When Saira Banu’s family made Dilip Kumar reject films with her: ‘This is something I hold against him’ | Hindi Movie News

Saira Banu fell for Dilip Kumar’s charm when she was only 12 years old. Living in London at the time, she dreamt of marrying him despite not knowing him personally. As she grew older, she decided to pursue a career in acting. However, her family was against her choice. They even reached out to Dilip Kumar, who was friends with them, asking him to dissuade her from entering the film industry. To support her family’s wishes, Dilip Kumar even turned down a few movie offers with Saira. The actress revealed that this is the only thing she holds against him.
Saira shared in an interview with ATN Canada that Dilip refused to do many films, including ‘Ram Aur Shyam,’ with her. “This is something I hold against him,” she added. In the same chat, Dilip clarified that he was under compulsion during that time. He acknowledged that some of Saira’s relatives opposed her pursuing acting and that he felt a sense of obligation to honor their wishes due to his close friendship with her father and grandfather.

Despite his attempts to persuade Saira to reconsider her path, he ultimately felt that collaborating with her in a film would betray her family’s expectations. “I thought it would be betrayal if I did a film with her,” he shared.
In his memoir, ‘The Substance and The Shadow: An Autobiography,’ Dilip Kumar recounts the casting process for the film ‘Ram Aur Shyam,’ in which he played a dual role. Initially, Waheeda Rehman was selected as his love interest for one of the roles, but the search for another heroine began after Vyjayanthimala was dismissed for an unexpected tantrum. Dilip mentions that Nagi Reddy, a producer, highly admired Saira Banu and believed her pairing with him would be a significant draw, given her talent for comedy.
However, Dilip expressed his disagreement and stated that Saira’s delicate and innocent appearance was unsuitable for a character that required a more seductive and bold presence. The role was given to Mumtaz. Before completing the film ‘Ram Aur Shyam,’ Dilip Kumar attended Saira Banu’s birthday celebration, where he fell in love with her. Their romance blossomed quickly, leading to their engagement and marriage later that same year. Unfortunately, Dilip Kumar passed away in 2021.