Saira Banu Thanks PM Narendra Modi for 'Early Morning Gracious Call' After Dilip Kumar's Death

Saira Banu has thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his “early morning gracious call” to offer condolences on the death of her husband, legendary actor Dilip Kumar. Kumar died at a Mumbai hospital on Wednesday morning after a prolonged illness. He was 98. Saira Banu was constantly by his side at the hospital while he underwent treatment.

Taking to Dilip Kumar’s official Twitter handle, Saira Banu said, “Thank you hon’ble @PMOIndia Shri @narendramodi ji for your early morning gracious phone call and condolences. -Saira Banu Khan.” She was responding to Modi’s tweet in which the PM had paid tribute to Dilip Kumar.

Modi on Wednesday condoled the demise of Dilip Kumar, saying he will be remembered as a cinematic legend and his passing away is a loss to our cultural world. “Dilip Kumar Ji will be remembered as a cinematic legend. He was blessed with unparalleled brilliance, due to which audiences across generations were enthralled,” Prime Minister Modi said in a tweet.

“His passing away is a loss to our cultural world. Condolences to his family, friends and innumerable admirers. RIP,” the PM added.

Kumar, 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’, had been admitted to the Hinduja Hospital, a non-COVID-19 facility in Khar, since last Tuesday.

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”.

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