Mumbai, Jul 07, 2021, IANS
The 'Kohinoor' of Indian Cinema, Mohammed Yusuf Khan, known to the world by his screen name Dilip Kumar, was laid to rest in a suburban cemetery amid full state honours here on Wednesday evening.
Dilip Kumar's body was kept at his Bandra home a few hours for people to pay their last respects even as huge crowds assembled outside to catch a glimpse of the legendary star before his final journey.
Among those who visited and condoled his wife Saira Banu Khan were Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Tourism Minister Aditya Thackeray, Karan Johar, Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Ranbir Kapoor, Vidya Balan, Johny Lever, and Anupam Kher.
Later, his body was ceremonially draped in the national Tricolour by a Mumbai Police contingent, and taken in procession to the Juhu Muslim Cemetery with scores of people lined up on both sides of the roads to bid a tearful adieu.
At the cemetery, many other top Bollywood personalities had gathered for his final 'deedar', awaiting the funeral cortege brought by the police and his family members.
After the traditional rituals and prayers and the state protocols, Dilip Kumar was laid to rest as many of the mourners cried and other fought back their tears even as Mumbai Police deployed tight security and implemented Covid-19 protocols.
A stunned nation woke up to learn of the demise of Dilip Saab - as he was popularly known in the film industry where he strode like a colossus for over 6 decades.
Making the shocking announcement, Dilip Kumar's close aide Faisal Farooqui, said that he breathed his last around 7.30 am at the Hinduja Hospital following bouts of old-age related illnesses.
Top people from all walks of life including President R.N. Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Congress President Sonia Gandhi, party leader Rahul Gandhi, mourned his passing, even as social media was flooded with grief and admiration for the legend.
Besides, two Bharat Ratnas Lata Mangeshkar and Sachin Tendulkar, Amitabh Bachchan, Shahid Rafi - son of legendary singer Mohammed Rafi who crooned many songs for the late actor - and other prominent Bollywood personalities mourned his demise and recalled his contributions to the film industry.