Daily Times

Legendary Bollywood actor Dilip Kumar — one of the biggest stars in the golden age of Indian cinema from the 1940s to the 1960s — passed away at the age of 98.

Dr Jalil Parkar, the pulmonologist treating the actor at Mumbai’s PD Hinduja hospital confirmed on Wednesday.

“With a heavy heart and profound grief, I announce the passing away of our beloved Dilip saab,” Faisal Farooqui – a family friend – posted on the actor’s official Twitter.

The legendary actor was admitted to Mumbai’s Hinduja Hospital after complaining of breathlessness – it was the second time he had been hospitalised in the same month.

According to the Hindustan Times, Kumar had been admitted to the intensive care unit on June 30 while he was earlier admitted to the same hospital on June 6 after experiencing breathlessness.

Born on December 11, 1922 in Peshawar (now in Pakistan) as Mohammad Yousuf Khan, he began his film career in 1944 with Jawar Bhata.

Known as the tragedy king in Indian cinema, Dilip Kumar acted in over 65 films in his legendary career. Three years after Jawar Bhata, the 1947 drama Jugnu opposite Noor Jehan, was the first major hit for Kumar.

He was part of the movies like Daag (1954), Devdas (1955), Azaad (1956), Naya Daur (1957), Mughal-e-Azam (1960), Ganga Jamuna (1961), Ram Aur Shyam (1967), Dastaan (1972), Kranti (1981), and Karma (1986). He was last seen in Qila in 1998.

Condolences poured in from political, social and cultural circles in India and Pakistan as they mourned the loss of the actor.

Prime Minister Imran Khan said that for his generation Kumar was the “greatest and most versatile actor”.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that Kumar will be remembered as a “cinematic legend”.

“He was blessed with unparalleled brilliance, due to which audiences across generations were enthralled. His passing away is a loss to our cultural world,” he said.

The actor got the sobriquet of Tragedy King because in hit after hit he featured in love triangles invariably losing the heroine in the end. With his brooding good looks, tousled hair and deep voice, Kumar ruled Bollywood.

“To the world many others may be heroes. To us actors, he was The Hero. #DilipKumar sir has taken an entire era of Indian cinema away with him,” said actor Akshay Kumar.

Kumar’s illustrious career spanned several decades in which he transitioned from playing the romantic-tragic lead to character roles from the ’80s.

In 2006 he accepted a lifetime achievement award at India’s National Film Awards in recognition of his contribution to Indian cinema.