Saira Banu was honored by the Maharashtra government in 2017 with the Raj Kapoor Lifetime Achievement Award for her contribution to Indian cinema.
The shooting of the film Azaad was underway in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. During this time, film producer S.S. Vasan arranged a meeting between Dilip Kumar and a renowned astrologer. The astrologer studied Dilip Kumar’s face, examined his palm and prepared his horoscope. He then made a prediction that reportedly left the actor surprised.
The astrologer predicted that Dilip Kumar would marry after the age of 40 and that his bride would be nearly half his age. He also said that she would be associated with the film industry.
The prediction did not end there. The astrologer reportedly said that the woman would suffer from a serious illness.
On hearing this, Dilip Kumar had reportedly said, “I will never marry a girl from the film industry.”
At the time, Dilip Kumar did not take the prediction seriously. However, around 11 years later, much of what the astrologer had said appeared to come true. In 1966, 44-year-old Dilip Kumar married 22-year-old actress Saira Banu.
On Saira Banu’s 82nd birthday, here are some lesser-known stories from her life and her love story with Dilip Kumar.
Started learning Urdu because of Dilip Kumar
Saira Banu was born in 1944 to renowned actress Naseem Banu and producer Mian Ehsan-ul-Haq. Interestingly, the same year Saira was born, Dilip Kumar’s first film, Jwar Bhata (1944), was released.
When Saira was around six years old, she was sent to the United Kingdom for her education. She studied at the prestigious Queen’s House School in London. During her holidays, Saira would return to India.
Saira Banu’s mother, Naseem Banu, is known as the first female superstar of Indian cinema. Naseem Banu worked in many films like Khoon Ka Khoon, Khan Bahadur, and Pukar.
At the age of 12, Saira Banu watched Mehboob Khan’s Aan with her mother and was deeply impressed by Dilip Kumar’s performance. After the film, she reportedly told her mother that if she ever married, it would only be Dilip Kumar. Even while studying in London, she dreamed of becoming Mrs. Dilip Kumar.
Her mother, Naseem Banu, encouraged her to learn about Dilip Kumar’s interests. When Saira learnt about his love for Urdu poetry and the sitar, she began learning Urdu and also tried to learn the sitar.
Dilip Kumar pointed out the age gap
Dilip Kumar knew Saira through her mother and was reportedly not keen on her joining films. When producer S. Mukherjee later told him that Saira was eager to work with him, Dilip Kumar pointed to his salt-and-pepper hair and reminded her of their significant age difference, saying that he was much older than her.
Saira cried after Shammi Kapoor scolded her
Saira Banu made her acting debut with Junglee in 1961, despite her family’s initial reservations about her entering films. She began shooting during her school holidays and later returned to London to continue her studies.
With no acting experience, Saira found her first day of shooting in Kashmir particularly challenging. She repeatedly struggled to lip-sync and perform her movements correctly in front of a large crowd. After several retakes, Shammi Kapoor reportedly scolded her, leaving the young actress embarrassed and in tears.
Her sister even told her that she could still leave acting and return to her studies. However, Saira did not give up. She performed the scene again and reportedly got it right.
Shammi Kapoor and Saira Banu starrer film ‘Junglee’ (1961) proved to be a ‘super-hit’ (blockbuster) at the box office.
But before the release, another incident troubled Saira. One day she went to a shop in Mumbai with her mother. There, a salesman was a big fan of Dilip Kumar. He asked Saira’s mother when her daughter’s film was coming out?
Mother said next month. Hearing this, the salesman said that Dilip Kumar’s ‘Ganga Jamuna’ is also releasing next month. If both films come together, who will watch Saira’s film?
Hearing this, Saira got scared and started crying right there. She thought her film would flop. But the exact opposite happened. ‘Junglee’ and ‘Ganga Jamuna’ were released a week apart and both films achieved tremendous success.
Dilip Kumar noticed Saira at her birthday party
On August 23, 1966, Saira Banu celebrated her birthday and her mother, Naseem Banu, hosted a housewarming party at their new bungalow. Dilip Kumar, who had been specially invited, flew from Madras to Mumbai for the occasion.
In his autobiography, Dilip Kumar recalled seeing Saira in a saree and realising that the girl he had always considered a child had grown into a beautiful young woman. They shook hands, and the meeting marked a turning point in their relationship. After returning to Madras, Dilip Kumar reportedly could not stop thinking about her.
After eight days of romance, he asked for her hand
According to Saira, Dilip Kumar would travel from Madras to Mumbai, have dinner at her home and then return for his shoots. Their meetings continued for around eight days before Dilip Kumar approached Saira’s mother and grandmother and expressed his wish to marry her.
44-year-old Dilip Kumar arrived on horseback
On the day of their nikah, Dilip Kumar had planned to travel to Saira’s home in a decorated car. However, his family convinced him to arrive on a mare. The short two-minute journey reportedly took nearly an hour because thousands of fans had gathered along the way.
