When Saira Banu praised Dilip Kumar’s ex Madhubala while reacting to her critics

Veteran actor Saira Banu had once praised veteran actor Madhubala, who was also the ex-girlfriend of her late husband-actor Dilip Kumar. As Saira clocks her 78th birthday on Tuesday, we revisit her old interview in which she reacted to critics saying that she became famous due to glamour and not talent. Saira then cited Madhubala’s example and added that she’s ‘happy to be in such illustrious company’. (Also Read | Saira Banu says Dilip Kumar’s absence reflects on her health: ‘I am all alone now’)

An interviewer from Stardust had asked Saira in 1973 about ‘critics who insist you’ve made it on glamour and not on talent?’ Saira had replied, “Maybe they are right – but what counts is that I am around, whether they like it or not! Remember, the same was said of a great star called Madhubala, of another named Marilyn Monroe, and I am happy to be in such illustrious company!”

In an old interview in 2020, Madhubala’s sister Madhur Bhushan told Filmfare about Dilip and Madhubala’s break-up, “They (Dilip Kumar and Madhubala) were engaged to be married. But the Naya Daur court case in 1956 changed it all (Ataullah Khan didn’t want Madhubala to shoot outdoors. Dilip Kumar testified against Khan in favour of director BR Chopra). Apa asked Dilip saab to apologise to Abba. She was a devoted daughter and didn’t want her father to be disrespected. But Dilip saab refused to say sorry.”

Dilip and Madhubala first met on the set of Jwar Bhata (1944) and their relationship began during Tarana (1951). They also featured together in Sangdil (1952) and Amar (1954).

A few years later, Dilip tied the knot with Saira Banu in October 1966. She was 22 years old when she got married to Dilip (44). Dilip and Saira featured in several movies together such as Gopi and Sagina Mahato (1970), Sagina (1974), Bairaag (1976), Duniya (1984) among others.