The passing of Asha Bhosle on Sunday in Mumbai has left a profound void in Indian music. For veteran actor Saira Banu, the loss is both personal and deeply emotional.

“I had spoken to her during Ramzan, but then I didn’t realise that would be our last conversation. When I heard about her health, it was a complete shock,” she tells us, adding, “I saw a video of her at a function (cricketer Arjun Tendulkar’s wedding in March). She looked so weak. I had never imagined she would become unwell so suddenly.”

Looking back at their early years, Banu, 81, paints a vivid portrait of Bhosle’s warmth. “Lata bai (Bhosle’s sister, late veteran Lata Mangeshkar) sang for me most of the time. But whenever Asha tai recorded for me, she would be in a playful mood,” she shares.

Banu recalls shooting for the 1961 film Junglee, when she was “very young” and her voice was “quite thin”: “While singing (in the recording studio), Asha tai would gesture towards her throat, as if to say that she was matching my softer pitch. It would make me laugh endlessly!”

Beyond the humour, Banu also remembers Asha’s personality, which she believes is the reason behind her legacy. “There was something regal about her presence. She carried herself beautifully,” she says.

“She and Lata bai were like family. Dilip sa’ab (Kumar, late actor and Banu’s husband) and I shared so many moments with them: music, conversations, food. Losing her feels like losing a part of that world. It’s a void that can never truly be filled,” she ends.

A music studio is probably where A R Rahman feels most at home, and the stage, a close second. The Mozart of Madras is preparing to take to the stage again with his highly anticipated The Wonderment Tour, which kicks off at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on May 3. Even for someone as shy and quiet as him, the composer and singer’s excitement is palpable, when we meet him days ahead of the concert. 

We begin by asking him if he follows any dos and don’ts before getting on stage. “You need to save energy. You need to save your voice. I shut off. I meditate or try to be silent,” smiles the Oscar winner.

Tension, planning, rehearsals, sound check — all of that happens before. When it’s time to perform, the maestro turns inward, seeking stillness. But outside, it hasn’t been quiet. The country is mourning the loss of innocent lives in the recent Pahalgam attack. While many artistes, including Shreya Ghoshal and Arijit Singh, called off their concerts in the wake of the tragedy, Rahman remains resolute: the music must continue.

“Bad people want the country to stop. We don’t want the country to stop. The country is unstoppable. God willing, we will make this a success for WAVES [World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit], for the government of India, the government of Maharashtra, and for all the people buying tickets,” he states.

But there is much noise on the work front too. Last week, the Delhi High Court ordered Rahman and filmmaker Mani Ratnam to pay Rs 2 crore for copyright infringement after their Ponniyin Selvan - Part 2 (2023) song, Veera Raja Veera, was deemed ‘identical’ to the classical composition, Shiva stuti, by the Junior Dagar Brothers. When releasing the song, Rahman and his team had attributed it to a “traditional composition created by Narayana Panditacharya in the 13th century”.

“Even at the risk of getting sued, we gave the credit, and we [got] in trouble for that. But it was worth it. It gave a new vibe to the movie,” he says, before adding, “Ultimately, we don’t want to deny any credits. If you fear everything, you can’t do good things. You need courage.”

Courage and grace underpin Rahman’s professional life. He displayed grace last year, too, as his personal life came under scrutiny when his now-estranged wife Saira Banu and he announced their separation. Did the attention on his personal life over his work get to him?

He reflects, “We are all human. Everybody goes through [difficult phases]. I went through my mother’s death, and my father’s death. It’s all part of life, and everybody has the right to express their views — but be respectful. That’s it.”

Does he ever get angry? The musician breaks into a smile at that, before saying, “Getting angry and not showing it is the art I’m learning slowly. Peace is a choice you make every morning. I want to be peaceful. I don’t want to be angry today.”

A wonderful man has left us today. Manoj Kumar ji and I worked together in Shaadi [1962], Purab Aur Paschim [1970], and Balidaan [1971]. As soon as my first film Junglee [1961] became a big hit, I received many offers, among which was Shaadi. I used to be awkward while doing romantic songs. I had requested my dance director Satya Narayan ji to have one of his dancers as a stand-in for me, for the first song, Aaj ki raat naya chand. Manoj ji was very understanding. When my solo shots were being filmed, he’d quietly move away from the set.

A few years later, my family and I were attending a première at Metro cinema. After the film ended, I noticed Manoj ji at a distance, signalling something to my brother Sultan, but we could not reach him due to the crowd. The next day, he called my brother and suggested casting me in Upkar [1967]. I was also considered for Neel Kamal [1968]. Unfortunately, my dates were committed to other ventures. So, there went my chance of doing two films with Manoj ji!

His idol was Dilip [Kumar] Saab and when I married him, I could see that they both were close—always venturing together to make different types of omelettes, and indulging in sher-o-shayari. While shooting a scene in Aadmi [1969], Manoj ji started emulating Saab so much that Saab joked, “Yaar tu meri tarah shots kar le, main koi aur tarika nikalta hoon!”

After our shaadi, Saab and I had decided that I would not continue with my film career. But as luck would have it, one of the films I had signed just before the wedding was Purab Aur Paschim. After Saab and my wedding, Manoj ji came home and declared that he would shelve his project if Saab did not allow me to feature in it. Later, when I took ill during the shoot, Saab told Manoj ji that he could have me replaced. But Manoj ji said that he would rather shelve the film than replace me. I will always respect him for this magnanimous gesture.

