Saira Banu admits Madhubala was interested in Dilip Kumar; details why his relationship with K Asif turned sour during Mughal-E-Azam’s release

Saira Banu admits Madhubala was interested in Dilip Kumar; details why his relationship with K Asif turned sour during Mughal-E-Azam’s release

As a lifestyle expert with a penchant for the dramatic and a deep appreciation for the golden era of Indian cinema, I must say that Saira Banu’s account of the Mughal-E-Azam premiere is nothing short of captivating. Her unwavering determination to capture the heart of Dilip Kumar, even amidst the glamour and intrigue of Bollywood, is a testament to the power of youthful passion and the allure of stardom.


Saira Banu recently shared a heartfelt account about the much-discussed premiere of Dilip Kumar’s film, Mughal-E-Azam. In her post from yesterday (August 5th), she elaborated on how she meticulously prepared for a whole week to catch a glimpse of Dilip Kumar during the movie’s premiere, and continued her story in another part of the post.

To begin with, Banu reminisced about her choice to wear a sari heavily adorned with ‘Gota’ for the premiere day, which her mother owned and weighed a ton. In her own words, “For years, I had dreamt of building castles in the sky, fully aware of enchanting beauties like the stunning Madhu Bala and many others who were attracted to Sahib. But nothing could ever divert me from my ambition of becoming Mrs. Dilip Kumar.”

On August 5th, 1960, at Mumbai’s Maratha Mandir, the entire film industry gathered, yet Saira’s gaze was fixed on her Sahib. “I missed our glance and felt a sudden rush of cold water,” she confessed, hinting that K. Asif, the director of Kumar and Mughal-E-Azam, had broken up with him.

“Asif, Ashab’s brother, had kept a secret from Dilip Sahib and the family by quietly marrying Akhtar, his younger sister without any prior notice,” Saira explained. This secret wedding caused quite a stir, as it led to Dilip Kumar not attending the premiere, making headlines for years. Interestingly, this event also meant that the late actor never got to watch his classic film ‘Mughal-E-Azam’ for a long period due to these unfavorable circumstances.”

After their marriage, Dilip and Banu were invited to the Film and Television Institute of Poona to honor Dilip Sahab. It was then that they discovered that Mughal-E-Azam served as a lesson in Drama. Saira remarked, “I asked them to screen MUGHAL-E-AZAM, which turned out to be the first time Sahib watched it. What an incredible honor!”

During the production of the movie “Tarana” (1951), Dilip Kumar and Madhubala developed a deep affection for each other. After nine years of romance, they sadly separated. Nevertheless, their love tale remains an enduring legend in the annals of Indian film history.

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2024-08-06 16:39