One of Bollywood’s most dainty leading ladies of the 60s and 70s, Saira Banu’s acting career and love life have panned out to her heart’s content. She feels lucky to have never had to go looking for work to a film director or producer. But what she thanks Allah for every single day is to have been blessed with actor Dilip Kumar for a husband, whom she lovingly refers to as ‘My Kohinoor’.
She felt attracted to him for the first time at the age of 12, when he was 34. In an interview she revealed that at their very first encounter, while he casually noticed how beautiful she was, Saira already knew in her heart that one day, she will be his wife. There’s something so spectacular about love stories and cosmic connections like the one shared by Saira Banu and Dilip Kumar.
Hoping to catch a glimpse of him at the premiere of Mughal-e-Azam, Saira Banu waited for Dilip Kumar to arrive. She was heartbroken when he didn’t turn up. Soon after, when she herself had become a film star and was working with Shammi Kapoor in her debut film Junglee, it was her mother, actress Naseem Banu, who arranged for a special rendezvous. Dilip Kumar was at the height of his career but at his lowest point personally, heartbroken and lonely, having just parted ways with actress Madhubala, when he met the young Saira Banu.
The actress, who fell in love with Kumar after watching his 1952 film Aan, finally married the man of her dreams in 1966 when he was 44 and she was 22. Like Dilip Kumar, Saira Banu too had her share of link-ups and relationships before they got hitched. She was in love with actor Rajendra Kumar, who was a married man and had nothing to offer her. Rumours have it that Saira’s mother convinced Dilip Kumar to advise her daughter against taking things forward with Jubilee Kumar.
In his autobiography, Dilip Kumar recalls the moment when he fell in love with Saira. It was during a party thrown to celebrate her birthday.
Saira Banu with Dilip Kumar. Their last photograph tweeted by the @thedilipkumar Twitter handle.
(This story is from The Quint’s archives and was first published on 23 August 2015.)
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