In Balidaan [1971], Manoj ji played a dacoit. His wife Shashi was very close to us, and used to tell me, “How will he play a daaku? He won’t sit on the horse as he is very scared.” She joked that even if a bee came into the bedroom, Manoj ji would hide and tell her to drive it out.

When Dilip Saab starred in Kranti [1981], Manoj ji kept a special screening for me and my friends. After the show, when he asked me my thoughts about the movie, I said, “I missed seeing more of Saab in the movie.” To this, Manoj ji said that he wished that Saab would be in every frame.

Manoj Kumar, who constructed and embodied Hindi cinema's ultimate nation-loving hero, Bharat, in blockbusters such as ‘Upkar' (1967), ‘Roti Kapada Aur Makaan' (1974) and ‘Kranti' (1981), passed away early Friday. He was 87. The actor was bedridden for the last few years battling health issues, his son Kunal Goswami told PTI. He was admitted to hospital for pneumonia some weeks ago.

A recipient of the Dadasaheb Phalke award in 2016, Kumar also starred in a bunch of stylish whodunits, notably ‘Woh Kaun Thi' (1964) and ‘Gumnam' (1965) and successful crime dramas such as ‘Sanyasi' (1975) and ‘Dus Numbri (1976)'. But it was Bharat — the screen name he often took in the films he produced and directed — that defined his image.

Bharat's idea of patriotism evolved over time. He was a nation builder in ‘Upkar' ploughing the fields, battling the enemy outside and personifying Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri's slogan, ‘Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan'. In ‘Purab Aur Paschim' (1970), he was a cultural nationalist defending ‘Bharatiya sanskriti' from the ‘polluting' West while insisting that sari is better than skirt. Bharat rarely touched his heroine even though the movies weren't exactly shy in displaying the female anatomy.

Manoj Kumar constructed Hindi cinema's ultimate nation-loving hero, Bharat— the screen name he often took in the films he produced and directed.

In the 1970s when corruption and joblessness took centre-stage, the unemployed Bharat took on the enemy within, the black marketeers, in ‘Roti Kapada Aur Makaan' (1974), a film that started the multi-starrer trend in Hindi cinema. And in ‘Kranti', he time-travelled to the 19th century to fight brutish colonial masters.

Over the decades, the name, Bharat, blended Kumar's celluloid and private identities, looming large in public consciousness. "Is naam ka bahut bojh hai mujhpe. Zaroorat se zyada zimmedariyan dalta hai (The name burdens me. It puts added pressure and responsibility)," he once said in an interview.

Kumar's personal life was remarkably free from the controversies that gossip mags hungrily fed on in the 1970s and 1980s. Born in 1937 in Abbottabad, a town in north Pakistan, Kumar lost his uncle to Partition violence. At 10, he arrived in the capital, growing up in the refugee colonies of Kingsway Camp and Hudson Line in Delhi. His infant brother, Kuku, too died in the same period. "Bahut rota hua bachpan tha (I had a very sad childhood)," he said in Guftagoo, a Rajya Sabha TV show.

Recalling a moment in Delhi's Tis Hazari hospital during the Partition riots, he said, "When the sirens blared, the doctors and nurses would take shelter in the basement. My mother screamed. Kuku had died. I was angry. I took a lathi, beat up doctors and nurses. Later we immersed him in the Yamuna. As the body sank, I felt I was sinking. My father made me promise that night I will never fight again." The boy kept his word. His father was a poet who was given the pen name "khizr" (the knowledgeable) by eminent poet Allama Iqbal, he said.

Kumar got interested in movies after watching Dilip Kumar in ‘Jugnu' (1947). He even took his celluloid name, Manoj Kumar, after the character played by Dilip Kumar in ‘Shabnam' (1949), an actor who was to influence his style. His real name was Harikrishan Goswami.

A graduate from Delhi's Hindu College, Kumar arrived in Bombay in 1956. In TV shows, he recounted facing abuse, sleeping on railway platforms and getting beaten by cops before making his debut in a small role in director and relative Lekhraj Bhakri's ‘Fashion' (1957). He made his leading man debut in H S Rawail's ‘Kaanch Ki Gudiya' (1961) and survived a series of flops before striking gold in Vijay Bhatt's social drama, ‘Hariyali Aur Raasta' (1962).

Tall, fair and handsome, Kumar became a reliable box-office brand, delivering hits such as ‘Himalaya Ki God Mein' (1965), ‘Sawan Ki Ghata' (1966) and ‘Neel Kamal' (1968), a reincarnation yarn. The engagement with nationalism started with ‘Shaheed' (1965), where he played revolutionary Bhagat Singh. The film received National Award for Best Feature film in Hindi. Made at the request of then PM Shastri, his directorial debut ‘Upkar' (1967), partly shot in a village on the outskirts of Delhi, became a super hit. No song encapsulates rural India's idealized image better than lyricist Gulshan Bawra's ‘Mere desh ki dharti...'

As Kumar's career progressed, he developed a drawl for dialogue delivery; a signature hand movement across the face became more pronounced. Critics scoffed at the mannerisms but fans didn't mind. He also graduated to writing, editing, producing and directing his movies. In the 1980s, he even wrote songs, making him an accomplished all-round talent.

Manoj Kumar's multi-starrer historical ‘Kranti' (1981) was his biggest box-office hit. But thereafter the winners dried up. His final appearance as a leading man was in the vastly outdated ‘Clerk' (1989) which showcased Pakistani stars, the Rampur-born Mohammad Ali and Zeba Ali.

