Saira Banu has turn recluse post Dilip Kumar’s death, share Dharmendra, Shatrughan Sinha

After the death of legendary actor Dilip Kumar, his wife and actor Saira Banu, is said to have gone to into a shell.

New Delhi: Legendary actor Dilip Kumar’s death last year in July has created an indelible loss to the Hindi film industry. However, the grief faced by his wife of more than five decades and actress Saira Banu is immense. The veteran actress' friends Dharmendra, Shatrughan Sinha and Mumtaz claim that after Dilip saabs demise, Saira has gone into a shell and is not meeting people. Despite them reaching out to her several times, they could not speak to her. Earlier, there were also reports of her not keeping well.

Mumtaz, who has worked with both Dilip Kumar and Saira Banu in ‘Ram Aur Shyam’ and ‘Aadmi Aur Insaan’ says she even visited her Pali Hill bungalow un-announced to see Saira but did not get to meet her. “It’s so sad. Sairaji seems to be have gone into a shell after Yusuf Saab’s sad passing away. I made many attempts to contact her. When I could not reach her, I dropped in at her home. But I couldn’t meet her, I feel really sad. I remember the last time I met them both at their bungalow. Sairaji was so gracious. She had made really delicious cookies and cakes for me,” she told Bollywood Hungama.

Dharmendra, who was next to Saira as a shadow at Dilip Kumar’s funeral also shared, “I made many attempts to reach her. She does not answer calls. I was very close to Dilip Saab, and to Saira. I do not want to intrude on her privacy. I only hope she is in good health.”

Shatrugan Sinha has a similar story to tell. “After Dilip Saab, she has gone into a shell. We all lost the greatest actor. But she lost much more. I want her to know my wife and I are there for her if she needs us.”

Saira Banu deeply loved her husband Dilip Kumar. The two had a huge age difference of 22 years and the actress confessed she fell head over heels for the ‘Mughal-e-Azam’ actor when she was just 12 years old and he 34. “My marriage was a dream come true for me. I had pasted his pictures in my room even before we got married. The only other person who made it to those walls was Rock Hudson,” Saira had told ETimes in an earlier interview.

Dilip Kumar passed away on July 7, 2021 at the age of 98.