Dilip Kumar’s 100th birthday anniversary celebrated in Peshawar

PESHAWAR: A function was arranged on Monday to mark the 100th birthday of the subcontinent cinema legend from Peshawar, MuhammadYusuf Khan, popularly known by his screen name of Dilip Kumar.

Syed Jawad Hussain Kazmi, president Khyber Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) was the chief guest at a function held at the ancestral home of Dilip Kumar at the Mohallah Khudadad situated at the back of the historic Qissa Khwani Bazaar.

Speaking on the occasion, KCCI President Syed Jawad Hussain Kazmi said it was an honour for him to represent the traders and businessmen community at such a function to mark the birthday of a great film star who was son of this soil and loved the city of his birth and its people.

Secretary of Culture Heritage Council(CHC), ShakeelWaheedullah Khan, and others cut the cake to celebrate the birthday.

The speakers said Dilip Kumar was a great start and a fine soul. They said the thespian was a professional and talented actor, who was rightly considered the academy of acting by those associated with the field.

They said that Peshawar had produced big great people in every field of life and Dilip Kumar was no exception. Shakeel said Dilip Kumar was a staunch supporter of peace between Pakistan and India. He said that CHC had been organizing the birthdays of legendary film stars for the last 16 years regularly, and the practice would continue.

He said celebrating the day was aimed at remembering the legendary star in his native city and bring the people of Pakistan and India closer.It may be mentioned here that Dilip Kumar was born as Muhammad Yusuf Khan to Lala Ghulam Sarwar and Ayesha Begum into a Hindko-speaking Awan family of Peshawar on December 11, 1922, at Mohallah Khudadad.

The family later moved first to Pune in Maharashtra and later Mumbai.He ventured into acting in 1944 and Jawar Bhatta was his first movie. His acting career spanned over 54 years during which he gained immense popularity as The Tragedy King. He is credited with bringing realism to film acting since his first film. Qila was his last film which was released in 1998.

Dilip Kumar was honoured with awards both in India and Pakistan for his services. He visited Peshawar twice after partition, first in 1988 and then in 1998. The great star passed away on July 7, 2021 at the age of 98.