Kumar was married to Shashi, whose mother Savita Behen was a Congress politician of Delhi, who was nominated to Rajya Sabha, recalls Vivek Shukla, a chronicler of the capital. Initially a Congress supporter, Kumar joined the BJP in 2004.

His death on Friday was mourned widely. "He was an icon of Indian cinema, who was particularly remembered for his patriotic zeal, which was also reflected in his films. Manoj-ji's works ignited a spirit of national pride and will continue to inspire generations," posted Prime Minister Narendra Modi on X.

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Music Maestro A R Rahman, who was admitted to the Apollo Hospital on Sunday after suffering from dehydration symptoms, was discharged after a routine check-up, the hospital said in a statement. The Oscar-winning music maestro was hospitalized after a bout of dehydration and neck pain following travel, his team said today.

"A R Rahman visited Apollo Hospitals, Greams Road this morning with dehydration symptoms and got discharged after routine check-up," the medical bulletin of the hospital read.

Amid his hospitalization, his wife Saira Rahman send her good wishes to him. In an audio message provided by Rahman’s wife Saira Banu, she told mid-day, "Asalam Alaikum, this is Saira Rahman here, I wish him a speedy recovery. I just got the news that he got chest pain and an angio was performed on him. With the blessings of the Almighty, he is doing fine now, and there’s nothing to be worried about."

While Saira and Rahman had announced their separation last year, the former also cleared that they are still husband and wife, legally. "I also wanted to tell everyone that we are not officially divorced, we are still husband and wife. It’s just that we are separated because of my health issues. Since the last two years, I havent been doing well and I didn’t want to stress him out. But please, I would request the media to not call me ‘ex-wife’ as we are only separated but all my good wishes are still with me. I also want to tell everyone, especially his family that do not give him any kind of stress and to take care of him," she said. 

The music maestro's team also refuted "fake" reports, which claimed he had been admitted to hospital following "chest pain". "It's fake news (on heart issues) spreading now. Rahman went to hospital because he got dehydrated and has neck pain due to travel," A R Rahman team said.

Rahman, 58, is currently busy with his music projects and several gigs. The singer had joined Ed Sheran during his Mathematics Tour concert performance in Chennai last month. He is also set to compose music for the Dhanush and Kriti Sanon starrer 'Tere Ishk Mein', which is a spiritual sequel to the blockbuster film Raanjhanna. It is directed by Anand L Rai.

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Ever since Oscar-winning music composer A R Rahman and Saira Banu announced their divorce, rumours have swirled linking the composer to bassist Mohini Dey, who coincidentally announced her separation from husband Mark Hartsuch on the same day. Addressing the chatter, Dey took to Instagram Stories to dismiss the speculations and declined interview requests related to the rumours.

“I’ve been getting a humungous amount of requests for interviews, and I know exactly what it’s about. I respectfully decline because I’m not interested in fuelling ABSOLUTE BS. My energy is not worth spending on RUMOURS. Kindly respect my privacy (sic),” she wrote.

Rahman’s son, Ameen, also condemned the “baseless” rumours, while his daughter, Raheema Rahman, shared a pointed Instagram Story, stating, “Rumours are carried by haters, spread by fools, and accepted by idiots,” adding, “Honestly, get a life.”

Music maestro A R Rahman, 57, and his wife, Saira Banu, 50, announced their separation on Tuesday after 29 years of marriage. In a statement issued by Banu’s advocate, Vandana Shah, it was revealed that the couple had encountered an “insurmountable gap” in their relationship, leading to this decision.

Just hours later, Rahman’s bassist, Mohini Dey, 29 — who has performed in over 40 shows worldwide with the Oscar-winning composer — shared news of her split from husband Mark Hartsuch on Instagram. This coincidental timing sparked rumours of a possible romantic connection between Rahman and Dey.

However, Vandana Shah firmly dismissed these speculations, calling them baseless. “There is no connection between that poor lady [Dey] who has filed for divorce and this [Rahman-Banu] divorce,” she tells us.

Shah further explains that when marriages fail, it is often a mutual decision: “We have given out a joint statement. Otherwise, it would have been a one-sided, acrimonious matter, which would have been publicly apparent.”

Responding to rumours about property discussions between Rahman-Banu since July, Shah says, “There has been no discussion about money at this stage because you have to understand it’s a long marriage and they both are really dignified and private individuals and it was a marriage based on love.”

She also remarks, “Both have approached this with great respect.”

A R Rahman and wife Saira Banu are separating after 29 years of marriage, their lawyer said on Tuesday. “After many years of marriage, Saira and her husband A R Rahman have made the difficult decision to separate from each other. This decision comes after significant emotional strain in their relationship. Despite their deep love for each other, the couple has found that the tensions and difficulties have created an insurmountable gap between them, one that neither party feels able to bridge at this time,” read the joint statement, emphasizing that, “they have taken this decision out of pain and agony.”

In a post on X, Rahman wrote, “We had hoped to reach the grand thirty, but all things, it seems, carry an unseen end. Even the throne of God might tremble at the weight of broken hearts. Yet, in this shattering, we seek meaning, though the pieces may not find their place again. To our friends, thank you for your kindness and for respecting our privacy as we walk through this fragile chapter. #arrsairaabreakup.”

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“We kindly request everyone to respect our privacy during this time. Thank you for your understanding” - A R Ameen, son

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“I would greatly appreciate it if this matter could be treated with the utmost privacy and respect. Thank you for your consideration” - Khatija, daughter

The actor told Zoom: “Zeenat has all of a sudden come into this huge social media popularity, and I can understand her excitement about sounding like a cool aunty. But giving advice that is counter to our moral values is not the solution to increasing your following. Aap Zeenat ko hi le lo misaal ke taur par… She knew Mazhar Khan (late actor) for years before marrying him. Her marriage was a living hell. She should be the last person doling out advice on relationships.”

