Dilip Kumar

Dilip Kumar could tell a whole story just with his eyes. In his films he played kings, poor farmers and heartbroken lovers, always with a calm, quiet strength.

He acted in Hindi cinema for more than fifty years and was called the Tragedy King because of his many sad, powerful roles — but he could also play a hero who danced and joked. Many later Indian actors say they learned how to act by watching him.

Muhammad Yusuf Khan, better known as Dilip Kumar, was born in 1922 in Peshawar (now in Pakistan) and moved with his family to Bombay as a young man. He entered films in 1944 and became one of the most influential actors of Hindi cinema over the next five decades.

His films include 'Andaz' (1949), 'Devdas' (1955), 'Naya Daur' (1957), 'Madhumati' (1958), 'Mughal-e-Azam' (1960), 'Ganga Jamuna' (1961) and 'Shakti' (1982). He was known for his understated, method-style performances long before the term became common in India.

He won a record eight Filmfare Best Actor awards. He received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India's highest cinema honour, in 1994, and the Padma Vibhushan in 2015.

He passed away in 2021, mourned by generations of film-lovers as one of the greatest actors India has ever produced.