From Imran Khan to Ali Zafar, Pakistan mourns for the 'son of Peshawar'

Dubai - Tributes pour in thick and fast after Dilip Kumar breathed his last in Mumbai on Wednesday morning

Dilip Kumar, who was born as Mohammad Yusuf Khan, in Peshawar in the then North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) on December 11, 1922, in undivided India under the British colonial rule, has always been a beloved and revered figure in the subcontinent.

He had moved to Bombay, now Mumbai, in the 1930s, where he breathed his last on Wednesday (July 7) morning.

The ‘House of Dilip Kumar,’ which is located in the Qissa Khawani Bazaar of Pakistan, was converted into a national heritage monument by then Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on July 13, 2014.

In 1988, Kumar had emotionally kissed the soil on a visit to Peshawar.

In 2007, he was honoured with the Nishan-e-Imtiaz, the highest civilian honour of Pakistan, for his contribution to the field of arts.

In 2020, the actor had shared fond memories of his formative years in the house after hearing that the Pakistani government has plans to restore his ancestral home.

Tributes poured in thick and fast after the news broke of his passing on Wednesday morning. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan mourned the loss of the legendary actor.

>> Imran Khan, Prime Minister of Pakistan

"Saddened to learn of Dilip Kumar's passing. I can never forget his generosity in giving his time to help raise funds for Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital & Research Centre when the project was launched. This is the most difficult time - to raise the first 10 per cent of the funds and his appearance in Pakistan and London helped raise huge amounts. Apart from this, for my generation, Dilip Kumar was the greatest and most versatile actor."

>> Ali Zafar, actor

"I had always wished and wanted to meet Dilip 'saab' since I had been his fan from an early age. Finally, I got to know that he would be arriving at an award function a few years ago, where I was being awarded. I was more excited to see him and meet him than I was to get the award! As soon as he came in, I went to him and sat at his feet. I took his blessings. His eyes sparkled when I told him I was from Lahore ... There was so much kindness and radiance in his eyes that shone through his eyes, even though he was very ill at that time…I'll never forget that."

>> Marina Khan, actress

"In the last couple of years, Allah had been calling back so many of Indian’s heartthrobs, but now he has taken one of the best. RIP Dilip Kumar 'saab'. For millions, you will live on forever.

>> Faseeh Bari Khan, TV scriptwriter

"Dilip 'saab', who used to perform the dialogues of Rajinder Singh Bedi, Aman Mirza or Javed Akhtar performed this last scene under the guise of silence. Silence that is more meaningful and impressive."

>> Imran Abbas, model-turned-actor