Saira Banu, a woman of substance, is one of the pioneers of Hindi cinema. Throughout the 60s and 70s, Saira captivated the hearts of millions with her innocence and charm. Born to actress, Naseem Banu and producer, Mian Ehsan-ul-Haq, Saira was just 16, when she made her Hindi film debut opposite Shammi Kapoor in the film, Junglee.
Saira established herself as one of the most popular and finest actresses with films like Shagird, Diwana, Sagina, Padosan, Victoria No. 203, Hera Pheri, Bairaag and many more. The gorgeous actress, hailed for her doe-shaped eyes, was just 12 when she first saw Dilip Kumar, and instantly fell in love with him. Saira had only two dreams while growing up, one to become an actress and the second, to marry Dilip Kumar.
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Though Saira got married to her dream man, Dilip Kumar, the actress endured a lot of obstacles in her marriage. From Dilip Kumar’s past affairs, a miscarriage, his extra-marital affair and much more. Let us take a look at the sacrifices made by Saira Banu for the man she loved the most.
Dilip Kumar ruled Bollywood in the 60s and was the ideal man for every woman. The handsome actor had many admirers, and so his affairs with some of the leading actresses caught a lot of attention. Dilip Kumar, in his biography, Dilip Kumar: The Substance and the Shadow, admitted that he had first set his eyes on the actress, Kamini Kaushal. Because of her marital status, Dilip Kumar had to end his relationship with her.
The other actress with whom Dilip Kumar’s name is associated till now was the gorgeous Madhubala. During the shooting of Naya Daur, the two fell in love and were certain to get married. But Madhubala’s father was against their relationship, and as the actress could not go against her father, the lovers had to part ways.
Another actress, with whom Dilip Kumar’s name was associated was Vyjayanthimala. Dilip Kumar and Vyjyantimala did many films together, and the grapevine had that the two veteran stars were in love with each other. But they later parted ways and moved on in life.
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Just among his millions of fans was Saira Banu, who fell in love with him at the mere age of 12. In an interview with the Times of India, Saira revealed the instant feeling that she had when she first saw him. In her words:
“He was wearing a plain white shirt, white trousers and white chappals. And my God! He had such lovely free-flowing hair, just in sync with his song 'Ude Zulfen Jab Jab Teri' from ‘Naya Daur’. He looked so polished and sophisticated and so different from everyone around. It was a party by Mehboob Khan (director of 'Mother India') and I met him. I fell in love with him almost instantly; I was just 12 then.”
Saira later became an actress, and as fate would have it, Dilip Kumar couldn’t stop himself from falling for her. They got married in the year 1966 when the gorgeous Saira was only 22, and Dilip was 44. Dilip Kumar and Saira Banu's age difference of 22 years raised second thoughts in her mind, but after all, it was her dream come true to marry the love of her life. Dilip and Saira didn't let their age difference ever become an obstacle in their marriage.
In 1972, Saira and Dilip Kumar’s happy life came to a standstill when the actress suffered a miscarriage in her eighth month. Due to high blood pressure, Dilip Kumar and Saira Banu's child was strangulated by the umbilical cord, and the doctors couldn't save the baby. The doctors even said that Saira could not conceive again after her miscarriage. This was a big shock for the couple, but they had each other’s back.
While being married to Saira Banu, Dilip Kumar entered into an extra-marital affair with a Pakistani socialite, Asma Rehman, who was based in Hyderabad. Dilip Kumar met Asma, who was already a married woman with three children, during one of his visits to Hyderabad. He was introduced to Asma as one of his fans by his sisters.
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As per multiple reports, Dilip Kumar fell in love with Asma and got secretly married to her. The veteran actor kept his marriage under wraps, but, some local newspapers published his marriage certificate with Asma. This shocking news shattered Saira Banu, who was left embarrassed in front of the entire film fraternity and her family. However, his second marriage broke up soon after he realised that Asma was cheating on him by disclosing all his secrets to the press along with her former husband.
In his autobiography, The Substance And The Shadow, Dilip Kumar mentioned about his affair with Asma and called it a grave mistake of his life. In his words:
“The one episode in my life that I would like to forget and which we, Saira and I, have indeed pushed into eternal oblivion is a grave mistake I made under pressure of getting involved with a lady named Asma Rehman whom I had met at a cricket match in Hyderabad (Andhra Pradesh) where she then lived with her husband. She was a mother of three when she was introduced to me as a fan and she seemed like umpteen other admirers, who were introduced to me by my sisters.”
Saira Banu was taken aback by her Dilip Kumar's infidelity, but she was not ready to give up her marriage. In a throwback interview, she addressed his second marriage and stated:
“I am not prepared to be just one of his two wives. Earlier there were rumours and suspicions, but since he swore to me on the Quran that they were not true I was duty-bound to believe him. I don’t intend to use the law courts.”
When Dilip Kumar fell sick, it was Saira Banu, who stood with him like his shadow. She literally and wholeheartedly fulfilled her wedding vow to be with her spouse 'in sickness and health'. In an interview with The Times Of India, Saira had once said:
"It is out of love and not duress that I look after Dilip saab. I am not looking for praises to be called a devoted wife. Just to touch him and cuddle him is the world's best thing that's happening to me. I adore him and he is my breath itself."
After a prolonged illness, Dilip Kumar breathed his last on July 7, 2021, and left for his heavenly abode. Saira, who was there with him throughout his journey, was left alone to carry on the remaining journey of her life without her saab.
Be it Dilip Kumar’s infamous affairs with the leading ladies of Hindi cinema or his secret second marriage with Asma, Saira has dealt with many obstacles in her married life. But deep in her heart, Saira knew her 'Saab' would come to her as her love and faith were untameable.
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