- Dilip Kumar's birth name was Yusuf Khan, changed before entering films
- He adopted the name Dilip Kumar fearing his father's anger against films
- The name Dilip Kumar was chosen from several suggestions excluding Yusuf Khan
If you are a film buff, you may already know that legendary actor Dilip Kumar's original name was not Dilip Kumar. In the 1970s, the late actor himself revealed the story behind his famous name change on the BBC show Nai Zindagi, Naya Jeevan. During a conversation with BBC presenter Mahendra Kaul, Yusuf Khan (Dilip Kumar's birth name) said he adopted a new name before entering films because he feared being beaten up.
The conversation
When Mahendra Kaul asked which name he preferred to be called, Dilip Kumar smiled and said, “My close friends call me Yusuf Khan. But commercially I am famous by the name Dilip Kumar. So, whatever name comes to your heart easily, address me by that name.”
The presenter asked, “But why did you change your name?”
Dilip Kumar cheekily replied, “Should I tell you the truth?”
“I adopted this name for fear of being beaten up,” he said.
“My late father, God bless him, was strictly against films. His close friend was Lala Basheshwarnath Kapoor, whose son Prithviraj Kapoor also acted in films. My father used to complain to his friend, ‘Look what your handsome son is up to—he's doing films.'
“So, when I came to films, I feared criticism. My father was a hot‑headed person. I was afraid that if he found out, he would be very angry,” recalled Dilip Kumar.
The Devdas actor said that two or three names were suggested before he entered films, but he made it clear he would not keep his original name no matter what.
The suggested names included Dilip Kumar and Basudev.
“Choose whatever names you like, but do not keep Yusuf Khan,” Dilip Kumar remembered.
“Two or three months later, I saw my name in an advertisement, and I realised the name Dilip Kumar had been chosen for me,” the Madhumati actor concluded.
Saira Banu on Dilip Kumar
On Dilip Kumar's fifth death anniversary, Saira Banu remembered her late husband with a heartfelt note.
Beginning her tribute with a reflection on memory, Saira wrote, “The most beautiful thing about life is that it never truly departs. It lingers in memories. And memories, unlike time, are faithful companions. They return unbidden, carrying every smile, every glance, every word, as though nothing has ever truly been lost. To remember someone is perhaps the purest proof that they have never been forgotten.”
“On this day, the 7th of July, 2021, Dilip Kumar left not only me, but an entire world that cherished him. His family, friends, admirers and brethren in cinema were left with an emptiness words can never quite describe. Yet, for me, he was far more than the man the world celebrated. He was the steadfast anchor of my life, the quiet strength upon which I leaned,” she added.
After Dilip Kumar's death, Saira Banu has turned her Instagram into a treasure trove of throwbacks. She continues sharing stories from bygone days, from shooting floors to personal memories of their life together.
Dilip Kumar died on July 7, 2021, at the age of 98.