It is a very sad news, but it was bound to happen. He had been suffering for so long. I have done five films with him and it was a fantastic experience, he was not only a good actor, but also a huge star. He was such an intense actor, especially in tragic scenes. He used to be very good even without uttering a word. He could express his pain so well and yet, he was good in comedy, too. I remember one funny scene from Ram Aur Shyam when he had to switch over from being Ram to Shyam. In that scene, he had to eat many boiled eggs and there were retakes and the entire unit used to laugh. He would say, “Here I am getting tortured and you guys are laughing at me.” I was sitting in front of him in the scene and he told me, “Please hasna mat ,anda gale mein phas jayega. Aur main mar jaunga.” I replied, “It was your bright idea to do this thing.” It was a great experience working with him, the industry and the entire country will miss him. But that’s life...

I was a great admirer of Dilip saab. I would be dumbstruck around him. I couldn’t even open my mouth! It is a big shock and Saira has been like Florence Nightingale in his life. She has looked after him so much, not even bothering about her own health. She must be completely shattered, may God give Saira the strength.

Raj Kapoor, Dev Anand and Dilip Kumar were the three pillars of Bollywood. I never got an opportunity to be paired opposite Dilip saab, but I loved Dilip Kumar-Vyjayantimala jodi a lot, and so I enjoyed watching films like Ganga Jumna, Sunghurshand Leader.When I was offered Seeta Aur Geeta, I wondered if people would compare me with Dilip ji as it was similar to his film Ram Aur Shyam. Every time we met, woh kisse sunane lag jaate the about how they would shoot films back then. Through the years I kept in touch with Saira ji. Once a month, I would make a call to her to know about Dilip saab’s health. Every time he was hospitalised, we prayed for him, but this time he left all of us.

I remember when I met him for the first time, I was so tongue-tied. I wanted to ask him so many things, but I couldn’t. He was an extremely dignified and gracious person. He put me at ease and wished me luck for Kashmir Ki Kali. He has had a wonderful 50-year-long career where he has played so many roles. He never prioritized commerce over art. To him, work was more important than money. He worked in one film at a time and gave a lot of thought while choosing a project. He loved sports and spoke at length about chess and cricket with Tiger (Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi) when we were shooting Anupama in Khandala. He was a legend and an icon, and a reminder of happier times in the industry.

He was such a charmer and a thorough gentleman. I can never forget him. It was so much fun working with him. He would always make me laugh on the set. I had attended his 91st birthday celebrations. Dilip saab was there looking handsome as ever! I still remember his beautiful eyes. After that, we visited him at his home a few times, but Salim saab used to visit him often. It’s great that Saira ji always kept him in touch with us. May God give her strength in this difficult time.

Dilip Kumar saab was a great source of inspiration for everyone. He was a great human being and a fabulous actor. I consider myself lucky that I got a chance to work with him in Bairaag, Duniya, Dastaan and other films. He was like a teacher on the set. Despite being the biggest star on any set, he didn’t ever want the spotlight on himself. He was always concerned about the film, and wanted it to turn out well. It was his love for cinema that rubbed off on so many of us. He was the greatest actor of all times, and rightfully so. He’s left a legacy behind. When I came to Mumbai to become an actor, my father had asked me to watch Dilip Kumar saab, as he wanted me to be an actor like him. I would never miss his film releases. When I started working with him, I realised how easy it was for him to accommodate newcomers like me. People were conscious of his presence but he would make everyone comfortable. I will miss that warmth and the love I got from a big star like Dilip Kumar.