When Dilip Kumar Challenged an Assertive Indira Gandhi in Front of PM Nehru

New Delhi, Dec 11 (NationPress) The unparalleled icon of Hindi cinema, he is still celebrated for his subtle, yet powerful portrayals of tragic lovers, a lovestruck Mughal heir, a naïve outlaw, lively jesters, dedicated officers, and numerous others. However, Dilip Kumar's most prominent performance emerged during a private encounter when he respectfully challenged a future Prime Minister in front of her father.

This episode would have remained unknown had Dilip Kumar not disclosed it himself, involving him, Indira Gandhi, and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, during a speech at a public function many years later.

On the occasion of the 102nd birth anniversary -- December 11 -- of Muhammad Yusuf Khan, popularly known as Dilip Kumar, the enduring superstar of Indian cinema, who bestowed an unrivaled legacy with just 57 films throughout a 54-year career, this narrative deserves to be revisited.

Dilip Kumar recounted that he had recently been appointed as the President of the India Motion Picture Producers Guild, despite not campaigning for or having interest in the position, and was invited to a breakfast meeting with Pandit Nehru.

While he did not specify the exact date of this meeting, it likely occurred in 1963 shortly after he assumed the role. The association's welfare initiatives, as he articulated in his characteristic blend of eloquent English and Hindustani, aimed to foster a social identity, civic awareness, and credibility for the film industry, while also conveying to the general public that industry professionals were not just engaged in a fantasy world but also cared about their fellow citizens.

As he expressed: "Apne waqar ko establish karna tha, ke nahi hoshmand hai, ham ko khayal hai, apni society se muttaliq hai, apni zameen se vabasta hai, apne culture se muttaliq hai..."

He mentioned that Prime Minister Nehru was aware of the unique events the film industry organized for disaster relief, education, and various social welfare causes, and would occasionally invite him for discussions.

During this breakfast gathering, Mrs. Gandhi was also present and launched into an unrestrained critique of the Hindi film industry, recapping her visits to Paris, Moscow, and London, where she experienced their orchestras, plays, and films, which she deemed superior to their Indian equivalents. Additionally, she remarked that there was "nothing Hindustani about Hindustani films."

Dilip Kumar recounted that he remained silent for approximately 15 minutes while Mrs. Gandhi criticized him, though he was internally unsettled as she "began to exceed the limits of decorum" with her "complete denunciation of an entire medium," which he felt was "not justified at all." He then considered it inappropriate to remain silent in the face of her vehement criticism.

He responded, extremely courteously, that he had listened to her for 10 to 12 minutes as she condemned Hindustani films, stating, "and you said a lot, which I admit is valid and denying it will be folly; it would be foolish to claim that Indian films are the best. But let me tell you that you question where is the 'Hindustaniat in Hindustani films' and in the 12 minutes you have been speaking, there has been no 'Hindustaniat' in your criticism, for you have not used a single Hindustani word... you have been speaking entirely in English."

Moreover, Dilip Kumar did not cease his rebuttal, informing her that despite a "dedicated man at the helm of affairs," the nation faced numerous challenges.

"... we don't only have a film industry that is struggling... we have poor roads, an inadequate educational system, faltering agriculture, and if I may say, Madam, our administration also has several weaknesses and even some serious flaws," he asserted.

The superstar did not disclose Mrs. Gandhi's reaction, but as silence enveloped the room, he feared he had upset the Prime Minister. However, it was Pandit Nehru who eventually broke the silence, commenting: "You know, Yusuf, if I were you, I wouldn't have been so polite."

This was the ability of the "shy 22-year-old son of a Pathan fruit merchant," who was renamed Dilip Kumar by Devika Rani upon entering films in 1944, and who "single-handedly transformed acting" into an "art form of elevated brilliance," according to his wife Saira Banu.

Beyond his cinematic accomplishments, Dilip Kumar epitomized India's diversity, capable of quoting from the Quran, Bhagavad Gita, and the Bible, passionately celebrating Diwali as much as Eid and participating in Jain children's 30-day fast completion ceremonies, while equally appreciating the works of Josh, Firaq, and Sahir alongside Sumitranand Pant, Bharti, and Tagore.

(Vikas Datta can be contacted at vikas.d@ians.in)