Five timeless movies of Dilip Kumar to watch on his birth anniversary

Dilip Kumar, the 'Original King' of Hindi cinema, would have been 99 today

Dilip Kumar was inarguably one of the Indian cinema's finest performers. The 'Tragedy King' impressed one and all with his remarkable versatility, passionate dialogue delivery and gripping screen presence. During a career that spanned decades, he starred in several cult films, proving that his star power was second to none. On Saturday, as fans remember 'Saab' on his 99th birth anniversary, here is a look at five films that serve as proof of his limitless talent.

Devdas (1955)

Kumar garnered attention in the 50s with films such as Aan, Amar and Sangdil. It was, however, Devadas the proved to be his most memorable release from that decade. The film revolved around the life of a young man from an affluent family who virtually self-destructs after being separated from his lover. It featured an intense performance from the thespian, which helped him consolidate his standing as Hindi cinema's 'Tragedy King'. Devdas emerged as a commercial success and attained cult status. It was based on Bengali writer Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay's novel of the same name.

Mughal-e-Azam (1960)

Widely regarded as the greatest Indian film of all time, the blockbuster was a grand period drama that revolved around the passionate romance between the future Mughal emperor Jehangir and the eternal beauty Anarkali. It featured Kumar in the role of Prince Salim and proved to be a showreel for him. Everything about his performance--right from the dialogues to his chemistry with Madhubala-- was nearly perfect. The film featured an impressive war sequence that left fans asking for more with its intensity. The cast included Prithviraj Kapoor, Durga Khote and Ajit.

Gunga Jumna (1961)

Kumar experimented with his reel image when he played the role of a bandit in Gunga Jumna, his first major release after Mughal-e-Azam. The film received critical acclaim for its layered characters and engaging screenplay. Many critics consider it to be a critique of the authority's failure to protect the underprivileged.

Ram Aur Shyam (1967)

The 'Kohinoor of India' essayed two distinct roles in the cult classic, giving strong proof of his versatility as a performer. The comedy drama was a remake of Sr NTR's Telugu movie Ramudu Bheemudu and revolved around the journey of twins brothers. It had a clean and entertaining screenplay that catered to a family audience. If did phenomenal business at the box office, emerging as the second highest-grossing movie of 1967 after Upkar.


Shakti (1982)

Ramesh Sippy pulled off the casting coup of the decade when brought Kumar and Amitabh Bachchan together for the evergreen movie Shakti, which revolved around the clash between a brave police officer and his son. The matinee idol and the future 'Shahenshah' hit it out of the park with their intense reel exchanges, redefining the meaning of intense. Shakti did decent business at the box office, attaining cult status.

Honourable mentions: Azaad (1955), Naya Daur (1957), Paigham (1959), Leader (1964), Kranti (1981), Mashaal (1984) and Saudagar (1991)


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