When Dilip Kumar recalled meeting ailing Madhubala in her last days: Went to her house, pained to see she was frail but

In the golden age of Indian cinema, few love stories captured the public imagination like that of Dilip Kumar and Madhubala. Their romance, blooming on the sets of Tarana, was one of Bollywood’s most cherished tales. But their love, though deep, was not destined to culminate in marriage. Years later, long after they had gone their separate ways and Dilip Kumar had married Saira Banu, life gave the former lovers one final meeting—an encounter that left an indelible mark on the legendary actor’s heart.

In his memoir The Substance and the Shadow: An Autobiography, Dilip Kumar recounted a poignant moment when Madhubala requested to see him urgently. What surprised him more than the request itself was the grace and maturity of his wife, Saira Banu, who encouraged him to meet his former love. “It was this quality of his wife of not dwelling over the past that impressed him,” the book noted.

Dilip Kumar shared, “Soon after our nikah (marriage), while we were staying in Madras, I received a message from Madhubala that she wished to see me urgently. I confided in Saira as soon as we returned to Bombay about the message. Saira at once insisted that I should meet Madhu since it must be something she was distressed about.”

Despite years of silence and emotional distance, the bond between the two had never completely vanished. When Dilip Kumar visited Madhubala’s home, he was heartbroken to see the once-vibrant actress reduced to a frail shadow of her former self. “When I went to Madhu’s home, I was pained to see that she was frail and looked very weak,” he wrote. “The pallor on her face not only belied her ill health, but her magnificent, impish smile seemed such an effort.”