Photographed by Saira Banu on Instagram. (courtesy: Saira Banu,
New Delhi:
Saira Bano never misses a chance to remember her late husband, legendary actor Dilip Kumar. On Sunday, the former actress shared a series of pictures and an emotional note on Instagram to show her love for Dilip Kumar, whom she calls “Sahib”. In the first frame, we can see the letter written by Saira Bano to the love of her life. In the letter, she wrote, “Dear Yusuf Jaan, no matter what, we will always walk together hand in hand, forever one in our thoughts and being. My days stretch like eternity and each moment is a reminder of our togetherness. Often, I think of the love and life we ​​shared because it still keeps us whole, because love, my dear ‘Sahib’, consumes all remnants of an existence, I am grateful to Allah that I have been fortunate enough to be yours in this life, and by His mercy. Insha Allah, I will always be yours and yours alone. Love, Saira Bano Khan.” For your information: Dilip Kumar’s real name was Muhammad Yusuf Khan.
After the letter, we see some adorable pictures of Dilip Kumar and Saira Banu. The last slide shows a handwritten letter written by Dilip Kumar to his wife, in which he jokingly calls her “aunty”. In the note, Dilip has written, “Saira, I am feeling sleepy, what would you suggest, aunty? …Yours 100%.”
Sharing the story behind Dilip Kumar’s letter, Saira Banu wrote in the caption: “Sahib was the greatest actor of all time. He had everything, yet very few know that he had severe insomnia. Before our marriage, even after taking pills, he would stay up till morning. However, once we got married and became indispensable to each other, he started sleeping on time. He also gave me a cute nickname that lovingly said, ‘Saira, you are my sleeping pill, you are my pillow.’ Even today, I laugh remembering the charm with which he used to say this.”
“Another memorable incident was when he wrote me a note. He was very fond of music and would often hold a full court in our house to witness the magic created by the artistes. Saheb, as usual, would often sneak out of the court to get some sleep. One such evening, despite sneaking out, he was unable to sleep without me. So, he wrote a note, ‘Feeling sleepy, what do you suggest, Aunty? …Yours 100%’,” she added.
Saira Banu ended her caption with, “He was a fun-loving person, always calling me ‘aunty’ and laughing. Yet, beneath the banter, laughter and those heartwarming notes, there was pure love hidden. Dilip sahab is forever… May Allah keep him in his love and blessings… Amen!”
Reacting to the post, Zeeman Aman shared a red heart. Richa Chadha also shared two red heart emojis. Manisha Koirala wrote, “Love you ma’am.”
Read Saira Banu’s full note below:
Dilip Kumar and Saira Banu were married in 1966. Dilip Kumar passed away in 2021 at the age of 98.