Zeenat Aman said, "Everyone is entitled to their own opinions. I’ve never been one to comment on others personal lives or tear down my colleagues, and I’m not going to start now."

The actor wrote on Insta: If you’re in a relationship, I strongly recommend that you LIVE TOGETHER before getting married! This is the same advice I’ve always given my sons, both of whom have had, or are in, a live-in relationship. It just seems logical to me that before two people get their families and the government involved in their equation, they first put their relationship to the ultimate test. It’s easy to be the best version of yourself for a few hours a day. But can you share a bathroom? Weather the storm of a bad mood? Agree on what to eat for dinner every night? Keep the fire alive in the bedroom?... I’m aware that Indian society is a little uptight about “living in sin” but then again, society is uptight about so many things!

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We spoke to yesteryear actor Saira Banu: “I am not reading much... but we are old-fashioned people. Our trend is 40-50 saal pehle ka. Iss baat se (live-in) main toh sehmat nahi ho sakti hoon kabhi bhi. I’d never advocate live-in. It’s unimaginable and unacceptable for me.”

Saira Banu took to social media to share some fond memories of the shoot of her film Padosan (1968), which clocked in 55 years on November 29. The film featured her with Sunil Dutt, Mehmood and Kishore Kumar. She wrote, “We are talking about one of the most favourite films of my career, mine, and the public in general. It is Padosan, a film for all occasions and ages. I am glad that I did this because I had refused any work soon after my marriage. It was understood that I would not be carrying on with a professional career.”

She continued, “It was then that Mehmood Bhai as he had earlier approached me for this film came running to Sahib, hugged him close, and kept saying in a rhetorical tone, ‘Yousuf Bhai you have to let Saira do this film for me. I will not let go of you until you say yes please, please.’ Sahab was tickled to the bone and kept repeating laughingly, ‘Mehmood, it is entirely up to Saira, You have to convince her. You have my absolute permission’.”

The veteran actress added, “The cast was so perfectly chosen that even I was initially surprised to see Dutt Saab as a simpleton ‘Gaonwalla’, I mean who could have imagined it? Dutt Saab would humorously say, ‘Saira ji, yeh kyaa hain, yeh hum kyaa kar rahein hain? Hamein toh Anthony and Cleopatra mein kaam karna chahiye, something romantic and glamorous’ (sic).”

Directed by Jyoti Swaroop, the musical comedy was a remake of the Bengali film Pasher Bari. Saira Banu concluded her note by saying, “Until Padosan, I hadn’t worked with Dutt Saab, who turned out to be lively and funny. On the contrary, Kishore ji was a very subdued gentlemanly star who would get up from his seat respectfully as soon as any lady walked in. The shooting was a killer. I used to laugh uncontrollably so much that the unit would turn off all the lights and say ‘Ruk jao, abhi madam hass rahin hain’. It was that difficult for me to stop (sic).”

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It's a classic real-life story of an eternal romance. Saira Banu and Dilip Kumar tied the knot on October 11, 1966, and 57 years later, she is as much in love with him as she was when they started out as a couple. India’s most eligible bachelor at the time, he initially maintained a respectful distance on and off the screen given their massive (20-year) age difference before eventually falling for her enchanting beauty, innocence, and devotion for him. Unlike today’s high-profile destination weddings, the legend of Indian cinema, Dilip Kumar, married a young Saira Banu in a homely ceremony in Mumbai. “So many gatecrashed our wedding that we ran out of food,” chuckles the actress. On her wedding anniversary, she looks back at her real-life fairytale. Excerpts…

I wanted two things in life. I wanted to marry the man of my dreams and I wanted to be a film star like my mother Naseem Banu. Both my dreams were fulfilled. I couldn’t have asked for more. My mother wanted me to study further and become a lawyer, as she couldn’t do that. She never wanted me to be an actor, but I wanted to be like her. As far as Dilip sahib is concerned, I was obsessed with him as a teenager ever since I saw his film ‘Aan’ (1952) in London. I studied there at the time. I fancied men like James Dean, Rock Hudson and Elvis Presley. I had their photos on my wall. Calling Dilip sahib a crush would be wrong. I was head over heels in love with him. I was smitten to the point that I envied Vyjayanthimala because one of the promotional stills of Madhumati (1958) had Dilip sahib almost kissing her forehead. That pose was way too intimate and bold for those times. I remember taking a pair of scissors and cutting her out from that photo (laughs). I became a fan of hers later. I call her akka (elder sister) and she calls me an angel. We got closer over the years. She was pleasantly amused when I recounted this incident to her.

Our families knew each other and had common interests like music. His younger sister was close to my mother so we would often have these get-togethers. I returned from London and met him for the first time at a dinner party hosted by the legendary filmmaker Mehboob Khan (known for ‘Mother India’) and his wife, who I fondly called Akhtar aunty. He was dressed in a plain white shirt and trousers. He was so simple and humble despite the fame. There was this luminous aura around him. A girl like me, who was shy and introverted, would retire to my room as soon as someone knocked on our door, something changed. As soon as I saw him, I went up to him and blurted, “Aap mere saath kaam kijiye.” He had seen me as a little girl, so showing me his grey strands, he replied with a smile, “Kya tumne mere grey baal dekhe hai?” I told him they make him look distinguished. At the dinner table he added, “I eat like a pig.” He refused to work with me even after Junglee (1961) became a hit, as he was conscious of the age gap. The part played by Mumtaz in Ram Aur Shyam (1967) was initially offered to me, but he said she is too young to work with me. I kept saying, “I am big enough to work with you.” That’s when he realized I was serious about him.

