Dilip Kumar says no to birthday bash; mourning for Yash Chopra, Bal Thackeray

Mumbai: Thespian Dilip Kumar has denied reports that he is planning big bash to celebrate his 90th birthday, saying he and his wife Saira Banu still have to recover from the death of their friends Yash Chopra and Bal Thackeray.

Dilip Kumar will turn 90 Dec 11. "It is appalling how few in the print media take the liberty nowadays to print quotes that spring from the imagination of the scribe. It shocked me and Saira to read newspaper reports with imaginary quotes from Saira about plans to celebrate my birthday," Dilip Kumar said in a post on his blog thedilipkumar.mouthshut.com. "We have yet to recover from the shock of the passing away of my dear friend Yash Chopra, who was by my side when I blew away the candles on my birthday cake last year and stayed on till the wee hours, sharing the family`s happiness," he further wrote. Chopra passed away Oct 21, following dengue and subsequent multi-organ failure. On Saturday Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray breathed his last. Talking about Thackeray and his cooperation and support, Dilip Kumar wrote: "We are deeply grieving the passing of Balasaheb Thackeray who I always thought was not a Tiger but a Lion. He had the virtues of a lion... I found him extremely sensitive on occasions, especially during the days Sunil Dutt was going from pillar to post to get justice for his son Sanjay." "Balasaheb`s response was that of a father who understood a father`s desperation to save his son. We pray for Balasaheb`s family, especially for his son Uddhav, to derive strength from the Almighty to bear the irreparable loss....," he wrote. Sanjay Dutt was arrested in the Mumbai blasts in 1993 and spent 18 months in jail before being granted conditional bail. "With so many dear friends gone this year, how can we even think of a celebration?" he added. IANS