Dilip Kumar Birthday Special: The life of the 'Tragedy King'

He is the first superstar and the one and only ‘Tragedy King' of Bollywood. Heart throb of many and an inspiration to young actors, Dilip Kumar has turned 91 today. It would not be an exaggeration to say that he is one of the longest living legends associated with cinema anywhere in the world. Dilip Kumar, who is originally named as Muhammad Yusuf Khan strolls the career span of over six decades with memorable films like “Mughal-e-Azam", "Ganga Jamuna", "Devdas", "Madhumati" and “Jogan”. Dilip Kumar was born as Muhammad Yusuf Khan in Peshawar, Pakistan on December 11, 1922 in a family of twelve children. After he joined the industry, he was termed by his fans as the ‘Tragedy King' for his sleek perfection in death and tragic scenes. The legendry actor today stands as a crucial synonym for Indian cinema and is one of the most celebrated actors of Bollywood.Dilip Kumar was titled as the ‘ultimate method actor" by Satyajit Ray when he made his debut with Jwar Bhata in 1994. Being the most versatile actors in Bollywood, he played characters from each film genre. Such was the enchanted charisma of the veteran actor that he was even termed as the ‘Undisputed king of Bollywood'. For Dilipsaab's contribution to Hindi film industry, the Government of India honoured him with the Padma Bhushan award in 1991 and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1994. He was the first person to win a Filmfare Best Actor Award and has since then won the award in the same category for 8 times. Besides this, in 1998, Dilip Kumar was awarded the Nishan-e-Pakistan, the highest civilian award conferred by the government of Pakistan. Dilip Kumar's much talked about love affairs always kept him in the highlight. His initial bonding is said to be with the actress Kamini Kaushal. But this love story could not get its survival and Dilip started falling for the most desirable woman of yesteryear, Madhubala. Dilip-Madhubala love story till date remains the most discussed love story of Bollywood. Their chemistry in the epic film, ‘Mughal-e-Azam' set the screen on fire and they became the most memorable Bollywood jodi. But the destiny had other unexpected plans for them. Madhubala's father didn't approve their relationship and the actress got married to the actor-singer Kishore Kumar later. However, it is believed that Madhubala took this step to show the rage that she had with Dilip Kumar at that time. She is said to love Diip Kumar only, till her last breathe. Had their fate not conspired against the two, they both would have left their steps together in eternity.Finally, when Dilip Kumar married Saira Banu, the marriage created a sensation due to the huge age difference between them. But till now, Saira Banu and Dilip Kumar have been going steadily in their relationship. Another incident from the actor's life that took on the headlines was his second marriage with Asma in 1980. Tension started brewing between Saira Banu and Dilip Kumar.Though the second marriage broke up when Dilip Kumar realized that Asma was cheating on him by disclosing all his secrets to the press along with her former husband. As long as Indian cinema remains alive, enjoying its prolific years so far, Dilip Kumar would remain as the classic man of Bollywood. The man who carved the Indian cinema, the man who defined emotions and intensity in films!