Some names are etched in golden words in the history of Indian cinema, and Dilip Kumar is one of them. He ruled the industry for more than five decades, in all those years, his natural charm, acting prowess, subtlety, and humility, helped him earn the title of one of the greatest gems. Though the actor isn’t in the mortal world anymore, his name is mentioned whenever Indian cinema is talked about. And today, as December 11, 2024, marks his 102nd birthday anniversary, it gives us yet another opportunity to remember the legendary star.
Many anecdotes from his life interest his audience, like the reason why Dilip Kumar changed his name. The ‘Mughal-e-Azam’ star was born as Muhammad Yusuf Khan in Peshawar, British India (now in Pakistan). Before becoming an actor he changed his name from Muhammad Yusuf Khan to Dilip Kumar. If you go down the Bollywood archives, then you will see that he made his debut in 1994 with ‘Jwar Bhata’ under the stage name Dilip Kumar.
According to his autobiography titled, ‘The Substance and the Shadow,’ the late actor revealed that his stage name was a suggestion from producer Devika Rani, one of the people who bankrolled his debut film.
“Yousuf, I was thinking about your launch soon as an actor, and I felt it would not be a bad idea if you adopted a screen name. You know, a name you would be known by, and which will be very appropriate for your audience to relate to and one that will be in tune with the romantic image you are bound to acquire through your screen presence. I thought Dilip Kumar was a nice name. It just popped up in my mind when I was thinking about a suitable name for you. How does it sound to you?” said Devika to the ‘Devdas’ star.
These words of Devika Rani left an impression on Dilip Kumar. He also thought that having a screen name would actually help him leave an imprint on the audience on a larger scale. And, that how Dilip Kumar was born, the star who gave us ‘Mughal-e-Azam,’ ‘Aan,’ Devdas ‘Paigham,’ Ram Aur Shyam and many more classics.
