Veteran actor Dilip Kumar, who enthralled India with 'Devdas' & 'Mughal-e-Azam', passes away at 98; Modi mourns 'cinematic legend'

The actor had been ailing for a long time.

By ET Online and Agencies | Updated: Jul 07, 2021, 11.43 AM IST

Dilip Kumar, legendary Bollywood actor, passes away at 98 in Mumbai

India woke up to some sad news with the death of legendary actor Dilip Kumar on Wednesday morning. The actor was 98 years old at the time of his death.

Yousuf Khan, who had taken up the screen name of Dilip Kumar while making his foray in films, had been ill for a while. He was being treated at Mumbai's Hinduja Hospital where the doctors pronounced him dead earlier today.

Dilip Kumar was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of Hinduja Hospital, Khar, on June 29, after reportedly complaining of breathlessness.

The veteran actor was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) last Wednesday (June 29), after reportedly complaining of breathlessness.

“He passed away due to prolonged illness at 7.30 am,” Dr Jalil Parkar, who had been treating Kumar, told news agency PTI.

With a heavy heart and profound grief, I announce the passing away of our beloved Dilip Saab, few minutes ago. W… https://t.co/nlttkQQQsK
— Dilip Kumar (@TheDilipKumar) 1625625115000

Minutes after the news broke, a tweet went out from the actor's official Twitter handle which was posted by family friend Faisal Farooqui, confirming the demise .

Prime Minister Narendra Modi mourned the loss of the "cinematic legend" who he wrote was "blessed with unparalleled brilliance, due to which audiences across generations were enthralled."

Dilip Kumar Ji will be remembered as a cinematic legend. He was blessed with unparalleled brilliance, due to which… https://t.co/CiBjaPMqOM
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) 1625627118000

The actor was known to generations of film-goers as ‘tragedy king' for his portrayal of the brooding, intense romantic in classics such as 'Mughal-e-Azam' and 'Devdas'.

Kumar, who was married to actor Saira Banu, had been in and out of hospital the last one month and his family had hoped that he would get better.

dilip kumar_bccl — Dilip Kumar had a five-decade-long illustrious career in the Hindi film industry and had worked with actors spanning generations.

The Hindi cinema veteran, the last of the golden troika with Raj Kapoor and Dev Anand, was admitted to hospital last month following episodes of breathlessness. He was then diagnosed with bilateral pleural effusion, a build-up of excess fluid between the layers of the pleura outside the lungs, and underwent a successful pleural aspiration procedure. He was discharged after five days only to be admitted to the hospital again.

Kumar, born Yousuf Khan and often known as the Nehruvian hero, did his first film 'Jwar Bhata' in 1944 and his last 'Qila' in 1998, 54 years later. The five-decade career included 'Mughal-e-Azam', 'Devdas', 'Naya Daur', and 'Ram Aur Shyam', and later, as he graduated to character roles, 'Shakti' and 'Karma'.

Dilip Kumar: 'Tragedy King' On Screen Who Made Method Acting His Style

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Dilip Kumar a.k.a. Muhammad Yusuf Khan, was the first official Khan of Bollywood. The actor, producer and activist was often described as the 'ultimate method actor'. He debuted as an actor in the film 'Jwar Bhata' produced by Bombay Talkies, and his career spanned over six decades and over 65 films.

Known as the Tragedy King, and the first superstar of Bollywood, veteran actor Dilip Kumar is credited with bringing realism to film acting in the Indian subcontinent. Kumar was one of the biggest Indian movie stars, and a pioneer of method acting, predating Hollywood method actors such as Marlon Brando.