Dilip Kumar passes away: Tracing pop culture references to see how actor left a lasting impact on Hindi cinema

Dilip Kumar, India’s enduring film legend through the decades, died at a Mumbai hospital on Wednesday after a prolonged illness, his family and doctors treating him said. He was 98. The actor, known to generations of film-goers as tragedy king’ for his portrayal of the brooding, intense romantic in classics such as Mughal-e-Azam and Devdas, is survived by his wife Saira Banu. The actor’s body of work has left a lasting impact on Hindi cinema, pop culture and more. Dilip Kumar’s mirror scene from Kohinoor replicated by Amitabh Bachchan in Mard  Kumar’s performance where he fools actor Jeevan in Kohinoor (1960) is an example of the actor’s comic timing and the range of characters he could play onscreen. In the scene, he pretends to be Jeevan’s mirror image and duplicates his actions. The same scene enacted between Amitabh Bachchan and Prem Chopra was brought to screen again in Mard (1985). _(Also read on Firstpost: Dilip Kumar dies at 98: Era comes to an end, peerless thespian was the defining voice of Independent India)_ Watch the scene here:

Kumar and Banu captured in a mural in Bandra’s Hill Road In 2017, artist Asif Farooqui honoured both actors with a large colourful mural in the Hill Road neighbourhood of Mumbai’s suburb, Bandra. Kumar had even tweeted a thank you note to the artist. The still that Farooqui illustrated was from the couple’s film Gopi (1970).

The “First Khan” of Bollywood Besides being known as the “Tragedy King”, Kumar, whose birth name was Yusuf Khan, was also referred to as the “ First Khan” of the Hindi film industry. He established himself as one of the most bankable actors in the 1950s and 1960s, especially with the period drama Mughal-e-Azam, in which he played the lovestruck Salim. In contemporary Bollywood, Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan are colloquially referred to as the Khans of Bollywood for their big-budget spectacles usually managed to capture the Indian box office by a storm. Forbes had previously likened their collective impact to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Hollywood. (Also read on Firstpost —  Remembering Dilip Kumar: 'Ude Jab Jab' to 'Pyar Kita Toh Darna Kya', his most memorable songs ) (Also read on Firstpost — Dilip Kumar's best performances: From Devdas to Naya Daur, 10 roles that defined the actor ) _(_ _Also read on Firstpost_ — _Dilip Kumar passes away at 98: Amitabh Bachchan, Anil Kapoor, Akshay Kumar, Taapsee Pannu offer condolences)_ A pioneer in method acting Kumar portrayed a variety of roles on screen, and deeply entrenched himself in his characters. In his autobiography Dilip Kumar: The Substance and Show, the actor spoke about it, saying, “I am an actor who evolved a method, which stood me in good stead.” Business Standard writes that there are several anecdotes about his process of becoming a part of his characters. For instance, when he was shooting for Mughal-e-Azam, to bring authenticity to a death scene, he ran around the studio till he was on the brink of exhaustion. _(Also read on Firstpost: Dilip Kumar's best looks: From Devdas to Andaz, the actor was as much style as substance)_ _(Also read on Firstpost: Dilip Kumar passes away: Actor born in British India's Peshawar honoured by Pakistan's known figures)_  

Amitabh Bachchan had also spoken about how Kumar had mastered Awadhi for the 1961 film Gunga Jumna. Bachchan had once said, “It was very difficult for me to imagine how someone that did not come from Uttar Pradesh was able to pronounce, enact all the nuances of the Awadhi language,” according to The Indian Express. The newer generation of actors may or may not have been directly influenced by his efforts to bring a character’s truth to a scene, but he was among the first to set a precedent. Shah Rukh Khan tries to capture the tragedy of Kumar’s Devdas in Sanjay Leela Bhansali directorial One of the most iconic dialogues and scenes in both the old and new Devdas is when Kumar says, “Kaun kambakht hai jo bardasht karne ke liye peeta hai? Mai toh peeta hoon ke bas saans le sakoon.” The same, but with little variation was relayed by Khan’s version of Devdas. According to a 2014 Hindustan Times report, Khan even met with Kumar to discuss how to capture the tragedy of the scene in the newer version. _(Also read on Firstpost: How Dilip Kumar's portrayal of Devdas is an enduring benchmark for tragic performances)_