Saira Banu's emotional letter for 'Jaan' Dilip Kumar ahead of 99th birthday anniversary will leave you in tears
Highlights
- Dilip Kumar took his last breath on July 7, 2021, after prolonged illness
- December 11 marks his 99th birth anniversary
- Saira Banu's emotional letter divulged details of her late husband and actor's childhood and family
December 11 will mark the 99th birth anniversary of late Dilip Kumar 2. The legendary actor who was born in Peshawar in 1922 entertained the audiences for decades before driving away from the cinematic world owing to health issues. The superstar took his last breath on July 7, 2021, after prolonged illness leaving his wife Saira Banu, family and fans in tears. It will be the actor's first birthday after his death and everyone is talking about what Saira Banu has to say about celebrating his day in his absence. Ahead of Dilip Kumar's birth anniversary, his wife penned an emotional letter exclusively for ETimes that divulged details of her late husband and actor's childhood and family.
The letter will leave you in tears. Read it here:
"December 11, 1922. Peshawar, North West Frontier Province in pre-partition India. On the bitter cold night of December 11, while a raging fire fanned by the force of freezing winds was blazing in the Qissa Khwani bazaar in Peshawar, my Jaan, Yousuf Saheb, was born to Ayesha Begum, the beautiful wife of Mohammad Sarvar Khan, a leading fruit merchant of Peshawar, as their fourth child. This year on December 11, which is tomorrow, it will be his 99th birthday."
It continued, "Indeed, millions of fans and I (his Fan No. 1) are going to celebrate the day quietly by ourselves knowing fully well that he is with us in our lives forever.The fact is that Dilip Saheb was very happy and proud that he was born in an undivided India and he grew up in a large, happy family which was united by the bonds of respect for elders, cared for the younger members and women and had unflinching trust in one another."
Further, it read, "Saheb took pride also in the patriotism his father instilled in his sons and daughters and the freedom he and his eleven siblings were given to choose to mingle with people from all communities and social and economic backgrounds. Therefore, all through his illustrious life, Dilip Saheb was a class apart, completely at ease with people from all walks of life and all strata of society.
Speaking about their wedding, Saira Banu said, "After my marriage to Saheb, I had no difficulty in getting accustomed to a life wherein unannounced visitors and guests were received even at odd hours and made to feel comfortable and welcome and were treated to scrumptious meals in true Pathan style. All the special occasions in our life saw the house filled with people and flowers, lit up neither by candlelight nor electric light but by the presence of Saheb in the drawing room, foyer and garden giving attention to each guest, irrespective of professional and social status.
Saheb had more friends outside the film industry and our community which surprised many who came to the open house we had on occasions like birthday, anniversary, Eid, Diwali, Christmas etc."
Sharing details of their wedding anniversary, the senior actress wrote, "As I said on the occasion of our wedding anniversary two months ago, he is very much in our midst, gently holding my hand and expressing his feelings without words... by just the unmatched, inimitable eloquence of his eyes.
Saira Banu concluded by writing, "Once again I know I’m not alone now and forever. Happy birthday, Jaan."
