When Saira Banu’s Family Asked Dilip Kumar To Discourage Her Acting Ambitions: ‘I Hold This Against Him’
Saira Banu revealed how her family once asked Dilip Kumar to discourage her from joining films.
Saira Banu first fell in love with the on-screen persona of Dilip Kumar when she was just 12, deciding then that she wanted to marry him. Living in London at the time and not yet personally acquainted with him, Saira pursued acting in her late teens despite her family’s objections. Her family, who shared a close friendship with Dilip, secretly reached out to him, asking him to discourage her from joining the film industry. To honor their wishes, Dilip even declined roles alongside her, hoping she might reconsider her path.
Recalling how Dilip Kumar turned down films with her, Saira shared with ATN Canada, “Do you know he (Dilip) refused film after film with me, including Ram Aur Shyam; this is something I hold against him." Dilip explained in the same interview, “The decision was made under instructions. Some of Saira’s family members didn’t want her to be in films, and I thought I would be displeasing her family members. I was a good friend of her father as well as her grandfather. They had sent messages to me to persuade her to drop all this. Not that I was successful in doing so, but I thought it would be betrayal if I did a film with her."
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In his memoir, The Substance And The Shadow: An Autobiography, Dilip recounted the casting process of Ram Aur Shyam. He was set to play dual roles, with Waheeda Rehman as one love interest, while they searched for another actress after Vyjayanthimala exited the film due to an “uncalled for tantrum."
“Nagi Reddy was all admiration for Saira and her recent performances and was certain that her pairing with me in the comedy situations would be a huge draw since she possessed a wonderful flair for spirited comedy," Dilip recalled. “Since it was my practice to take an active interest in the making of my film, I voiced my opinion that I did not agree with Nagi Reddy on this issue because I felt she was too delicate and innocent in appearance for a character that had to have loads of seductive appeal and a bold, buxom appearance." Eventually, the role went to Mumtaz, a pivotal opportunity that boosted her career.
However, before Ram Aur Shyam wrapped, Dilip encountered Saira at her birthday celebration, where he found himself smitten. Soon after, he announced their engagement, and the couple married later that same year. Dilip and Saira remained married until his passing in 2021.
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