Dilip Kumar, Bollywood’s ‘Tragedy King’, dies at 98 in Mumbai
- The ‘Tragedy King’ title came from Kumar’s numerous serious roles. In several, his character died as a frustrated lover and a drunkard
- He was hospitalised twice last month after he complained of breathlessness. His family tweeted the announcement of his death
Dilip Kumar, one of Bollywood’s most accomplished and respected film stars, died on Wednesday aged 98, prompting tributes from across Indian and Pakistani cinema, politics, sport and even animal rights.
Kumar was one of the biggest names of India’s golden age of cinema from the 1940s to the 1960s. Nicknamed “The Tragedy King”, the actor with brooding good looks, tousled hair, and a deep voice starred in nearly 60 films in a career spanning 50 years.
“Dilip Kumar... will be remembered as a cinematic legend,” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Twitter. “He was blessed with unparalleled brilliance, due to which audiences across generations were enthralled. His passing away is a loss to our cultural world.”
Kumar was born Mohammed Yusuf Khan on December 11, 1922, in Peshawar, Pakistan, which was then part of British-ruled India. His father was a fruit merchant who took his family to India’s entertainment capital in the 1930s.
Kumar was spotted selling fruit at his father’s stall in Bombay – now Mumbai – by actress Devika Rani. He changed his name to hide his profession from his disapproving father.
Among his most remembered roles was the lavish historical romance Mughal-e-Azam, based on the life of a great Mughal prince. It became one of Bollywood’s biggest-grossing films of all time.