Saira Banu remembers late husband and cinema legend Dilip Kumar on his death anniversary: ‘I am still with him...’

Dilip Kumar death anniversary

On the death anniversary of cinematic legend Dilip Kumar, his beloved wife Saira Banu poured her heart into a moving tribute—one that transcends grief and celebrates a bond that remains alive in spirit, if not in form.

In an emotionally resonant note, Saira Banu reflected on the irreplaceable void left by her "Sahib", but also on the eternal companionship that continues between them. “The dearth of Sahib could never go… and yet, I am still with him,” she wrote, eloquently expressing how her soul has learned to walk beside him, even in his absence. “In this lifetime, and in the next.”

Each year, the date brings with it a flood of memories, messages, and prayers from admirers, friends, and family—each acknowledging the colossal figure that Dilip Kumar was, and still is. “I read each one with a heart full of gratitude,” Saira Banu shared, “knowing that the world still holds space for the man Sahib was and forever will be.”

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For her, Dilip Kumar wasn’t merely a cherished partner. He was a phenomenon—“an entire era,” she wrote. His influence spans generations of actors and continues to inspire even those who never met him. Yet, despite his legendary status, he remained grounded—equally at ease in the company of statesmen like Pandit Nehru, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and P. V. Narasimha Rao, as he was among ordinary people.

Recalling his early passion for sports, she noted, “If not destiny, I would have been a national-level sportsman,” he would often say—though destiny had other plans, giving the world one of its greatest actors instead.

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In one particularly tender memory, Saira Banu shared a handwritten note left by Dilip Kumar during an evening of classical music at their home: “Feeling sleepy, what do you suggest, Aunty?... Yours 100%.” It was a small, intimate moment, but one that captured the loving mischief and quiet charm that defined the man behind the legend.

“He made the ordinary moments eternal,” she reflected. “And through every jest, every note, every glance he left behind something rare: love that lingers.”

Concluding her tribute, Saira Banu wrote with enduring devotion: “Dilip Sahib is forever. Beyond time. Beyond life. May Allah continue to keep him wrapped in His noor and mercy. Aameen.”

With his classic roles in films like Devdas, Mughal-e-Azam, Ganga Jamuna, Naya Daur, and Andaz, Dilip Kumar's legacy endures.

In life and in memory, Dilip Kumar remains not just a cinematic icon, but a man remembered deeply for his grace, talent, and timeless love.