Prithviraj Kapoor, Shashi Kapoor and Dilip Kumar’s younger brother Nasir were among those accompanying the baraat.
Dilip Kumar arriving at Madras Airport for the shooting of the film ‘Ram Aur Shyam’, accompanied by Baby Farida, Nagi Reddy (behind Farida), Saira Banu, Nirupa Roy and A. Chakrapani.
Raj Kapoor fulfilled his old promise at the wedding
Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor shared a very deep friendship. Raj Kapoor once jokingly said that the day Dilip Kumar gets married, he would walk to his house on his knees.
On October 11, when Raj Kapoor arrived at Dilip Kumar’s wedding, the family reminded him of his old promise.
And so, without delay, Raj Kapoor started walking on his knees. Seeing this, an atmosphere of laughter and joy spread among the guests present.
Picture of Dilip Kumar’s wedding ceremony. (From left to right) Ehsaan (Dilip Kumar’s younger brother), Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor, actor Mukri and Nasir (Dilip Kumar’s brother and actor).
Saira Banu had revealed on her 59th wedding anniversary that the wedding preparations were done in very little time. Her wedding dress was not stitched by a big designer, but by a local tailor. Even wedding cards were not printed.
The crowd of guests at the wedding was so large that even food fell short. The situation was such that some people even took small wedding items as souvenirs. Someone was picking up a spoon, while someone else was putting a fork in their pocket.
Dilip Kumar and Saira Banu with Mumtaz.
Rahat (Saira’s sister-in-law) and Naseem Banu at Dilip Kumar’s Mehendi ceremony.
Saira learnt about Dilip Kumar’s second marriage through a newspaper
Dilip Kumar and Saira Banu had been married for 16 years when, in 1982, reports emerged that he had married Hyderabad-based Asma Rehman. According to accounts of the time, Saira came to know about the second marriage through a newspaper.
In his autobiography, Dilip Kumar later described the relationship as a “grave mistake” and wrote about the pain and broken trust it had caused Saira. However, Saira chose not to end their marriage. Dilip Kumar admitted his mistake and asked for time to legally end the relationship. His marriage to Asma ended in early 1983.
Saira was pregnant in 1972
Dilip Kumar also addressed rumours about Saira Banu being unable to have children in his autobiography. He wrote that she had become pregnant in 1972.
According to him, when Saira was eight months pregnant, she fell in the bathroom after experiencing high blood pressure. The baby could not be saved, and the couple later learnt that they had been expecting a boy.
The loss was deeply painful for both of them. After this tragedy, Saira reportedly did not try to have another child and accepted what had happened as God’s will.
Surprised Saira by taking her to Buckingham Palace
One day in London, Saira told Dilip Kumar that she wished she could go to Buckingham Palace and meet the Queen. Coincidentally, that same week, Dilip Kumar received an invitation for a tea party from the Queen. He didn’t tell Saira anything and got her ready, then took her to Buckingham Palace in a Rolls Royce. When the car entered the palace gates, Saira realized that she was actually going to meet Queen Elizabeth
Dilip Kumar used to throw stones to scare Saira
Dilip Kumar was known for his serious and calm nature, but with Saira, he used to play a lot of pranks. During the shooting of the film Panhala in 1967, the electricity used to go out at night. In such a situation, Dilip Kumar would quietly go out and throw small stones at the window. Hearing the sound of stones in the desolate environment, Saira and her staff would scream in fear.
Manoj Kumar was ready to stop the film for Saira
During the shooting of the film ‘Purab Aur Paschim’, Saira Banu suddenly fell ill. She was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis and had to go to London for treatment. During this time, the film’s director and actor Manoj Kumar refused to cast another actress in Saira’s place. He said that he would wait for Saira to recover. If needed, he would stop the film.
Dilip Kumar was greatly impressed by Manoj Kumar’s behavior. Years later, when Manoj Kumar offered Dilip Kumar a role in ‘Kranti’, he agreed to the film without even reading the entire screenplay. Dilip Kumar had called this a tribute to Manoj Kumar’s old favor.
Saira says – If I had a son, he would be like Shah Rukh
Dilip Kumar passed away on July 7, 2021. With this, their marital companionship of about 55 years ended, but for Saira, Dilip Sahab is still the most important part of her life. Saira Banu often shares his pictures and memories related to him on social media.
The relationship between Saira Banu and actor Shah Rukh Khan is very special and like that of a mother and son. Saira and her late husband, Dilip Kumar, always considered Shah Rukh as their adopted son. Saira has said on many occasions that when she saw Shah Rukh for the first time, she saw a glimpse of Dilip Kumar in him. She often used to say that if she and Dilip Sahab had a son, he would be like Shah Rukh. After Dilip Kumar’s demise, Shah Rukh immediately went to meet Saira Banu and consoled her.
