Birthday special: 5 of Dilip Kumar's best performances

From Anarkali's beloved 'Salim' to Paro's 'Devdas', Dilip Kumar is remembered for performing some of the finest roles in Indian cinema. Many actors like Dharmendra and Kamal Haasan have admitted to worshipping him as their role model before entering the film industry.

On his 93rd birthday, we remember some of the finest films of the superstar Satyajit Ray called 'India's ultimate method actor'.

Devdas (1955)

Though the current generation will think of Shah Rukh Khan in this role from Sanjay Bhansali's 2002 film of the same name, it was Dilip Kumar who first took on the role of Devdas in Hindi cinema. With his splendid performance in this Bimal Roy directed classic, he immortalised the story of the star-crossed lovers and their unrequited love. This is considered to be one of Kumar's finest performances.

Watch the song 'Jise tu qabool karle' from the film, rendered beautifully by Lata Mangeshkar:

Andaz (1949)

We all tend to associate any of Raj Kapoor films with love, romance and drama. In this mysteriously crafted love triangle between Raj Kapoor, Nargis and  Dilip Kumar, it was the latter who outdid himself as a romantic hero. He gave us an array of emotions—from being a quiet lover to an unwitting villain—that ultimately leads to his demise in the film. Critics still remember this as one of the best performances in a romantic film till date.

Watch Dilip Kumar sing 'Tu kahe agar' to impress Nargis in Andaz:

Read : Dilip Kumar turns 93, to have a quiet birthday to mark solidarity towards victims of Chennai floods

Mughal-e -Azam (1960)

The film is considered an inspiration even today for its screenplay, dialogue, acting and scale and for giving us 'Tragedy King' Dilip Kumar. With restrained acting, balanced expressions and perfect poise, he helped us imagine what Prince Salim would have actually been like. In an interview given to a leading daily a few years ago, Dilip Kumar had said, "Mughal-e-Azam was an altogether different experience. Asif (director) trusted me enough to leave the delineation of Salim completely to me," and the rest is history.

Watch Dilip Kumar in Mughal-e-Azam:

Ganga Jamuna (1961)

Immediately after the super-hit Mughal-e-Azam, Dilip Kumar gave us another mega hit, which is still considered as one of India's most successful films in terms of box office collection. Dilip essayed the different roles of an able brother, an outlawed bandit to a passionate lover seamlessly. The 'Bhojpuri' accent of Kumar, its songs and the amazing chemistry between Vyjayanthimala and Dilip Kumar all worked well for the success of this movie. 

Dilip Kumar in the song 'Nain lad jaye hain' from Ganga Jamuna:

Saudagar (1991)

The comeback of Dilip Kumar and Rajkumar was much appreciated in Subhash Ghai's classic epic. Portraying the roles of two best friends in the movie, audiences completely adored the film which let them watch their two favourite actors back on the screen together after a long time. Watching them fight, narrate some revolutionary dialogues and sing 'Imli ka boota' together formed an essential part of our growing up.

Listen to 'Imli ka boota'

Apart from these, his performances in Madhumati (1958) , Kranti (1981) and Shakti (1982) are equally remembered. Wishing the veteran actor a very happy birthday!

Also read :  Dilip Kumar turns 93, to have a quiet birthday to mark solidarity towards victims of Chennai floods