Dilip Kumar left a treasure of memories for me: On Saira Banu’s death anniversary
Veteran actress Saira Banu remembered late veteran star Dilip Kumar on his fifth death anniversary with an emotional note and pictures from their life together. He called him his “sir” and reflected on their memories, togetherness and the love between them.
Veteran actress Saira Banu on Tuesday celebrated Dilip Kumar’s fifth death anniversary with an emotional note on social media. Sharing a carousel of photos from his life, he remembered the late actor as his “sahab” and wrote about their years together, the memories they created and the void left by his death on July 7, 2021.
He began his note by considering memory and loss, saying that a person is never truly gone because life moves through memories. He described memories as loyal companions that return with smiles, glances and words, and said that missing someone is the clearest sign that they have not been forgotten.
❮❯
Reminiscing about her life with Dilip Kumar, Saira said that the biggest gift he left for her was lifelong memories. Affectionately referring to him as “Sahab”, she wrote, “I often believe that before leaving this earthly world Sahab had given me an infinite treasure: a treasure of memories so rich that I would spend the rest of my days living among them.”
He also recalled the day he died and said that the loss was felt not only by him, but by people around the world who admired him.
In his words, “On this day, July 7, 2021, Dilip Kumar left not only me, but the entire world that valued him. His family, friends, fans and siblings in cinema are left with a void that can never be described in words. Yet, for me, he was much more than the person the world celebrated. He was the steadfast foundation of my life, the quiet force I depended on.”
Saira described their relationship as based on companionship, trust and mutual respect. He wrote, “Our life was not just a living together, but a life full of it. Such was the generosity of his spirit, and the graciousness with which he shouldered every responsibility, that he gave me the rare privilege of simply being his companion.”
He said that the world will always remember Dilip Kumar as one of the greatest actors of Indian cinema, but those close to him also know his gentlemanly side. He wrote, “The world will always remember him as one of the greatest actors to grace the silver screen. Yet those who truly knew him will remember his gentle greatness: a philanthropist, a dear friend and, above all, a human being whose compassion was as limitless as his dignity.”
Reflecting on what it meant to share her life with him, she wrote that she now realizes that she has not only witnessed history, but lived within it, becoming part of a legacy that future generations will continue to celebrate. He said that his love for her had not changed in the years since his death, adding that he had fallen out of her sight, but never from her life, and that memories of her still returned to him every day.
Concluding the note, Saira Banu expressed her gratitude for loving and being loved by Dilip Kumar and said that it is one of the biggest blessings of her life.
Dilip Kumar, considered one of the greatest actors in the history of Indian cinema, passed away on July 7, 2021, at the age of 98.