The day was August 23, 1966, and it changed my life. My mother had invited him for my birthday at our new Pali Hill residence. He was shooting in Chennai for Ram Aur Shyam and flew all the way back just for my birthday. ‘You have grown into a beautiful girl,’ he said that evening. I was dying to hear those words for years! The man was finally attracted to me. For the next few days, he travelled from Madras to Bombay every other night and had dinner with me. At the end of 10-11 days, he said, ‘I am constantly flying in and out. Will you consider one thing? Will you marry me?’ Thrilled but a bit surprised, I asked, ‘How many girls have you said this to!’ He was the most eligible bachelor of that time, and I had barely acted in films for four years. When he approached my grandmother and asked for my hand, I knew he was serious. The media and public were equally puzzled, I guess.

Not at all. It’s a real-life Cinderella story. It felt like sharing a throne. I got Dilip Kumar! I would have married him in rags if need be. Uss Zamane mein tailor hua karte the. My bridal outfit was simply stitched. No fancy jewellery either as we planned the wedding in 3 days. Security was not so high as it is today so there were gatecrashers. We ran out of food on our wedding day, so people had to go fetch more.

Ours was a great love story. We would exchange notes through the air hostesses when he would be obliged to go sit with someone else for some time. I wrote to him that I missed him and wanted him back beside me. If he was away for a week, I would leave 7 notes under his folded shirts in the bag so he could wake up to that each day. He was a gracious man who never spoke ill of anyone including the ones who wronged him. He wasn’t judgmental and always spoke the truth. He encouraged me to see the good in people. The age gap didn’t matter because I learnt so much from him. We loved sports… Tennis, Golf, football. He was extremely fit.

I never gave credence to these girlfriend theories. I was the wife. He never spoke about his past girlfriends. I never asked either. Unki merese shaadi ho gayi. Mujhe duniya mil gayi. I didn’t care about the linkup stories as the media can be irresponsible. I was also linked to a dashing cricketer, who was the Indian captain. I won’t take names, but I had never seen the guy in my life. The first time we saw him was at Wimbledon.

I hope your generation gets to see what he was like as a person. I made my Instagram debut for this purpose. Koi bhi shaadi ya relationship mein, ‘Sabar aur adab’ (patience and respect) ki bohot zaroorat hai. If sahib and I had an argument, it wouldn’t last for more than ten minutes. You must communicate. He was the one who never raised his voice but his silence was unbearable. I, with my own choice, would be the first to apologize. He wasn’t the man who had ego or would throw his weight around. To me, marriage is a perfect union based on love, faith and immense unspoken understanding. If you make a mistake, you should have no shame in saying sorry.

Saiyami Kher, granddaughter of acclaimed Hindi and Marathi film actress Usha Kiran, addresses Shabana Azmi as maushi (aunt in Marathi) as they are family, but listen to their banter and you’ll know they are more like friends. There’s a bit of an age reversal here in terms of demeanour. Saiyami is an old soul, while Shabana has the spirit of a youngster. Those trying to figure out the Saiyami-Shabana connect, here’s a little trivia. Saiyami’s aatya (father’s sister) Tanvi Azmi is married to Shabana’s brother Baba Azmi. The aunt-niece pair who shared screen space for the first time in R Balki's 'Ghoomer' recently, took a trip down memory lane through this exclusive interaction with us. The two exchanged thoughts on a variety of subjects like...

Shabana: Saiyami took a few acting lessons from my mother, (the late Shaukat Kaifi, acclaimed theatre and film actress). My mother was someone who never minced her words. She said, ‘Yeh ladki ki andar se machine chalti hai’, which was a way of saying that Saiyami connects emotionally. She isn’t superficial. When my mother said that about her, I took it seriously because she wasn’t the one to say these things easily.

Saiyami: Daadi ma (Shaukat Kaifi) was kind enough to help me out with my Hindi improvement and acting. I was very fond of her, and she loved me, too. She was an extremely strict teacher. When Shabana maushi and I shot together, she reminded me so much of her mother that I accidentally called her daadi ma several times. I remember Shabana maushi telling me to work on my voice. “Don’t speak so nasal,” she would say.

Shabana: I am not the kind of person who likes indulging in nostalgia and say, “Humare zamane mein yeh tha, woh tha.” How many followers you have on social media is now a reason for casting an upcoming actor. Earlier, you had to carry a portfolio, then reels of your work and now it’s about isko cast karte hai, iskay itnay followers hai. You get endorsements based on it, so for the younger generation it is important. For the senior generation, it’s a question of choice — whether we want to be out there or not. Zeenat Aman and Saira Banu are on Instagram now. Zeenat has made such a dignified entry on the platform. People are not going to cast us because we have a certain number of followers but because of our body of work.

Saiyami: I am from this generation, but I feel like I am 85. Given a choice, I would rather spend an evening with Gulzar sahab or Javed (Akhtar) uncle than go out and party with 25 or 30-year-olds. We will have more things to talk about. I have never been a fan of social media. I feel the focus has shifted to PR machinery and the Instagram algorithm today, as opposed to what you are supposed to do on camera, which is act. I hope we can revert to how the older generation functioned; the work was purer. But we can’t keep living in nostalgia. We must live in the present and strike a better balance between virtual and real.

