Archive · 23 Aug 2026
Saira Banu’s Lifelong Love and Devotion to Dilip Kumar
Saira Banu became a fan of Dilip Kumar when she was 12 years old.
She dreamed of meeting him and eventually becoming his wife.
She began acting in 1961 in a successful movie called Junglee.
Saira and Dilip married in 1966, even though he was 22 years older.
Their marriage lasted 55 years, but it was sometimes difficult.
Saira said some of his family members resented her, and the emotional stress affected her health.
They also lost a baby late in pregnancy.
Dilip later married Asma Rehman, which greatly shocked Saira.
She stayed with him and eventually stopped acting so she could care for him, saying she did it because she loved him.
Saira Banu said she became hopelessly smitten with Dilip Kumar at age 12, when he was 34.
She made her film debut in 1961 with Junglee and married Dilip Kumar on October 11, 1966.
Saira described facing resentment and a hostile atmosphere within Dilip Kumar’s family after their marriage.
Dilip Kumar’s 1982 marriage to Asma Rehman deeply hurt Saira, but she ultimately remained with him.
Saira later left acting to care for Dilip Kumar, saying her decision came from love rather than duress.
- Who
- Actors Saira Banu and Dilip Kumar; Asma Rehman was involved in Dilip Kumar’s later marriage.
- What
- The accounts describe Saira Banu’s lifelong admiration for Dilip Kumar, their 55-year marriage, its difficulties, and her decision to care for him.
- When
- Saira met or first became smitten with Dilip Kumar at 12; they married on October 11, 1966; Dilip married Asma Rehman in 1982 and died in 2021.
- Where
- One account says Saira met Dilip Kumar on the set of Mughal-E-Azam; the articles also mention their homes and Pali Hill.
- Why
- Saira said she left acting and cared for Dilip Kumar because of her love for him, not pressure or duress.
Saira Banu’s Account
Broader Context
Why she left acting
Saira Banu’s Account
Saira Banu said caring for Dilip Kumar came naturally and that she left acting out of love, not duress; she also said he had encouraged her to continue working.
Broader Context
The article places her decision within an era when marriage was often viewed as signaling a female actor’s retirement, linking her story to broader patriarchal social expectations.
Their first connection
Saira Banu’s Account
Saira Banu recalled being romantically smitten with Dilip Kumar from age 12 and hoping to meet him or work with him, while he reportedly considered her too young.
Broader Context
Another account says they met on the set of Mughal-E-Azam when she was 12 and that she continued to dream of marrying him; the articles present differing details about the nature of that early encounter.
Dilip Kumar’s second marriage
Saira Banu’s Account
Saira ultimately remained with Dilip Kumar despite the shock and hurt caused by his 1982 marriage to Asma Rehman.
Broader Context
Dilip Kumar later described the second marriage as a grave mistake and said he could not forgive himself for hurting Saira.
- Age at first admiration
- Saira Banu said she was 12 when she became hopelessly smitten with Dilip Kumar, who was then 34.
- Film debut
- Saira Banu debuted in 1961 with Junglee opposite Shammi Kapoor.
- Marriage date
- Saira Banu and Dilip Kumar married on October 11, 1966.
- Age gap
- Dilip Kumar was 22 years older than Saira Banu.
- Films together
- They appeared together in Gopi, Sagina Mahato and Jwaar Bhata.
- Second marriage
- Dilip Kumar married Asma Rehman in 1982, a decision he later described as a grave mistake.
- Dilip Kumar’s death
- Dilip Kumar died on July 7, 2021, aged 98.
