God snatched away my reason for living: Saira Banu

Dilip Kumar, one of Bollywood's biggest stars who dominated the golden age of Indian cinema from the 1940s to the 1960s, died Wednesday morning at the age of 98, a family friend said. Kumar had been ailing for some time and was in and out of the hospital the past month.

"With a heavy heart and profound grief, I announce the passing away of our beloved Dilip SaHab, a few minutes ago," Faisal Farooqui, a relative of Kumar, said on Twitter, referring to the actor with a term of endearment.

Born Mohammed Yusuf Khan in 1922 in Peshawar, present-day Pakistan, he was known by the screen name Dilip Kumar once he came to Bollywood in the 1940s.

A doctor from PD Hinduja hospital claimed that his wife, Saira Banu, broke down in tears after the actor’s demise. “God snatched away my reason for living. Without Sahab, I won’t be able to think about anything. Everyone, please pray," Saira told the doctor according to Peeping Moon.

Tributes began to pour in on social media soon after the news of his death. Movie stars and politicians from around the country expressed their condolences on Twitter. Kumar worked toward bringing peace between India and Pakistan and was awarded Pakistan's highest civilian award in 1998. In 2006, he accepted a lifetime achievement award at India's National Film Awards in recognition of his contribution to Indian cinema.

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