Saira Banu’s family requested Dilip Kumar to discourage her from joining films: ‘This is something I hold against him’

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In his memoir, ‘The Substance And The Shadow: An Autobiography’, Dilip recalled the casting of Ram Aur Shyam. The film had Dilip play dual role, for one of his role, Waheeda Rehman was cast as his love interest, however, they were in search of another heroine for his other role after firing Vyjayanthimala for a “tantrum that was uncalled for.”

Dilip recalled, “Nagi Reddy was all admiration for Saira and her recent performances and was certain that her pairing with me in the comedy situations would be a huge draw since she possessed a wonderful flair for spirited comedy. Since it was my practice to take an active interest in the making of my film, I voiced my opinion that I did not agree with Nagi Reddy on this issue because I felt she was too delicate and innocent in appearance for a character that had to have loads of seductive appeal and a bold, buxom appearance.” Eventually, the role went to Mumtaz, which became a career-changing opportunity for the actress.

However, even before wrapping up the film Ram Aur Shyam, Dilip met Saira at her birthday, where he fell in love with her and eventually announced their engagement. In the same year, the couple tied the knot.

Dilip and Saira stayed married until he passed in 2021.