perpetuated and a situation being cleverly created by vested interests to draw a commitment from me,” Dilip Kumar wrote.

In 1982, the news of his marriage with Asma came out, leaving Saira in a deep state of shock. This event affected his relationship with his first wife, who had complete faith in him. Dilip admitted his mistake and confessed that he caused her immense pain. “I can never forget or forgive myself for the hurt I caused to Saira and the shattering of the unshakeable faith she had in me,” he wrote.

Dilip Kumar with his second wife Asma Rehman

Dilip then apologised to Saira, asking her for time to legally divorce Asma. He recalled, “Saira stood by me when I admitted the grave mistake and asked her to give me some time to undo the wrong through proper legal processes and restore the sanctity of our marriage of sixteen years. I requested Saira to give me some time to sort it all out.” Before the divorce was finalised, he signed a “letter of commitment” to Saira, reassuring her that he will never consider second marriage.

Eventually Dilip Kumar’s whirlwind romance with his second wife Asma Rehman didn’t last long. Asma relocated to Canada after her marriage ended. In a 1983 interview in Vancouver shared by ITMB Shows on YouTube, she spoke about the constant media attention that used to follow her even after leaving India. “What do I do? Even I don’t like it but what can one do about it? Even in India, the media was after my life and I thought it will be more peaceful in Vancouver but it feels like I am not meant to have peace,” she said and added, “I feel there is a total lack of privacy no matter where I go. I really don’t like it.” Asma said.