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Dilip Kumar Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated October 4, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth11 December 1922

Age98 (at time of death)

BirthplacePeshawar, North-West Frontier Province, British India

ProfessionActor, Film Producer, Politician

NationalityIndian

Marital statusMarried (at time of death)

SpouseSaira Banu (married 1966 until his death); Asma Rehman (married 1980–div.1982)

FamilyParents: Lala Ghulam Sarwar and Ayesha Begum; notable sibling Nasir Khan (actor)

Dilip Kumar Biography

One of Indian cinema’s most celebrated actors, Dilip Kumar built a six-decade career defined by powerful dramatic performances, industry firsts and a long,

Early life and background

Born Mohammed Yusuf Khan on 11 December 1922 in Peshawar, then part of British India’s North-West Frontier Province, Dilip Kumar moved with his family to Bombay as a young man. His father worked as a landlord and fruit merchant and owned orchards in Deolali and Peshawar. As a teenager he spent periods away from home, including a spell in Pune where he ran a dry fruit shop and a sandwich stall before entering films.

He attended Barnes School in Deolali and Anjuman-I-Islam Urdu School in Mumbai, later graduating from Guru Nanak Khalsa College. Raised in a Hindko-speaking Awan family, his early years combined traditional schooling with an interest in English-language cinema and sports such as cricket and football.

Career

Dilip Kumar made his screen debut in the 1944 film Jwar Bhata under the name Devika Rani and Himanshu Rai suggested — and helped him adopt — the stage name Dilip Kumar. After a slow start, he broke through with Jugnu (1947) and then with a series of successful films during the late 1940s and 1950s, including Shaheed, Mela, Andaz, Jogan, Babul and Hulchul.

Throughout the 1950s and 1960s Kumar became known for deeply felt, often tragic roles. He played the title character in the memorable 1955 production of Devdas and took on the role of Prince Salim in K. Asif’s epic Mughal-e-Azam (1960), a landmark film that remained one of Hindi cinema’s biggest box-office earners for decades. He also starred in Gunga Jamuna (1961), in which his real-life brother Nasir Khan played his on-screen sibling, and later reunited with him in Bairaag (1976).

Kumar was a major box-office draw in his era and set industry benchmarks: in the 1950s he became the first Indian actor to command a fee of Rs. 100,000 per film. He expanded his contribution to cinema by producing Ganga Jamuna (1961) and continued acting for many years, with his last screen appearance in the 1998 film Qila.

Awards and recognition

Dilip Kumar’s career attracted wide acclaim and many honours. He won the Filmfare Award for Best Actor multiple times across the 1950s, 1960s and beyond, setting a Guinness World Record for the most Best Actor Filmfare awards by an Indian actor as of 2021. His accolades include repeated critics’ awards, national recognitions such as the Padma Bhushan (1991) and later the Padma Vibhushan (2015), the Dadasaheb Phalke Award (1994), and a National Film Award lifetime achievement honour in 2008. He was also appointed Sheriff of Bombay for the 1979–1982 period and received international honours, including Pakistan’s Nishan-e-Imtiaz in 1998.

Filmography highlights

Kumar’s body of work spans landmark films and genre variety: Jwar Bhata (1944, debut), Jugnu (1947), Andaz (1949), Devdas (1955), Aan (1952, his first technicolor film), Mughal-e-Azam (1960), Gunga Jamuna (1961), Ram Aur Shyam and Leader among others, and his final film Qila (1998).

Public profile

Known in media and among peers by honorifics such as “Dilip Saab” and often praised as a master of method acting, he combined a careful public persona with occasional off-screen passion projects. Political leaders of his time engaged with him: he was invited by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to address an Indian Youth Congress conference.

Personal life

Dilip Kumar married actress Saira Banu in 1966; the couple remained married until his death. Earlier in life he had a long association with actress Madhubala, with whom he was once engaged. He later had a brief marriage to Asma Rehman in 1980 that ended in divorce. Kumar and Saira Banu did not have children following a miscarriage in 1972.

He maintained hobbies including reading theatre and film journals, followed sports, enjoyed stir-fried vegetables and omelettes, and owned a notable red Mercedes. Physically he was listed at about 5 feet 9 inches with black eyes and salt-and-pepper hair in later years.

Later years and death

Dilip Kumar lived in Mumbai for much of his adult life. After a long and influential career in film and public life, he died on 7 July 2021 at Hinduja Hospital in Mumbai at the age of 98 following a prolonged illness.

Latest updates

By the time of his death Kumar’s legacy included dozens of awards, record-setting Filmfare success and recognition from both Indian and international bodies. Tributes and retrospectives continue to mark his contribution to Indian cinema.

Editorial Review and Sources

This F4U profile is written from publicly available career and profile information, then reviewed for clarity before publication. If you spot an outdated detail about Dilip Kumar, send the page URL and a reliable correction source to f4udotin@gmail.com.

Reference context: StarsUnfolded
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Recent Work

Qila

Final film appearance as Judge Amarnath Singh/Jagannath Singh

1998
Ganga Jamuna

Produced the film; also a major acting success

1961
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Career Highlights

  1. Debuted in films with Jwar Bhata (1944)
  2. First Indian actor to charge Rs. 1 lakh per film
  3. Won multiple Filmfare Best Actor awards and holds a Guinness World Record for the most Best Actor Filmfare awards by an Indian actor (as of 2021)
  4. Portrayed Prince Salim in Mughal-e-Azam (1960), one of Hindi cinema’s most celebrated epics
  5. Recipient of Padma Bhushan (1991), Dadasaheb Phalke Award (1994), Padma Vibhushan (2015)
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Dilip Kumar born?

11 December 1922

What is Dilip Kumar known for?

Actor, Film Producer, Politician

What is Dilip Kumar’s marital status?

Married (at time of death)

Who is Dilip Kumar married to?

Saira Banu (married 1966 until his death); Asma Rehman (married 1980–div.1982)