MID-DAY (December 11, 2018)

His movement is limited, diet is restricted and he recognises only a few close ones. But, as he turns 96 today, Dilip Kumar continues to get the love of his fans. Kumar will be surrounded by his family members and friends on his special day.

His friend Faisal Farooqui said, “Saab has never wanted to celebrate birthdays. The last birthday we celebrated as a big event was his 89th. Even when saab was socially and personally active, he was not fond of big celebrations. So, doing justice to that tradition, Saira ji [Banu, Kumar’s wife] has not planned anything big.”

Although Kumar, who has been ailing for a while, is recuperating and does not need hospitalisation, he says the veteran’s diet is restricted. “He has not fully recovered, but is making progress. Saab is resting at home, having his meals and interacting, but, obviously, one of the things that the doctor has advised us about is to be cautious of infections. So, we curb the access of many who wish to meet him.”