'Tragedy King' turns 90

Published December 11, 2012

Dilip kumar and Madhubala.–File Photo

With a career spanning six decades and more than 60 films in his bag, not to mention the highest number of Filmfare award wins (a record he shares only with Shah Rukh Khan), he is hailed by critics, contemporaries and audiences as the greatest actor in Hindi cinema. According to a report published in Times of India 

And even as he brings in his 90th birthday today, Dilip Kumar, born Muhammad Yousuf Khan, continues to inspire generations of actors setting foot in the film industry.

He started his memorable Bollywood journey with the 1944 release "Jwar Bhata". Thereafter, he went on to give classics like "Madhumati", "Shaheed", "Devdas", "Andaz", "Amar", “Aan”,  "Mughal-E-Azam", "Ram Aur Shyam", "Karma" and "Saudagar".

He was crowned the Tragedy King of Bollywood for playing a doomed lover in films like "Andaaz", "Baabul", "Mela", "Deedar", and "Jogan".

The character of Amarnath Singh in 'Qila' (1998) was Dilip Kumar's last film role. He stopped acting after this film.

The icon that he is, celebrations for his 90th birthday are being planned the world over, says his wife, but he wants it to be a sober affair in Mumbai.

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