5 min readNew DelhiJul 7, 2026 03:45 PM IST
Dilip Kumar and Saira Banu’s love story has inspired generations. Even after Dilip’s demise in 2021, their relationship continues to be regarded as an enduring example of true love. On his death anniversary on July 7, Saira remembered her late husband with an emotional social media post.
Taking to her Instagram handle, the Padosan actor shared pictures of herself with Dilip. Along with the post, she wrote in the caption, “The most beautiful thing about life is that it never truly departs. It lingers in memories. And memories, unlike time, are faithful companions. They return unbidden, carrying every smile, every glance, every word, as though nothing has ever truly been lost. To remember someone is perhaps the purest proof that they have never been forgotten.”
Saira further recalled the day of Dilip’s demise, when he left his family, friends, and fans forever. Saira added, “I often believe that Sahib bestowed upon me a treasure beyond measure before he took leave of this earthly world: a treasury of memories so rich that I shall spend the remainder of my days living amongst them. On this day, the 7th of July, 2021, Dilip Kumar left not only me, but an entire world that cherished him. His family, friends, admirers and brethren in cinema were left with an emptiness words can never quite describe. Yet, for me, he was far more than the man the world celebrated. He was the steadfast anchor of my life, the quiet strength upon which I leaned.”
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Saira Banu said they had shared a fulfilling life together and remembered Dilip Kumar as a kind and compassionate person. “Ours was not merely a life lived together, but a life fulfilled. Such was the generosity of his spirit and the grace with which he carried every responsibility, that he allowed me the rare privilege simply to be his companion. The world shall forever remember him as one of the greatest artists to have adorned the silver screen. Yet those who truly knew him shall remember a gentler greatness: a philanthropist, a cherished friend, and above all, a human being whose compassion was as boundless as his dignity,” she wrote.
“Looking back, I realise I was not merely witnessing history, I was dwelling within it. Unknowingly, I became a humble part of a legacy that generations shall continue to celebrate. Five years have passed since Sahib departed from my sight, yet never from my life. Love of such depth does not submit to time, nor does companionship of such grace surrender to absence. He resides wherever my memories wander, and they wander to him every single day. If I have been fortunate in this lifetime, it is because I was granted the immeasurable honour of loving, and being loved by, Dilip Kumar. And that is a blessing for which my soul shall remain grateful until we meet again,” Saira Banu concluded her caption.
Dilip Kumar regretted leaving Saira Banu
After 16 years of marriage with Saira Banu, Dilip Kumar got married for the second time in 1982 to a woman named Asma Rehman, while he was still married to Saira. He regretted the decision later and divorced Asma in 1980s. Then, he got back together with Saira, and they were together until his death in 2021.
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The late actor had confessed about his second marriage in his book, The Substance And The Shadow: An Autobiography. “I can never forget or forgive myself for the hurt I caused to Saira and the shattering of the unshakeable faith she had in me,” he confessed, further adding, “Saira stood by me when I admitted the grave mistake and asked her to give me some time to undo the wrong through proper legal processes and restore the sanctity of our marriage of sixteen years. I requested Saira to give me some time to sort it all out,” he confessed.
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Author Udaytara Nayar, who worked on Dilip Kumar’s memoir, had told City Express, “There are many versions about it but the truth is that the whole thing was orchestrated by Dilip Sahab’s two sisters. They had never liked Saira and the book reveals how they treated her when she came into Sahab’s life as a wife. They created circumstances where Sahab was trapped and this second marriage was their way of getting back at Saira.”
Saira Banu remembers 'anchor' Dilip Kumar on his death anniversary