In India, when we think of method acting, the name that pops up first is Dilip Kumar. He remains the inspiration of countless actors in Indian cinema. From Amitabh Bachchan to Naseeruddin Shah, Shah Rukh Khan to Nawazuddin Siddiqui, every actor of Hindi cinema carries the grain from the sand dunes that Dilip Kumar created with his acting.
He brought a sense of naturalism to his characters that was unthinkable for his age. He was the first one to debunk the myth that actors on screen hardly carry any insight into human behavior
.Dilip Kumar went out of his way to get into the skin of the character. He got so consumed by the sadness of a string of characters he played, he had to visit a psychiatrist who advised him to do comedies to get rid of the gloom that had seeped into his bone marrow.
For the song ‘Madhuban mein Radhika nache re ’from Kohinoor he actually took lessons in sitar for almost a year. For Gunga Jamuna, he drew from his gardener in Deolali, where he spent a considerable time while growing up, and spoke Bhojpuri like a pro.
It was Dilip Kumar’s natural way of inhabiting roles that brought directors like Bimal Roy to the forefront. Roy’s cinema influenced by Italian neo-realism had to rely on actors who never went for manners, but a way of playing characters that draws you in slowly in their environment.
Still from Jwar Bhata 1944
His first film was Jwar Bhata (1944). He had to learn everything from scratch and how he had to develop his own distinct histrionics and style, which would set him apart from his contemporaries.He soon soared to great heights with movies such as Jugnu, Shaheed, Mela, Andaz, Deedar, Daag and Devdas. He switched to play lighter roles as suggested by his British psychiatrist, who advised him to switch over to comedy.Remember his performance in Naya Daur,Ram Aur Shyam.
Dilip Kumar in Ram Aur Shyam
His career has spanned over six decades and with over 60 films.The period of 1949-1961 is considered the peak period of Dilip Kumar's career as a hero. From late 1960s roles dried up for Kumar as films starring Dev Anand, Rajendra Kumar and Shammi Kapoor were more successful from 1961-1969 and also Dilip's films from 1966 to 1976 were box office flops like Dil Diya Dard Liya, Sunghursh, Aadmi, Dastaan, Gopi, Sagina and Bairaag and after 1976 he left films for a five year break.
After a five-year break he started his ‘second innings’ with Kranti (1981), after which he appeared in a series of hits such as Vidhaata, Shakti, Mashaal, Karma and Saudagar
The Government of India honoured him with the Padma Bhushan in 1991, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1994 and India's second highest civilian award, the Padma Vibhushan in 2015 for his contributions towards Indian cinema and nominated him to Rajya Sabha, the upper house of Indian Parliament for a term.
On his 95th birthday I wish him Long Life and Good Health
My Favourite Dilip kumar's Songs
Song from Andaz 1949
Song from Daag 1952
Song from Aan 1952
Song from Sangdil 1952
Song from Footpath 1953
Song from Madhumati 1958
Song from Ganga Jamuna 1961
Song from Leader 1964
Song from Sangharsh 1968
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