2021 has already seen us say farewell to some famous faces. But in one of the biggest losses that the world of entertainment incurred recently, legendary actor Dilip Kumar died at the age of 98. The late Dilip Kumar passed away on 7th July 2021 after battling cancer for many years. With a career spanning over more than six decades and having starred in more than 60 films including some classics like ‘Mughal-E-Azam’ and ‘Devdas’, Dilip sahib is today remembered as one of the greatest actors of all time.

Dilip Kumar was born as Mohammad Yusuf Khan on 11th December 1922, to a Hindko speaking Awan family at his family home in the Qissa Khawani Bazaar area of Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He was one of the 12 children of Lala Ghulam Sarwar Khan, a fruit merchant, and his wife Ayesha Begum.

Famously known as “The Tragedy King”, “The First Khan” and the first method actor in the history of Bollywood, Dilip sahib ventured into the world of acting with his debut film Jwar Bhata in 1944. Since then, the Andaz actor has been unstoppable, soaring to greater heights. His distinct acting and unmatchable charm made ways for him and as a result he was honoured with many prestigious awards for being a creative and moral force in the movie industry. He also holds the Guinness World Record for winning the maximum number of awards by an Indian actor and was also the inaugural recipient of the award.

In 1966, Kumar married actress Saira Banu, who was 22 years younger than him. Banu and he were inseparable. The veteran starlet was smitten by Dilip Kumar since the age of 12 and wished to marry him ever since. Today, the legendary actor departed for his heavenly abode and is survived by his better half.

When the sad news of Dilip sahib’s demise surfaced the internet on the 7th of July, it felt like the end of an era. As soon as news of his passing emerged, so did troves of tributes to a legend born even before they started handing out the golden trophies to actors. Pakistani celebs, sports personalities and politicians also showed their adulation for the legendary star and poured tributes to honour his life and contribution to the world of cinema.

Kubra Khan took to her social media and remembered the star via a throwback picture of him along with a caption that read, “And at the end.. everything will end. Everyone will return back to whom we belong to. There’ll be one more star in the sky tonight. May the Barzakh be easy on you. #RIP #DilipKumar #MohammedYusufKhan #Legend”.

Shahid Afridi tweeted saying, “Indeed to Almighty we belong and to Almighty 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”.

Ali Zafar paid homage to the star with a throwback picture of the singer with Dilip sahib and a caption that read, “A purist par excellence. A man who will continue to inspire generations to come. A human being so sophisticated and refined that chapters could be written on the cadence of each line he spoke. End of an era that will nonetheless remain timeless. #DilipKumar #RestInPeace”.

While PM Imran Khan condoled upon the sad news by remembering the late legend’s humanitarian attributes saying, “Saddened to learn of Dilip Kumar’s passing. I can never forget his generosity in giving his time to help raise funds for SKMTH when project launched. This is the most difficult time – to raise first 10% of the funds & his appearance in Pak & London helped raise huge amounts.”

Dilip sahib was a competitor, and a striver. He made a good amount of great films and was a blazing star and his legacy shall live on for years to come in his magnificently detailed career and unrivalled acting style.