RIP Dilip Kumar: 9 Lesser-known facts about the ‘The First Khan’ of Bollywood

Dilip Kumar, fondly called Kohinoor of Bollywood, passed away on Wednesday morning at the age of 98. A close friend to the family shared the news from the actor's Twitter handle after the doctors confirmed his demise. Not many people know that the legendary actor’s real name was Yusuf Khan.

As a tribute to the beautiful life of the veteran actor, here is a curated list of 9 lesser-known facts about Dilip Kumar that you might not know. Read on...

1. Born as Yusuf Khan in 1922, Dilip Kumar got his stage name after actress Devika Rani insisted he should own a Hindu name.

2. Known as the ‘The First Khan’ of Bollywood, Dilip Kumar has worked in more than 60 films during his career spanning about six decades.

3. The icon mastered speaking various languages including Hindi, English, Urdu and Pashto.

4. Dilip Saab debuted on Twitter on the occasion of his 89th birthday in 2011.

5. While he was married to Saira Banu, Dilip Kumar also wedded a woman named Asma Rehman in 1981. The relationship could only last for 2 years.

6. Among many honorary accolades, the actor was awarded the Dadasaheb Phalke Award (1994) and Padma Vibhushan (2015) by the Indian government. In 1998, the actor was also honoured with Nishan-e-Imtiaz, which is Pakistan’s highest civilian honour.

7. The magnum opus film of the actor’s career Mughal-E-Azam took 16 years to complete. It’s also the first feature film to be colourised for a theatrical re-release.

8. The Mughal-e-Azam actor had been in a long relationship with co-star and popular actress Madhulaba. However, the duo never got married.

9. Long before marking his debut in Indian cinema in 1944, Dilip Kumar had a dream to pursue his career as a professional sportsperson in either cricket or football.