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Dilip Kumar, original name Muhammad Yusuf Khan, (born December 11, 1922, Peshawar, British India [now in Pakistan]—died July 7, 2021, Mumbai, India), one of the legendary actors of Bollywood. With his low-key, naturalistic acting style, he excelled in a wide range of roles. In addition to his acting, he was noted for his good looks, deep voice, and fine accent. Kumar was born into a Pashtun family of 12 children. He moved to Bombay (now Mumbai) and began working in a British army canteen, where he was noticed by Devika Rani, a leading actress of the time, and her husband, Himanshu Rai, who hired him to act for the Bombay Talkies, a film company they owned. Kumar made his acting debut with the film Jwar bhata (1944), but it was not until a few years later that he had a box-office hit, with the film Jugnu (1947). In 1949 he costarred with Raj Kapoor in Mehboob Khan’s film Andaz (“A Matter of Style”), which catapulted him to stardom. As Kumar’s career progressed, he played a string of ill-fated characters in films such as Deedar (1951; “Meeting”), Daag (1952)—for which he received the first of eight Filmfare Awards for best actor—and Devdas (1955). His screen persona acquired mournful overtones, and he was known as the “king of tragedy.” Eventually, he opted for a brighter image, playing swashbuckling heroes in such films as Aan (1953; “Pride”), Azaad (1955; “Free”), Insaniyat (1955; “Humane”), and Kohinoor (1960). In the blockbuster Mughal-e-Azam (1960), set in the 16th century, he played Crown Prince Salim, son of the great Mughal emperor Akbar. Kumar’s other memorable films included Bimal Roy’s Madhumati (1958), Nitin Bose’s Gunga Jumna (1961), and Tapan Sinha’s Sagina (1974). After an extended hiatus, Kumar made a comeback with Manoj Kumar’s film Kranti (1981; “Revolution”). Thereafter he played key roles in Subhash Ghai’s Vidhaata (1982), Karma (1986), and Saudagar (1991; “Merchant”). He was also noted for his performance in Ramesh Sippy’s Shakti (1982; “Strength”). Kumar’s last film was the family drama Qila (1998; “Fort”).

In 1994 Kumar received a Filmfare Award for lifetime achievement. The following year he was given the Dadasaheb Phalke award, India’s highest award for cinematic excellence. In 1998 he was awarded the Nishan-e-Imtiaz, Pakistan’s highest civilian award, becoming the second Indian (after Morarji Desai) to receive the honour. That same year he announced his intention to retire from acting. From 2000 to 2006 he served as a member of the Rajya Sabha, the upper chamber of India’s bicameral parliament. In 2015 he was awarded India's second highest civilian honour, the Padma Vibhushan.

Description
Dilip Kumar, original name Muhammad Yusuf Khan, (born December 11, 1922, Peshawar, British India [now in Pakistan]—died July 7, 2021, Mumbai, India), one of the legendary actors of Bollywood. With his low-key, naturalistic acting style, he excelled in a wide range of roles. In addition to his acting, he was noted for his good looks, deep voice, and fine accent. Kumar was born into a Pashtun family of 12 children. He moved to Bombay (now Mumbai) and began working in a British army canteen, where he was noticed by Devika Rani, a leading actress of the time, and her husband, Himanshu Rai, who hired him to act for the Bombay Talkies, a film company they owned. Kumar made his acting debut with the film Jwar bhata (1944), but it was not until a few years later that he had a box-office hit, with the film Jugnu (1947). In 1949 he costarred with Raj Kapoor in Mehboob Khan’s film Andaz (“A Matter of Style”), which catapulted him to stardom. As Kumar’s career progressed, he played a string of ill-fated characters in films such as Deedar (1951; “Meeting”), Daag (1952)—for which he received the first of eight Filmfare Awards for best actor—and Devdas (1955). His screen persona acquired mournful overtones, and he was known as the “king of tragedy.” Eventually, he opted for a brighter image, playing swashbuckling heroes in such films as Aan (1953; “Pride”), Azaad (1955; “Free”), Insaniyat (1955; “Humane”), and Kohinoor (1960). In the blockbuster Mughal-e-Azam (1960), set in the 16th century, he played Crown Prince Salim, son of the great Mughal emperor Akbar. Kumar’s other memorable films included Bimal Roy’s Madhumati (1958), Nitin Bose’s Gunga Jumna (1961), and Tapan Sinha’s Sagina (1974). After an extended hiatus, Kumar made a comeback with Manoj Kumar’s film Kranti (1981; “Revolution”). Thereafter he played key roles in Subhash Ghai’s Vidhaata (1982), Karma (1986), and Saudagar (1991; “Merchant”). He was also noted for his performance in Ramesh Sippy’s Shakti (1982; “Strength”). Kumar’s last film was the family drama Qila (1998; “Fort”).

In 1994 Kumar received a Filmfare Award for lifetime achievement. The following year he was given the Dadasaheb Phalke award, India’s highest award for cinematic excellence. In 1998 he was awarded the Nishan-e-Imtiaz, Pakistan’s highest civilian award, becoming the second Indian (after Morarji Desai) to receive the honour. That same year he announced his intention to retire from acting. From 2000 to 2006 he served as a member of the Rajya Sabha, the upper chamber of India’s bicameral parliament. In 2015 he was awarded India's second highest civilian honour, the Padma Vibhushan.