Saira Banu turns 82 today and marked her birthday by looking back at some of her most cherished memories, including her lifelong love story with late husband Dilip Kumar
Published: August 23, 2026, 3:13 PM IST
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Veteran actress Saira Banu with Dilip Kumar (PC: Instagram)
Some love stories begin long before two people actually become a part of each other’s lives. For Saira Banu, her connection with Dilip Kumar was one such storyOn her 82nd birthday, the veteran actress took a walk down memory lane and revisited the birthdays, family memories and people who made those days specialAmong the most precious memories she shared was one involving the late legendary actor, whom she had admired since she was just 12What started as a young girl’s fascination with one of Hindi cinema’s biggest stars eventually became a decades-long relationship that remains one of Bollywood’s most remembered love storiesOn her special day, Saira once again opened that chapter of her life and shared some beautiful details about how it all began.
Saira Banu recalls being smitten with Dilip Kumar since age 12
Saira Banu shared a throwback picture with Dilip Kumar on Instagram as she reflected on her birthdays and childhood memoriesWhile recalling the gifts she received growing up, she revealed that there were two things she had always been particularly fond of — acting in Indian cinema and Dilip Kumar.
The actress said she had been “hopelessly smitten” with Dilip Kumar from the age of 12At the time, she had already developed a strong admiration for the legendary actor and even hoped that she would one day meet him or, even more improbably, get an opportunity to work with him.
However, Dilip Kumar did not initially share her romantic notionsAccording to Saira’s recollection, he would turn down the idea of working with her, believing that she was too youngTheir story, of course, eventually took a very different turn.
This is a developing story.
