When Dilip Kumar protested against Indira Gandhi on “Nothing” Hindustani About this Hindustani movies”

An incomparable actor of Hindi cinema, he is still remembered for his restrained, but serious roles, such as the anxious and star-crossed lover, an angry Mughal crown prince, a rustic simpleton turned dacoit, boisterous prankster, dutiful policeman And many others. Yet Dilip Kumar’s most significant performance came in a private conversation when he politely rebuked the future prime minister in front of his father.

It would have remained a mystery had Dilip Kumar not revealed this episode involving himself, Indira Gandhi and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru in his speech at a public event decades later.

On December 11 – the 102nd birth anniversary of Indian films’ enduring superstar Muhammad Yusuf Khan aka Dilip Kumar, who left an unmatched legacy with just 57 films in a career spanning 54 years, this story is worth retelling.

As Dilip Kumar remembers, he had recently been elected President of the India Motion Picture Producers Guild, despite not running for or interested in the post, and he was invited to a breakfast meeting with Pandit Nehru.

Although Dilip Kumar did not reveal the exact time of this meeting, it probably took place soon after he assumed office in 1963. As he declared in his characteristic blend of eloquent English and Hindustani, the association’s welfare programs had a dual purpose – to create a social identity, civic consciousness and credibility for the film industry, and to let the common people know what the people in the industry had done. They not only live in a world of ostentation, but they are also concerned about their fellow citizens.

Or as he said: “Apne wakar se establish tha, ke nahi hoshmand hai, hum ko khayal hai, apne samaj se mutalaik hai, apne zameen se wabasta, apne sanskriti se mutalaik hai…”

He said that Prime Minister Nehru was aware of the special functions organized by the film industry for disaster relief, education and other social welfare purposes and would sometimes call him to meet him.

As the actor recalled, Mrs. Gandhi was also present at this breakfast meeting and took a wide-ranging stance against the Hindi film industry and described how she visited Paris, Moscow and London and her orchestra, Saw his plays. The films there and how they were much more advanced and better than their Indian counterparts. Furthermore, he stated that “There is nothing Hindustani in Hindustani films.”

Dilip Kumar said that he remained silent for about 15 minutes when Mrs. Gandhi abused him, although internally he lost his composure as she “crossed the line of decorum” with her “complete condemnation of the entire medium”, which That “is not fair at all.” Then he thought that it would not be rude if he responded to her sharp criticism.

He then said with extreme politeness that he had been listening to her for 10 to 12 minutes as she criticized Hindustani films, “And you have said a lot, which I accept is legitimate and to deny it. That would be foolish, that would be foolish.” Claim that Indian films are the best, but let me tell you that you ask where is ‘Hindustaniyat’ in Hindustani films and in the 12 minutes you have been speaking, there is no ‘Hindustaniyat’ in your criticism. Not a single Hindustani word has been used…you are speaking completely in English.

However, Dilip Kumar said that did not stop his counter-attack and told him that despite having “a dedicated person at the helm of affairs”, there are many problems in the country.

“..It is not only the film industry that is bad that we have…we also have bad roads, we also have a bad education system, our agriculture is also bad, and if I can tell you, madam, our administration also has many There are weaknesses and even some ugly points,” he told them.

The superstar did not reveal Mrs Gandhi’s reaction but remained quiet as she feared she had angered the Prime Minister. However, he recalled that it was Pandit Nehru who broke the silence by saying: “You know, Yusuf, if I were you, I would not be so polite.”

It was the skill of a “shy 22-year-old son of a Pathan fruit merchant”, renamed Devika Rani, to Dilip Kumar, when he entered films in 1944 and “single-handedly refined acting” and refined acting as an art. Presented in. According to his wife Saira Banu, “an outstanding talent.”

Forgetting his celluloid career, Dilip Kumar was an icon of India’s diversity, able to quote from the Quran as well as the Bhagavad Gita and the Bible, celebrate Diwali with as much enthusiasm as Eid and talk about the tough times Jain children face in their 30s. He used to celebrate the completion of the -day fast, and was as fond of Josh, Firaq and Sahir as he was of Sumitranand Pant, Bharati and Tagore.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)