Dilip Kumar birth anniversary: 10 iconic movies of Bollywood’s tragedy king

Veteran actor Dilip Kumar was born on this day in Peshawar in 1922. He has worked in over 100 films during a career spanning six decades. In the 1950s, nine of his films were ranked in the top 30 highest-grossing films. Most of them are timeless classics and will be remembered for their gripping storyline, melodious songs, and stellar performances. He became an inspiration to the likes of Rajendra Kumar, Manoj Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan and Shahrukh Khan.

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Dilip Kumar made his acting debut at the age of 22 in Jwar Bhata. He never had any intentions to join cinema before that.

Here are some of the iconic Dilip Kumar movies: 

Daag (1952)

For his performance in Daag, Dilip Kumar won the first-ever Filmfare Award in the best actor category.

Devdas (1955)

The story of a tragic lover, based on the Saratchandra Chattopadhyay novella, is considered one of the best performances by Dilip Kumar. Devdas was ranked number 2 film on the University of Iowa’s List of Top 10 Bollywood Films by Corey K. Creekmur.

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Naya Daur (1957)

BR Chopra’s Naya Daur is based on the theme of Nehruvian India. Dilip Kumar played the lead character with grace, versatility, and conviction. The film was both a commercial and a critical success.

Madhumati (1958)

There is nothing better than the combination of Bimal Roy and Dilip Kumar along with Vyjayantimala. One of the earliest films to deal with reincarnation, suspense, and thrill was filled with amazing cinematography and exquisite songs.

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Mughal-e-Azam (1960)

We are still waiting for a film that can surpass K Asif’s grand vision and resplendent making. The historical drama took 10 years to complete and was re-released in colored print after 50 years.

Dilip Kumar’s portrayal of Prince Salim gave a new dimension to the love scenes he enacted with bewitching Madhubala who played Anarkali. The film also showed the father-son relationship between Prince Salim and Akbar played by Prithviraj Kapoor.

Ganga Jamuna (1961)

The story revolves around an innocent man whose circumstances lead him to become a dacoit. The only film produced by Dilip Kumar depicted the connection of two brothers and their clashing ideologies against the backdrop of a discriminating society. This is one of Dilip Kumar’s best roles in film.

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Ram Aur Shyam (1967)

In this remake of the Telugu superhit, Ramadu Bheemudu, the superstar nailed the turn as twin brothers to perfection. Dilip Kumar made a comeback with Ram and Shyam after a bad spell at the box office.

Shakti (1962)

This was the first and only on-screen collaboration between  veteran actors Dilip Kumar and Amitabh Bachchan. The film is considered as director Ramesh Sippy’s best creation and one of the greatest movies in the history of cinema.

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Mashaal (1984)

In Yash Chopra’s drama co-starring Waheeda Rehman and Anil Kapoor, Dilip Kumar revived his tragedy king title. He played Vinod, an innocent, law-abiding citizen who turns to crime for  revenge. With this film, Dilip Kumar proved that charisma is not time-bound.

Karma (1986)

Subhash Ghai and Dilip Kumar reunited after the success of Vidhaata (1982). Dilip Kumar was paired with Nutan for the first time.