Happy Birthday to Saira Banu. The veteran actress turns 81 today. On this special day, she marked a new beginning with her debut on X (formerly Twitter). Saira Banu, already loved for her throwback-filled Instagram posts, decided to celebrate the day by remembering her late husband, Dilip Kumar.
In post, she wrote, "Today, as I step into another year, I wish to be here with all of you, to talk about Life, to relive Memories and everything that keeps Dilip Sahib close to our hearts."
Along with the note, she shared two photos. One was a black-and-white picture of a young Saira cutting a two-tier cake. The other was from later years, where she and Dilip Kumar cut a cake together.
On Instagram, Saira Banu kept the celebrations personal, with posts filled with old videos and photos. One clip showed singer Lata Mangeshkar standing next to her while Dilip Kumar whistled playfully as she cut a birthday cake. Other images captured quiet moments – holding hands with Dilip, being surrounded by family, and enjoying time with close friends.
Reflecting on her journey, Saira Banu wrote, "There are certain days in one's life that do not merely exist but rather stand as reflections of all that has been given to us. My birthday has always been such a day, not a moment for revelry alone, but it touches every thought and being that has shaped me into the person I am today."
The actress also remembered the people who shaped her life – her grandmother Shamshad Waheed Khan, mother Naseem Banu and brother Sultan. She called them the “wealth” she has carried across the years.
Saira Banu then spoke about the most defining part of her life – her bond with Dilip Kumar. "Yet life, in its true sense, had one more extraordinary gift awaiting me. What began as admiration for an artist admired from afar was, by the tender hand of destiny, transformed into a companionship most rare."
She recalled how moving close to Dilip Kumar's home changed her life forever. "The decision to make my home near his was at the time but a matter of circumstance; little did I suspect it to be providence, gently steering my heart toward him. That a man so revered by the world could look upon me with kindness, and in time with love, remains the greatest wonder of my life."
Ending the note, Saira Banu thanked everyone who sent her wishes. "This day, therefore, is not merely a celebration of age, but of love that endures, of memories that soften the edges of time, and of a bond that remains my life's most cherished story."
Saira Banu got married to Dilip Kumar in October 1966. The couple lived happily together until Dilip Kumar died in 2021.