Bollywood celebrities turned to social media to mourn the passing of Dilip Kumar on Wednesday. They highlighted the Tragedy King’s importance and influence on the industry as well as their personal lives.
India’s Prime Minister Modi declared Kumar’s death as “a loss to our cultural world.”
Bollywood stars including Amitabh Bachchan and his son Abishek who attended Kumar’s funeral, took to Twitter to express their sorrow.
The senior Bachchan wrote, “An institution has gone.. whenever the history of Indian Cinema will be written, it shall always be ‘before Dilip Kumar and after Dilip Kumar’.”
Bollywood megastar Shah Rukh Khan, who was present at the Kumar residence after news of Kumar’s death broke, was praised on Twitter for comforting Saira Banu, the deceased’s wife.
Khan has had a close family-like bond with the late Bollywood legend, especially when he played Kumar’s role in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s 2002 remake of the 1955 hit Devdas.
Khan and Kumar’s families also share ancestral roots in Peshawar.
In fact, people held Kumar’s funeral prayers in absentia in Peshawar.
Many other big names and even institutions expressed their sorrow for Kumar’s death. Aligarh Muslim University announced their sorrow, stating that Kumar was an elected court member at the university in 1982.
Pakistan International Airlines remembered Kumar’s trip to Pakistan, his ancestral land.
Influential actors including Kajol, Preity Zinta, and Akshay Kumar also honoured the late star on Twitter.