Saira Banu shares anecdote of Dilip Kumar and Ashok Kumar's friendship; see post

Veteran actor Saira Banu has shared another anecdote from Dilip Kumar's life.

She shared how Ashok Kumar and Dilip Kumar got their first break under Devika Rani. She also shared the biggest acting lesson Ashok gave Dilip Kumar.

Sharing a picture of Dilip Kumar and Ashok Kumar, the veteran actor wrote, 'Devika Raniji, a picture of elegance, welcomed them and took them personally to the floor where a shooting was going on. She led him to a man who was well-dressed and looked distinguished. His dark hair was combed back and he smiled through his eyes at Sahib. He held his hand in a warm handshake that marked the beginning of a friendship that was to last a lifetime. He was Ashok Kumar, the superstar who soon became “Bhaiyya” to Sahib.'

Ashok Kumar adviced Dilip Kumar to enact the scene given to him the way he would behave in a real-life situation. He said if Dilip Kumar would act it out, it would look silly.

Saira Banu also revealed that there were times when Ashok Kumar jokingly told Dilip Kumar that he often visited his house to flirt with his wife.

'Ashok Bhaiyya lived close to the Studios those days and Raj and Dilip Sahib were always welcomed in Bhaiyya’s home to savour hot Bhajiyas made by his wife Shoba Bhabhi. Raj Kapoor would often join Sahib and hug him excitedly saying that he's happy to know that he had joined the acting profession. Bhaiyya sometimes arrived while they were having Bhajiyas and demanded that they should play badminton with him. He would chide them jokingly, You come here and flirt with my wife, eat nice Bhajiyas and you don’t want to accompany me in playing badminton. Later, when they worked together, on Ashok Bhaiyya’s order there would be a “Dawaat” at lunchtime with delicious food like Biryani and homemade icecream,' she wrote.

Concluding her post, Saira Banu wrote, 'Many years later when Bhaiyya was at home out of health problems, Sahib used to visit him frequently at his Chembur house where he would be resting in bed very much his ebullient self but naturally weaker, and Sahib took it upon himself to regale him with Urdu couplets and wicked jokes. He would respond marvellously and cheer up. Sahib and I visited him regularly while Bhaiyya’s man Khurshid followed us out and told us that ‘Dada Moni’ really perks up and livens up with your coming. This was a great camaraderie in bad times.'

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