Kumar who debuted in the film Jwar Bhata in 1944 went on to work in at least 65 films. Commonly nicknamed as "The Tragedy King" and "The First Khan", Kumar was noted for bringing in a distinctive form of method acting. He also holds the record for most wins for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor.

Users on Twitter expressed their condolences, remembering him as someone who had a "huge impact on Indian cinema" and referring to him the "Hero of Heroes"

Columnist, Muhammad Taqi mourned the loss while remarking that Bollywood can be divided into Kumar's arrival and his departure.

Another praised his "phenomenal acting and magnanimous personality" emphasizing his special relationship with "people living in Pakistan, especially Peshawar."

Indian Writer Keerthik Sasidharan also noted Kumar’s ties to Peshawar and posted a picture of him with M. Karunanidhi, & Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan.

Cricketer Shahid Afridi expressed his own grief at the loss and that of "fans across the globe" of the widely loved actor.

Indian Writer Derek O'Brien, member of parliament in the Rajya Sabha from West Bengal recalled Kumar's presence in the upper house from 2000 to 2006, posting an excerpt of a speech in which he talked about the "distressing situation" due to lack of water.

Pakistani Senator Muhammad Javed Khan expressed the sorrow of losing a a "legendary actor" and a "humanitarian", adding how Kumar also received "Pakistan’s highest civilian award, Nishan-e-Imtiaz."

Karishma Vaswani a BBC news journalist recalled memories of watching Kumar's works during his childhood and how his mother felt his movies were her connection to her homeland.

Dilip Kumar is survived by his wife Sairu Banu, who he was married to for 54 years. Banu, one of the most prominent actresses in the history of Indian cinema, was the third highest paid actress in Hindi Cinema from 1963 to 1969 and the fourth highest paid actress from 1971 to 1976.