July 7 marked the second death anniversary of legendary actor Dilip Kumar. He passed away in 2021 after a prolonged illness. His wife and veteran actress Saira Banu made her Instagram debut and wrote a long note for him. She also penned a heartfelt note for a news portal, where she spoke about her plans for the day.
Both, Saira and Dilip were married for 55 years. Sharing a black-and-white picture of herself and Dilip, as well as a more recent throwback of the couple, she wrote, “I am writing this note on the 7th of July to especially express my gratitude to the overwhelming multitude of caring well-wishers and dearest friends from the world over who have so tremendously swept me off my feet till today with their everlasting remembrance, love and respect for my Kohinoor, Dilip Kumar Sahib. This is the day, 7th of July at 7am when time stood still and my loved one slid into a deep slumber…”
She further added in her Instagram caption, "Till this day, I feel he is with me and no matter what, we will still walk the path of life together, hand in hand, one in our thoughts and being until the end of time.”
Saira also shared how she plans to use her new Instagram account. She concluded, "On Instagram, I would like to share his life, his thoughts and vision, as also his dedication and commitments not only to the Film Industry of which he has been the Ultimate Actor, but various other activities towards society and well-being of the world at large.”
Meanwhile, an excerpt from a note Saira wrote for a news outlet read, "I can’t fathom the fact that two years have gone by without Dilip saab, not around me. It just feels like yesterday when I was caressing his head or feeding him his favourite dishes and even listening to some of the finest melodies along with him. I remember him every second of my life. This day comes as a thunderstorm in my life. Since Dilip Saab’s passing away, life has been really difficult for me because we spent around 56 years together and grew up together as husband and wife.”
Born Yousuf Khan, Dilip Kumar made his acting debut with the film ‘Jwar Bhata’ in 1944. His last film was ‘Qila’ in 1998. His five-decade career included films such as ‘Mughal-e-Azam,’ ‘Devdas,’ ‘Naya Daur’ and ‘Ram Aur Shyam’ among many others.