JOIN USWhy not a Bharat Ratna for Dilip Kumar?
Our highest civilian awards like the Bharat Ratna and the Padmas are mostly conferred much too late. Why? What are these honours for?
The awards are presented in ‘recognition of exceptional service and performance of the highest order’ in art, literature, science, and public service. Honouring achievers is like honouring ourselves the entire nation is proud of them. But it is important to honour them at the right time.
Among the many who deserve our praise and adulation, one whose name would be on top is the legendary actor Dilip Kumar.
Muhammad Yusuf Khan, popularly known as Dilip Kumar, is unarguably the greatest Indian actor. His striving for perfection has inspired generations of actors. One among them is the star of the millennium, Amitabh Bachchan’.
I remember when I was shooting for ‘Rama Shama Bhama’ with the versatile Kamal Hasan, he confessed he was a Dilip Kumar fan. He even enacted a scene from the film ‘Mughal-e-Azam’ and imitated Dilip Kumar’s Salim. Imagine Kamal Hasan imitating. He appreciated the way Dilip Kumar had worked out each and every small mannerism to enhance the character of the Mughal prince.
Our Kannada superstar, Dr Vishnuvardhan, too was bowled over by Dilip Kumar’s acting. On many occasions, we have discussed his acting and his movies. Vishnuvardhan always said Dilip Kumar was a living film institute.
It pains me immensely that Pran, the much-hated villain and one of our most loved actors, was honoured with the ‘Dada Saheb Phalke Award’ when his health had deteriorated so much that he was not even aware of what he was being honoured with.
I am choked with emotion when I think that my father-in-law Vishnuvardhan, the ‘Sahasa Simha’, whose contribution to Kannada cinema is enormous, was not even honoured with a ‘Padmashree’.
Every year there are discussions about who will win our civilian awards. When the awards are announced, there is an equal amount of talk about who missed out. Why is the government stingy and irrational when it comes to recognising achievers? It’s really awful.
My earnest plea is Dilip Kumar should to be honoured with the ‘Bharat Ratna’ which he undoubtedly deserves. He is 96 and the government shouldn’t wait till eternity.
In one of his most memorable scenes in ‘Mashal,’ a heartbroken Dilip Kumar runs around the streets of Mumbai desperate for help. He screams, ‘Ae bhai! Koi hai?’ (Hey brother, anyone there?’). I might have to scream out similarly to get the attention of the government.
(The author is an actor, singer, writer and director)