Dilip Saab is a true gentleman: Saira Banu

 

 

After the death of Dev Anand, Dilip Kumar is perhaps the lone surviving superstar of the black and white era and the launch of his autobiography is set to be one of the biggest literary events Bollywood has seen in a long time.

 

On the occasion, Saira Banu, the actor’s better half, talks about the book, the revelations within and yes, the other women in Dilip Saab’s life.

 

“I am very happy. It was a dream of mine for years that Dilip Saab would write his autobiography. So much has been written about him over the years but I wanted him to tell the story of his life,” says Saira, adding, “Nobody knows about his childhood. He had an amazing childhood. His father was a successful businessman. No one knows about his wonderful and successful father. I had insisted that he write his autobiography, about his childhood and his journey into cinema.”

 

“Dilip Saab was born in Peshawar; he was the son of a successful fruit merchant who was respected and had a good reputation. The book talks about his journey from Peshawar to Deolali, Nasik and thereafter to Pune and his subsequently foray into films,” she adds.

 

 

The couple has preferred to remain away from the limelight for many years now and Saira says that it actually feels great to be talked about again. “Coming in the news after so many years definitely feels great (laughs). Actually we have been hibernating. And since we had some health issues, we kept a low profile.

But we were there for the birthday celebrations of Amitabh Bachchan. Our ‘kids’, Shah Rukh, Salman and Aamir have also been visiting us constantly. While Shah Rukh and Salman visit us on special occasions, Aamir comes to our place frequently; he is more accessible to us.”

 

“We do socialize and have many friends, but not many from the industry though. Baby Farida, Farida Jalal and Mumtaz are our good friends. Sharmila Tagore had come over to meet us just a month ago. But outside the industry we have many friends and relatives so we are very busy during their visits.”

And while she praises the younger generation of actors, Saira feels that they have had it easy. “The young generation is very lucky that they have great platforms like reality shows where they can showcase their talent. In our time we were deprived of such platforms which could change our professional lives overnight. With the advent of television, opportunities are indeed knocking at the doors of the talented lot.”