Happy 95th birthday to the ultimate method actor of bollywood - Dilip Kumar.

Veteran actor Dilip Kumar, unarguably the greatest actor of Indian cinema, turned 95 today. 

A recent photograph of thespian Dilip Kumar

Dilip Kumar, the epitome of star power and stardom, is one of the finest and the greatest actors, the world can ever have, and one and all appreciate his marvelous and magnificent acting skills. Dilip Sahab, as he is fondly known as, has given to the world of cinema, many beauteous and resplendent movies that will be remembered for a lifetime.

The actor, known as tragedy king , is called a school of acting for his mesmerising histrionics. Born in Peshawar as Yousuf Khan, the actor adopted the screen name Dilip Kumar. 

He made his debut in acting with Jwar Bhata in 1944 and went on to give memorable performances in films such as Mughal-e-Azam, Ganga Jaumna, Devdas, Andaz, Babul, Aan, Amar, Shaheed, Naya Daur, Madhumati, Ram Aur Shyam, Shakti and Mashaal among others.

Dilip Kumar was awarded the Dadasaheb Phalke award in 1994 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2015 for his contribution to Indian cinema.

The enchanting Dilip Kumar-Madhubala duo in a still from Amar (1954)

Dilip Kumar was once again hospitalised on Tuesday for not being well. He is undergoing treatment and is recovering well.

Dilip Kumar and Sanjeev Kumar in a still from Sunghursh

Known as ‘the last emperor’, a living legend, a ‘monarch’ and a thespian, Dilip Kumar consistently worked hard to adapt himself to every decade — a true trendsetter and a connector through different times. 

He deservedly enjoyed uninterrupted stardom from the time of Jwar Bhata and continues to do so at the ripe age of 80, proving thereby that age is no bar to creativity. 

Each one of the over 60 films he worked in during six decades, carries the unmatched Dilip Kumar stamp. The key to his astounding success is his exclusivity and relentless quest for excellence, which have not only helped him to carry on but to move across genres. 

From the romantic tragedies to fun-filled comedies to bone-crunching action-packed films, — the fluidity in his performance has stayed intact down the years.

Looking through the characters Dilip Kumar played through his long and distinguished career,one can find that while he had been Jagdish, Ramesh, Ram, Mohan, Ashok, Manoj, Vijay, Shankar, Devdas and even Gunga, he had never played a Muslim character except once and that once doesn’t count because Prince Salim in Mughal-E-Azam is a historical character who happens to be Muslim.

In 1961 Dilip Kumar produced and starred in Ganga Jamuna opposite his frequent leading lady Vyjayanthimala and his brother Nasir Khan, which was a trend-setting movie in many respect. This mile-stone of a movie elicited a very powerful performance from Dilip Kumar. Astonishingly, Dilip Kumar did not win the Filmfare Award. 

He was of course nominated under that category. Directed by Nitin Bose, Ganga Jamuna features real life brothers Dilip Kumar and Nasir Khan in the title role. It was one of the biggest hits of 1960s and still considered as one of the most successful Indian movie in terms of box office collection. Naushad's music was popular.

Shailendra with filmmaker Mehboob Khan, Basu Bhattacharya and Dilip Kumar.

His charm and appeal are everlasting and he continues to be a source of inspiration for actors till today. He is an actor who has done Hindi cinema proud.

Dilip Kumar and Leena Chandavarkar in a still from Bairaag (1976)

‘King of Tragedy’ Dilip Kumar aka Yusuf Khan and Saira Banu’s love saga is no less than a fairy tale. Saira was in love with Dilip Kumar right from the age of 12. 

Saira got married to her childhood crush Dilip Kumar in 1966, when she was 22 while Dilip Kumar was 44. This raised a lot of questions. Many detractors of the couple felt that this relationship would soon fall apart. 

They believed that the age gap between the couple would be an hindrance to their relationship. But Saira Banu stood with him through thick and thin over the years. 

Dilip and Saira Banu have been together for more than 50 years, and the couple has proved their invincible and indomitable love for each other despite going through troubled times.

Whether you talk about Ek Duuje Ke Liye or Mughal-e-Azam, the essence of eternal love has always been depicted with all its vibrant charm, tinged with sadness of estrangement in Bollywood films.

While Bollywood flicks may be bubbling with the emotions of eternal romance, very few real life celebrity couples can be remembered for lifelong devotion towards their partners. 

Dilip Kumar as Roman prince Marcus in Bimal Roy's Yahudi (1958)

And, one of the most vibrant and beautiful examples of this is the evergreen couple, Dilip Kumar and Saira Banu. They have always stayed by each other's side through the thick and thin of the life. 

With Motilal in Devdas.

And, theirs is a love story that overcame an age difference of 22 years and is still going strong.Theirs has been one of Bollywood’s rare love stories. They had married in an elegant nikaah ceremony on October 11th, 1966. 

The film industry’s most adored actor, was 44. And his bride, 22, at the time. The 50-year-old marriage has survived the occasional storm. Ever since the legendary actor quit films after his last, Qila (1988), Saira Banu has been his abiding support system.

Nutan and Dilip Kumar with their Best Actor Filmfare trophies in 1968.

May Almighty give long and healthy life to the Legend of Hindi silver screen Dilip Kumar.