Saira Banu

Saira Banu turned 79 on Wednesday. On this occasion veteran actor shared a post and took a trip down memory lane. She took to her instagram handle and posted few black and white pictures. She recalled how her late husband Dilip Kumar travelled from Chennai to Mumbai on her 22nd birthday. She also added that on one such occasion, late actor proposed to her for marriage.

First monochrome picture showcased a young Saira was seen holding a bouquet and garlands. The cake kept on a table as Dilip Kumar smiled and looked at it. The photo also featured Rajendra Kumar and Dev Anand. The next one showed Dilip and Saira holding a knife as they both cut a cake.

Sharing it, Saira Banu wrote, “As far as I can remember, birthdays have been so “Special” for me — my mother Pari Chehra Naseem Banuji went to the ends of the world to always give me the best fun time with my friends whether here in Mumbai or in London School — not to forget once a towering layered cake that would have put the Qutub Minar to shame!”

“We were a very close knit small family that lived doting on each other — my grandma, my grand-aunt, my mother and my darling brother Sultan—Then Hey Presto! What good luck! No sooner than I finished my London School and came back home to Bombay I had the sheer luck of getting to do JUNGLEE the super hit Eastman Colour Film that became the rage of the time. Until now Black and White films were the order of the day and held the roost.”

 

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A post shared by Saira Banu Khan (@sairabanu)

Saira further added, “Soon life became a blast of light and joy and occasions such as birthdays blossomed into a flood of appreciation, flowers, messages from friends and fans making the whole house into a Garden of Eden. On 23rd August, 1966 such a quality evening, the House Warming of our new residence at 34-B Pali Hill was on, the house was made intentionally and absolutely Dilip Sahib’s ‘Dar Kay Saamney’ (Ghar Kay Saamney). He was shooting in Madras and on my mother’s invitation flew into town to attend my birthday.”

“Life became besieged with good luck, one miracle after another and can you imagine that the ‘Emperor Of Acting’ for whom the world was his stage. Mr Dilip Kumar who knew me since I was a little girl and consequently refused to work with me but soon after meeting me at this House Warming Party, exclaimed, ‘You have grown up into a beautiful girl. The next couple of days he travelled on whirlwind flights from Madras to Bombay every other night and had dinner with me.”

“On one of these magical evenings he popped the question, ‘Will you marry Me?’ Here came the realization of a dream that I had nurtured ever since I was in my teens. We were happily married and I started my life from an admiring fan to a devoted wife. I got to see the different aspects and qualities of this great human being. He was unlike any person that I had ever met —- a man who oozed a royal halo of understated elegance,” veteran actress concluded.

Saira Banu shared a series of nostalgic memories recently, honoring her late husband and the legendary actor, Dilip Kumar. One of the posts included a monochromatic throwback picture of Dilip Kumar showcasing his cricket skills, holding the bat with expert precision.

Accompanying the photo was an emotional note penned by Saira Banu, revealing Dilip Kumar’s childhood dream of becoming a cricketer. She expressed her love for the photograph, as it reminded her of his aspirations to become the country’s finest sportsman. However, fate had other plans for Mohammed Yousuf Khan, who later came to be known as Dilip Kumar. Saira Banu recounted how, during his youth, he would passionately play cricket and football every evening at the grounds behind the Metro Cinema. Dilip Sahib would excitedly narrate his experience of purchasing his first cricket bat and sports shoes from a shop near Metro Cinema. His athletic prowess was evident during his school and college years, where he emerged victorious in every 200-meter race.

 

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A post shared by Saira Banu Khan (@sairabanu)

Saira Banu went on to share a humorous incident from the early days of their marriage. A benefit cricket match was organized, and all the film stars gathered to participate. Dilip Kumar trained Saira Banu for a week in their garden to improve her bowling skills, as they were to play on his team alongside Raj Kapoor. To everyone’s surprise, Saira Banu bowled out the opposing team’s captain on the first ball, leading to Raj Kapoor’s infectious laughter and remarking, “Arrey, yeh ladki toh serious ho gayi hai” (Oh, this girl has become serious). Eventually, she managed to bowl out eight players from the opposing team.

In her heartfelt post, Saira Banu also shared how Dilip Kumar had taught her how to bowl for the benefit cricket match, showcasing their bond and his willingness to share his passions with her.