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Saira Banu pursued acting despite the disapproval of her family. They, who were good friends with Dilip Kumar, requested him to dissuade her from entering into the film business. Published: November 1, 2024 4:16 PM IST By Saira Banu was just 12 years old when she was captivated by Dilip Kumar.
Despite not knowing him directly, she had a fantasy of marrying him while she was living in London. As she became older, she decided to work in the film industry. Her family, though, disapproved of her decision.
They reached out to their family friend Dilip Kumar, and they asked him to discourage her from entering the industry. You won’t believe but the veteran star turned down several opportunities to work with Saira to fulfil her family’s wish. According to her, this was the only thing she disliked about him.
Speaking to ATN Canada, Saira Banu revealed how Dilip Kumar declined to work with her on movies. He turned down jobs hoping she would change her mind. “Do you know he (Dilip) refused film after film with me, including Ram Aur Shyam; this is something I hold against him, ” she said.
“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, explained Dilip in the same interview. Dilip Kumar described the casting process for the movie , in which he played two parts, in his autobiography, ‘The Substance and The Shadow: An Autobiography.
’ Waheeda Rehman was first chosen to play his love interest in one of the parts, but after Vyjayanthimala was fired for an unplanned outburst, the hunt for a new heroine started. Dilip notes that producer Nagi Reddy thought Saira Banu’s comic skills would work like magic when paired with him. Dilip, however, disagreed, saying that Saira’s delicate and innocent look was inappropriate for a role that needed a more seductive and assertive presence.
Mumtaz eventually got the part, which was a significant opportunity that advanced her career. However, Dilip met Saira at her birthday party before ‘ ‘ wrapping, and he fell in love. He soon declared their engagement, and later that year, the pair was married.
Dilip and Saira were married before he died in 2021. For breaking news and live news updates, like us on or follow us on and . Read more on Latest on .
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