Shabana: Saiyami is a very passionate and committed person. There was a time when she went through a dark phase, and yet, kept going. She didn’t give up because she had faith in her abilities. She never let down the parts she played, but she needed something where her work would be recognised. I feel Ghoomer (the film directed by R Balki in which Shabana and Saiyami shared screen space) has done that for her. It was physically and mentally gruelling for her.

Saiyami: I was not getting work after my debut film (Mirzya, 2016). A wise man’s writing kept me going and his name is Javed Akhtar. I remember he wrote, “Zindagi mein kyu dare kya hoga? Kuch na hua toh tajurba hoga.” That line is etched on my mind.

Shabana says, “Acting is an interesting profession. You can come to a set feeling low after having had a nasty argument at home or show up elated if the day has been good. You can be expected to do a happy scene when you are feeling sad or vice versa. You must keep your personal feelings away and do what a scene requires of you. Which is why I say actors are neurotic. A civilised society says that you have to keep your emotions under control. Acting demands the opposite. You have to constantly keep yourself in a state of emotional preparedness.”

Dilip Kumar’s bungalow on Pali Hill, Bandra West is all set to be turned into an 11-storey building. The construction is on, and possession is slated for 2027. The project was announced at a launch late Wednesday evening. Realty developer Ashar Group said a significant aspect of the project would also be the legacy of Dilip sahab. The name itself – The Legend by Ashar, and a museum being planned within this space.

At the launch, Ajay Ashar, chairman & managing director of Ashar Group, said, “The legacy of Dilip sahab is a piece of history, culture, and art fused together. I am sorry that I could not start this project earlier. Today, Saira Banu ji treats me like a son, and I am truly thankful for that.”

The group spokespersons concurred that without the late actor’s family’s support and trust, they would not be where they were.

Ayushi Ashar, director, Ashar Group, said, “We are also bringing to life Saira Banuji’s long cherished dream of immortalising Dilip sahab’s legacy through a museum space celebrating his life and journey.” 

When asked later what the museum is going to include, she said, “The memorabilia for the museum is still being collected from different sources. We plan to keep it open to the public but with a separate entrance, of course. This is still nascent and being worked out.”

Artist Jaideep Mehrotra will be working on an art piece to be installed in the building lobby. Mehrotra, who is a Worli resident said at the launch, “It will capture the essence of Dilip sahab.” When asked whether it will be a painting or a sculpture, Mehrotra said, “It may be a bit of both. You will learn about it eventually.”

Mehrotra is a well-known, though self-effacing artist who created a public artwork of cricketer Sachin Tendulkar some years ago called Between the Lines, which stood at the Sasmira, Worli traffic island.

Mumbai: Veteran actor Saira Banu Khan last week gave her consent to the quashing of a criminal cheating case lodged by her against a builder in 2021 over a 2010 agreement for developing a prime plot at 16, Pali Hill, Bandra (West), along with a bungalow on it, which belonged to her late husband, thespian Dilip Kumar.

The Bombay high court bench of Justices N W Sambre and S U Deshmukh on June 13 considered the “amicable settlement” between the parties and quashed the 2021 first information report (FIR) registered against Prajita Developers Pvt Ltd and builders Altaf Wahedna and Arshad Wahedna in Bandra police station. Saira Banu is the power of attorney (POA) holder of Dilip Kumar.

The FIR was based on non-performance of the development agreement assigned by Kumar through his POA to Prajita Developers for developing his land, said the builders’ lawyer Satyam Nimbalkar, seeking orders to quash it, as he said a settlement had been reached with Saira Banu who unconditionally withdrew all allegations. The dispute gave rise to multiple court proceedings and led to the filing of arbitration proceedings last year as it was a civil dispute, argued Nimbalkar. The builder filed a quashing petition this year.

“The offence is based on the non-performance of the promise as made in the deed of assignment dated 20/04/2010,” noted the HC order, adding, “The aforesaid differences between the parties has led to filing of the arbitration proceedings giving rise to commercial arbitration.”

The builder and Saira Banu had tendered consent terms before the HC in the arbitration petition and in March the dispute was disposed of, based on the consent terms, noted the HC bench.

Saira Banu, represented by advocate Ekta Dalvi, appeared before the bench via video-conferencing in view of her health. The bench noted she had “in categorical terms” confirmed her consent for quashing the FIR. Her affidavit said she was the sole heir and representative of the late Yusuf Khan alias Dilip Kumar and the complaint was lodged due to a “misunderstanding” and the dispute, “purely civil in nature,” was “resolved amicably”.

Lata Mangeshkar with Dilip Kumar and Saira Banu (far right)

Veteran actor Saira Banu shared a close personal and professional bond with Lata Mangeshkar. The late singer would tie rakhi to Banu’s husband, late actor Dilip Kumar, every year. “She was my voice in most films. I was fortunate that she recorded the song Ja Ja Ja Mere Bachpan from my debut film, Junglee (1961). I remember, during an interview a couple of years ago, she was asked which heroine she thought her voice suited the most and Lata ji replied, ‘Saira Banu’. I fell off my chair,” says the 78-year-old.

On the personal front, Banu goes on to recall Kumar and Mangeshkar’s close bond: “Both of them would travel together in the same train for work. They were like a brother and sister. He would always tell her, ‘Aapki Urdu bahut achhi hai, isse aur polish kijiye’. She treated me like her bhabhi, but would call me Saira ji.”

