Before Partition, singing legend Noor Jehan featured prominently in Indian films. She had worked with Dilip Kumar in Jugnu, which was one of Kumar's earlier releases. Upon his passing, Noor Jehan’s daughter Nazia Ejaz recalled the great camaraderie and respect the two artistes from the Golden Era of cinema had for each other, whilst speaking in an interview with ETimes.
“Dilip Kumar and my mother were great friends. They met when they were teenagers while working on Jugnu (1947). I think it was Dilip sahab's second film but my mother, by that time, was quite well known and also expecting her second child,” the outlet quoted Ejaz as saying.
“Tab se unka pyaar aur dosti thi (they had been friends with immense love for each other since then). When my mother went to India for a concert, Dilip sahab went on stage to announce, 'Madam, aap 35 years baad India aayee hain, aur hum 35 saal se aapka intezaar kar rahe hain (You have come to India after 35 years and we’ve been waiting for you since 35 years).' That was very sweet!”
A brief interview on YouTube hosted by Kumar also shows his admiration for the late Malika-e-Tarannum. “It was the first time he was interviewing somebody. In that interview, you can see the love and affection and the friendship that the both of them shared,” Ejaz added.
“Dilip sahab loved music and used to speak so beautifully! That is probably the reason why he was close to my mom. When she’d be in India, he would tell her to sing Dil Hi Dil Mein Sulag Kar Bujhe Hum, which was a difficult ghazal but also his favourite. There was also a time when Dilip Kumar and Yash Chopra hosted my mother in Bombay. There are a lot of memories of Dilip sahab and my mother; Saira jee was lovely to my mother too. They had met numerous times and acknowledged one another as great friends,” she concluded.
Back in September of 2019, renowned stylist Nabila revealed Kumar had even visited the late songstress in Karachi days before her passing. "I remember the day when I was asked to do a haircut for Madam Noor Jehan in her VIP room at Agha Khan Hospital," Nabila shared on Instagram alongside a photo of the singer. "Dilip Kumar was visiting from India so she obviously wanted to look her best. Although we interacted briefly, our connection was deep. That was her last haircut. A true diva in a league of her own," Nabila had said.
Have something to add to the story? Share it in the comments below.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