Dharmendra once broke into Dilip Kumar’s house, reveals Saira Banu: ‘Dharam was ghar ka aadmi’

Saira Banu then shared how Dharmendra once broke into Dilip Kumar’s house to meet him. “With the courage only youth can claim, he entered the home without anyone stopping him. And there he found Yousuf Sahib, fast asleep on the sofa, the afternoon sun falling softly across his face. Dharam stood frozen in awe until Yousuf Sahib stirred awake, and the poor boy, frightened by his own boldness, ran out of the house with the swiftness of a startled deer.”

The 81-year-old further recalled how destiny made the duo meet each other once again after several years. “Destiny brought them together again, this time through the Filmfare Talent Hunt. The meeting was arranged by Farida, Sahib’s younger sister, who worked with Femina, and it was here that young Dharmendra met the man he idolized, not as a distant star, but as an elder brother whose eyes held warmth, wisdom, and a rare gentleness. Yousuf Sahib spoke to him in that affectionate blend of English, Punjabi, and Urdu that only he could make sound like poetry. It was a chilly evening, and before parting, he took off his own sweater and draped it around the young aspirant’s shoulders. That simple gesture, rooted in pure affection, became the first thread of a lifelong bond,” the note read.

 

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She continued, “He could walk into our home at any hour, midnight or dawn, and he would always be received with love. There were times when superstardom weighed heavily upon him, when the glare of fame felt harsher than its glow. In those moments, it was to Yousuf Sahib that he would turn. And Yousuf Sahib would guide him, steady him, and remind him of the values that shaped him.”

Talking about the love Dharmendra had for Dilip Kumar, she shared, “Though fate allowed them to appear together in only one film, Paari, their real companionship was lived far away from lights, cameras, and screens. In Dharam’s home, among the precious photographs he kept of his parents and his sons, there stood one of Yousuf Sahib—such was his love.”

Saira Banu concluded, “Today, as I bid farewell to this noble, gentle soul, I am reminded of the towering humility he carried within him, the loyalty he offered to those he loved, and the vastness of his heart – so large that it embraced not just people, but life itself, with gratitude and grace. May the angels receive him with the warmth he so generously offered to others. May his onward journey be blessed, luminous, and wrapped in divine mercy. And may he rest in the eternal peace he so richly deserves.”

Dharmendra passed away at the age of 89 in Mumbai on Monday. His last rites were held at Mumbai’s Pawan Hans Crematorium.