An incident that sums up the close bond Kumar and Mangeshkar shared took place at the Royal Albert Hall in London (UK) in 1974. The Bharat Ratna recipient was the first Indian to perform live at the venue. Banu fondly recalls, “It was beautifully arranged. Dilip saheb had to introduce her on stage. He said, ‘Yeh meri chhoti si behen...’ He continued, ‘Bahut mukhtasar si (short)’. Then she sang and it became a historical event.”

She was the “chand ka tukda” next door, ever-so-ravishing, and loved her figure-hugging salwar suits, beehive bun with a slight fringe and the acting calibre of a veteran. He was the sombre legend, who was two decades her senior. But, no one batted an eyelid when super stars Saira Banu and “saab” Dilip Kumar said they were made for each other.

A year-and-a-half after he passed away following a prolonged struggle with prostate cancer, the Film Heritage Foundation (FHF) is celebrating 100 years of Dilip Kumar on his birth anniversary, today.

“It was a marriage of 56 years,” she tells us over the phone, apologizing for not being able to meet in person. Banu, 78, is nursing a cold and busy with the centenary preparations, but there is an eagerness in her voice to talk about her eternal love. “There was a great understanding between us, as husband and wife. Relationship is liye chali ke shuru se hee duniya jaanti hai, I was madly in love with him. And he gave me so much love in return.”

She is able to paint a vivid picture of her first sighting Kumar when she was 12. “I was schooling in London,” she says in between sips of water, “and my mother, Naseem Banu, was invited as guest of honour to the La Scala theatre in London for the premiere of saab’s film Aan. I was in pigtails, but the moment I saw him, I plummeted into love.”

The Mehboob Productions 1952 film, says Banu, was the first Dilip Kumar film she watched. “My mother knew that if I ever were to marry, it would only be him. So, in some way, our relationship goes back 66 years.”

Kumar, though, considered her a “bachchi”. “We were family friends, so he’d visit our home and treat me like a child. In fact, even after I tasted stardom with my debut film Junglee in 1961, he refused to act with me in several films.”

Had it not been for Kumar’s refusal to work with Banu, she would have been one of the female leads in Vijaya Productions, Ram Aur Shyam, in place of Mumtaz or Waheeda Rahman. “I was informed that saab had refused to work with me saying I would look very young opposite him on screen.”

Five years later, in October 1966, they were married. She was 22 and he, 44. It is said Banu’s mother played cupid. “Dhoom machh gayi thi!” she recalls of the time their engagement news leaked in the press. “People had never seen us together on screen and now, we were to get married. It was something out of the ordinary.” 

An outdoor shoot in Kolkata had to be wrapped up and reshot at an indoor studio in Mumbai because it was getting impossible to shoot among fans. “Just before we were to marry,” she remembers, “we happened to be in Kolkata. I had to do an outdoor shoot, and saab was finishing some script work. When we landed, there was a huge crowd of fans waiting at the airport. At that time, we weren’t surrounded by security, and fans had gathered on the tarmac. Some had found their way inside the airplane too! It became impossible for the shoot to continue, so we had to pack up and return to Bombay.” 

It’s what led the couple to get married in a hurry minus preparations, wedding cards or wedding dress. “He said, let’s just go to Bombay and exchange wedding bands in a simple ceremony. It was all done in five days.” Banu, who was a glamorous dresser, missed having an elaborate wedding dress. Her mother had to get the tailor to stitch a brocade gharara in haste. “Saab got himself a Jodhpuri suit,” she adds. “It was unplanned and unusual, and still we had thousands barge into the garden venue.”

Interestingly, Banu herself decided she would no longer act; Kumar didn’t stop her. He had not watched any of her films. “He saw some rushes of Shagird (1967) and told me that it would be unfortunate if he stopped me from working. He said the love I had for my art, and how good I was at it, was visible on celluloid. He could not take that away from me.”

The 1968 hit film Padosan, produced by comedian Mehmood, and Purab Aur Paschim (1970) by actor, director and writer Manoj Kumar, were written with Banu in mind. “Both of them came to saab and asked for ijazat to cast me as lead. If they couldn’t, they’d shelve the films.”

The love and respect is palpable in the melancholia Banu enveloped herself in after his death. Within a month, she fell violently ill. “I could barely breathe,” she remembers of the time she was rushed to intensive care. “I have not stepped out of the house since, barring visits to the hospital and doctor.”

This is atypical for someone who was out and about, and loved to go on long drives with Kumar. “My family and staff sometimes insist that I step out. Sitting in his car for the first time after his death was traumatic. Bahot dil kharab hua tha, bahot rona aaya tha. Sometimes, I do take a short drive along Carter Road in his car and reminisce about the times he’d be by my side.”

FHF is preparing to screen four of Kumar’s iconic films, Ram Aur Shyam, Aan, Devdas and Shakti, for the Hero of Heroes celebrations scheduled for this weekend, across PVR cinemas in 20 cities. Banu is going to make an exception, and step out of their Pali Hill home. “If I can, I will stay back to watch Aan, but I know it will be hard. Even today when I see him on television, mujhse bardasht nahin hota.”

This celebration is special for more reasons than one. That it’s an effort to restore classics of Indian cinema makes it an important one for Banu. “It’s a pity that studios are being brought down and the classics are biting dust. We can only watch the old films on television. FHF should be applauded for bringing some of these back to the big screen.”

Had Kumar been alive, the house, like with every birthday, would have been flooded with flowers, says Banu. They’d receive so many blooms from well wishers, friends and fans that they’d distribute them across various hospitals. “He was not the ordinary celebrity,” Banu says, adding, “He was a humanitarian. From when he was as young as 25, he started working for the blind and physically disabled. Together with industry veterans, he’d drum up support from the industry to help those affected by famine and flood. We’d ride on trucks to collect money and clothes for the poor.”

