Dilip Kumar, one of Bollywood's most iconic and revered actors, passed away on Wednesday at the age of 98, from prolonged illness. His death sparked a wave of tributes rushing in from the film fraternity, politicians, sportspersons and fans.
Kumar, who was born Mohammed Yusuf Khan on December 11, 1922, changed his name soon after venturing into the industry to spare himself of his stern father’s criticism.
With Dev Anand and Raj Kapoor, Kumar was one of the three most legendary and marketable actors, who defined the golden age of Indian cinema from the 1940s to the 1960s.
Also Read - Indian cinema legend Dilip Kumar passes away
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union defence minister Rajnath Singh paid tribute to the late actor on twitter.
Union home minister Amit Shah called Dilip Kumar "a veritable legend of the silver screen".
Indian President Ram Nath Kovind said, "Dilip Kumar summarised in himself a history of emerging India. The thespian's charm transcended all boundaries, and he was loved across the subcontinent. With his demise, an era ends."
Saddened to learn of Dilip Kumar's passing. I can never forget his generosity in giving his time to help raise funds for SKMTH when project launched. This is the most difficult time - to raise first 10% of the funds & his appearance in Pak & London helped raise huge amounts.
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) July 7, 2021
Shared many moments with the legend...some very personal, some on stage. Yet, nothing really prepared me for his passing away. An institution, a timeless actor. Heartbroken.
— Ajay Devgn (@ajaydevgn) July 7, 2021
Deepest condolences to Sairaji??#DilipKumar pic.twitter.com/Il8qaMOOhf
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.
— Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) July 7, 2021
My thoughts and prayers are with his family. Om Shanti ?? pic.twitter.com/dVwV7CUfxh
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said, "His extraordinary contribution to Indian cinema will be remembered for generations to come.”
Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal called the iconic actor’s demise "end of an era". He wrote, "Yusuf Sahab's brilliant acting was like a university in the art world. He will live on in the hearts of all of us. May God place the departed soul at his feet.”
Dililp Kumar saheb. A career that teaches many actors like me a standard and commitment to maintain in their performance. Truly one of the greatest actors of India leaves us today but leaves us with a treasure trove of his brilliance through his acting. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/PNdBzjYj7R
— Kamal Haasan (@ikamalhaasan) July 7, 2021
T 3958 - An institution has gone .. whenever the history of Indian Cinema will be written , it shall always be 'before Dilip Kumar, and after Dilip Kumar' ..
— Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) July 7, 2021
My duas for peace of his soul and the strength to the family to bear this loss .. ???
Deeply saddened .. ?
India's opening batsman, Shikhar Dhawan, called him a "genius actor". "An inspiration for generations to come," he twitted.
Animal rights pressure group PETA India paid tribute to the late icon, saying "animals everywhere have lost a great friend". Kumar had helped enact a ban on the entry of elephants into Mumbai, "sparing them violence and cruelty and ensuring the safety of Mumbai's human residents".