One of the biggest stars of the golden age of cinema
India mourns 'King of Tragedy' Dilip Kumar
Dilip Kumar's career lasted 50 years, during which he starred in 60 films.
Reuters
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The death of Dilip Kumar, one of the biggest stars of the golden age of Indian cinema in the 1940s and 1960s, at the age of 98, has sparked emotional reactions from many actors and politicians.
Along with Dev Anand and Raj Kapoor, Kumar was one of the three big names who rose to prominence during the golden age of Indian cinema, which stretched from the 1940s to the 1960s, and his career lasted 50 years, during which he starred in 60 films.
Dubbed the "King of Tragedy" for his good looks, disheveled hair and deep voice, Kumar starred in some of the most successful films of Hindi cinema of the period.
Kumar most likely missed the opportunity to go global, by refusing David Lean's offer to take on the role of Sharif Ali in the 1962 movie "Lawrence of Arabia", a role that Egyptian actor Omar Sharif eventually assumed.
Kumar was born in 1922 in the city of Peshawar, in what is now northern Pakistan, as Muhammad Yusuf Khan.
Then in the 1930s, his father, who was a fruit merchant, moved his family to the Indian entertainment capital.
But Kumar turned down the opportunity to run his father's business, after actress Devika Rani spotted him at his father's booth in Bombay, to play his first role in the movie "Gawar Bhatta" in 1944.
Rani persuaded him to change his name, so he chose Dilip Kumar, which allowed him to hide what he was doing from his father, who refused his son's entry into the world of acting.
Despite the failure of "Guar Bhata", and criticism of the leading film magazines for his performance, Kumar was not discouraged, and in 1946 he participated in the film "Milan".
One of Kumar's most famous roles is that he played in "Mughal-e-Azam", one of the most important works of Indian cinema, and deals with a legendary story about an impossible love between a Mughal prince and his maid who was a court dancer.
Later, in 1964, Kumar, who stated that Marlon Brando, Gary Cooper, and Spencer Tracy were his inspirations, won acclaim for his role in The Commander, which was shown against the backdrop of the recent wars against China and Pakistan.
During the 1970s, he took on fewer roles, while younger actors such as Amitabh Bachchan became the center of attention.
After a series of ups and downs, he took a five-year hiatus, making a comeback in 1981 with Kranti (Revolution), and co-starring alongside Bachchan in Shakti (Power) the following year.
After a string of commercially unsuccessful films, Kumar became involved in politics in 1998, working to end the feud between India and Pakistan.
In the same year, he was awarded Pakistan's highest civilian honor, which angered Hindu nationalists.
Two years later, he became a deputy for the opposition party.
Unlike many actors who have appeared in hundreds of films, Kumar has carefully chosen roles that have raised his profile in the highly competitive industry.
In 2006, he received an honorary award for his career at the National Film Awards, in recognition of his contributions to Indian cinema.
Nevertheless, he continued to say that he was amazed by his success.
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