Saira Banu and Dilip Kumar at a function in Mumbai, 2005. Pics/Getty Images

Saira Banu during the unveiling of Dilip Kumar’s mural on his 99th birthday in 2021, a few months after the actor’s death

It’s time for celebration for all Dilip Kumar fans. On the occasion of the actor’s 100th birth anniversary, the Film Heritage Foundation has curated a two-day film festival titled Dilip Kumar – Hero Of Heroes. The centenary celebration of the legend will take place on December 10-11, with screening of four of his films across 20 cities. The line-up includes Aan (1952), Devdas (1955), Ram Aur Shyam (1967) and Shakti (1982).

Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, archivist and Director, Film Heritage Foundation (FHF), says the purpose of these screenings is to celebrate Dilip Kumar. He says, “Dilip Kumar’s centenary anniversary was an incredible opportunity to bring back one of the greatest actors of Indian cinema on the big screen. His films have a contemporary appeal even after so many years. He truly is the ‘Hero of Heroes’, as even today the biggest stars look up to him.”

He says that even though some of these films were released nearly seventy years ago, the power of the actor’s performances, his craft as a method actor and his charisma make him ageless.

However, when the foundation decided to screen the actor’s films, the organizers found that many of his iconic films were not in a condition to be shown on the big screen. Dungarpur says, “I was excited about curating several of his films to mark the occasion. How can one choose only a handful of films for an actor with such an illustrious body of work? But I was shocked and heartbroken to discover that many of his great films survived only in low-resolution formats, which could not be projected on the big screen. We have cobbled together these four films with great difficulty.”

Dungarpur adds that he’s sure the actor’s fans will question why some of their favourite Dilip Kumar films are missing from the list. He says, “We have films available on online platforms, but these are not of good quality. Now we are aware how much of his work is available and how crucial it is to save what is remaining. That’s the reason we are also launching a campaign to save Dilip sahab’s films. This is also a tribute to the work of the actors, crew members and filmmakers of that time. Filmmakers and producers need to realise that time is running out and that they should look into preserving these films before it is too late.”

Dungarpur shares that when he decided to organize a retrospective of Amitabh Bachchan’s films to celebrate his 80th birth anniversary, it was difficult to convince everyone – from the stakeholders to producers – that people would come out to watch old films. He says, “People didn’t have confidence, but I knew theatres were going to be jam-packed.”

At a film restoration session recently, Dungarpur had shared how he failed to get Prakash Mehra’s Zanjeer for a film screening once because Mehra’s family assumed that if the hall runs empty, then the aura surrounding the movie would fade. He adds, “However (at the Amitabh Bachchan retrospective), the film’s screening was fully booked everywhere and even Amitabh Bachchan called for two tickets of the film.”

So, what changed between these two screenings? He says, “Now everyone knows that people will come to watch old films and there is always going to be an audience for classics. Cities like London have theatres dedicated to screen old films, but in India we don’t have any such theatres. That’s why I have decided to curate these festivals for stars like Dev Anand and Raj Kapoor too next year.”

Talking about the film fest, Saira Banu shared, “I am so happy that the FHF is celebrating Dilip sahab’s 100th birthday on December 11 by screening some of his most popular films on the big screen across India. They could not have chosen a more apt title to commemorate India’s greatest actor – Dilip Kumar – Hero Of Heroes. He was my favourite hero from the time I was 12, when I first saw him in Aan in technicolor. It will be a joy to watch him on the big screen again, larger than life, like he has been in my life.”

Amitabh Bachchan says, “I am glad that we are celebrating Dilip Kumar’s legacy with this festival of films. I would urge every film lover and contemporary actor, who has not watched Dilip Kumar larger than life, to not miss the incredible opportunity of watching this stalwart back on the big screen. Even today, I learn something every time I watch his films. Dilip Kumar was and is my idol.”

Bachchan says that he was deeply disturbed to hear that many of Dilip Kumar’s films are not in a condition to be screened in cinemas. Calling it a tragedy, he adds, “Film Heritage Foundation is working to ensure that the work of legends like Dilip Kumar survives and is preserved and restored to be shown to today’s young audiences.”

Shivendra Singh Dungarpur with late Dilip Kumar and Saira Banu

Veteran actor Mumtaz, who is a close friend of actor Saira Banu opened up on how the latter has gone into a shell since the death of her husband, yesteryear star Dilip Kumar. She even visited Banu’s bungalow in Pali Hill, however, but didn’t get to meet her Aadmi Aur Insaan (1969) co-actor. “It’s so sad. Saira ji seems to have gone into a shell after Yusuf saab’s sad passing away. I made many attempts to contact her. When I could not reach her, I dropped in at her home. But I couldn’t meet her, I feel really sad,” Mumtaz told Bollywood Hungama.

She added, “I remember the last time I met them at their bungalow. Saira ji was so gracious. She had made really delicious cookies and cakes.”

Actor Dharmendra, who shared the screen space with both of them in Aadmi Aur Insaan, shared he also tried connecting with Banu. “I made many attempts to reach her. She does not answer calls. I was very close to Dilip saab, and to Saira. I don’t want to intrude on her privacy. I hope she is in good health,” he told the portal.

Similarly, actor-politician Shatrughan Sinha also expressed concern over the 77-year old’s health: “After Dilip saab, she has gone into a shell. We all lost the greatest actor. But she lost much more.”

Dilip Kumar passed away in July 2021, aged 98.