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‘Dilip Kumar is copying Shah Rukh Khan’: Director recalls painful moment during Dilip’s last film Qila
Umesh Mehra recalled how Dilip Kumar remained unmatched as an actor, but audiences had forgotten the legend by the time they watched his final film Qila.
Dilip Kumar passed away in 2021.
For decades, Dilip Kumar was regarded as the undisputed king of tragedy, an actor whose craft, restraint and sheer screen presence remained difficult to match. Despite appearing in just over 50 films across a career spanning decades, he left an influence that extended far beyond the number of roles he played. His method of acting, his command over silence and his ability to convey emotion with the slightest expression shaped generations of performers, including Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan, both of whom have spoken about the profound impact he had on their work.
‘People had forgotten him’
Yet, by the time filmmaker Umesh Mehra directed Dilip Kumar in his final released film, Qila, Mehra was confronted with a rather painful reality: the actor who had once been a towering figure in Indian cinema was no longer as recognisable to the younger generation. Speaking to DD Urdu, Mehra recalled that Dilip Kumar had been away from films for nearly two decades. “When I worked with him, he hadn’t done a film for, I think, 15, 17, or 18 years. He hadn’t forgotten how to act, but people had forgotten him. Those of us in the industry remembered who Dilip Kumar was, but the public had forgotten.”
What stayed with Mehra, however, was one particularly painful moment during a screening of Qila. He recalled listening to audience reactions during the interval when he overheard a young boy making a comment about the legendary actor. “There was one very miserable incident that I witnessed, where young boys simply didn’t know who he was. It feels very sad. There was this one comment from a child that still rings in my ears. It was during the interval. We would listen in to the reactions from the audience. And as this child was walking out, he said to his father, ‘Papa, he’s copying Shah Rukh Khan.’”
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The irony of the remark becomes even more striking when viewed against the deep admiration Shah Rukh Khan himself had for Dilip Kumar. Over the years, Saira Banu fondly referred to Shah Rukh as their “child”, while the actor remained close to the couple and continued to visit Dilip Kumar in his later years. Shah Rukh has also spoken about one of his earliest encounters with the legend, recalling it with the kind of humour that only deep admiration can make possible. At the Zee Cine Awards in 2001, while hosting the ceremony, he remembered Dilip Kumar giving him what he jokingly described as a “slap”.
SRK said, “Ladies and gentlemen, I am blessed because when I came to Bombay and met Dilip Sahab for the first time, he lightly tapped me on my cheek and said, ‘Work hard!’ Let me tell you, when a man from Peshawar gives even a light tap, it feels like a huge slap.” He added with a smile, “But I don’t mind, because that one small slap pushed my acting career forward for a decade. Now, I believe if I want my career to move ahead again, I will request Dilip Sahab for another tight slap, maybe it will keep me relevant for another two decades.”
Dilip Kumar passed away at the age of 98 on July 7, 2021.
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