HAMAARE LIYE HINDUSTAAN MATLAB DILIP KUMAR SAHAAB

It was the year 1972 . Bangladesh had been formed and the people were celebrated a fresh new breath of independence - Ali Peter John

A group of students from the Dhaka University were visiting Bombay for the first time. I was by another quirk of fate appointed to take care of them and guide them during their stay .

I asked them what they would like to see first . And they unanimously shouted , "Dilip Kumar " .

They told me that they had no other ambition, not even the ambition to see the Taj Mahal.

They stuck to their ambition of seeing Dilip Kumar who they said was the dream of every young and old man and woman in Bangladesh.

I was so overwhelmed that l called the house of the legend and l was asked to come with the students to have tea with Dilip Kumar and Saira Banu.

The students couldn't believe that would be seeing the ultimate dream they all had and when they reached rhe bungalow, they were like a group walking around heaven and looking for god .

They way the thespian received them and treated them like royalty is something l cannot forget and l often wonder if they could ever forget.

After the meeting , the leader of the group told me , " humko Hindustaan kaa matlab sirf Dilip Kumar Sahaab hai " .

It was perhaps the first time l had experienced the overwhelming power of love that the name Dilip Kumar meant .

A dedication of writers and poets from Pakistan were in Bombay and they too had only one dream . They wanted to spend an evening with " Yusuf Khan Sahaab " .

They were spellbound by the legend's hospitality and his overpowering command over the Urdu language and especially poetry .

Their session with the legend lasted for more than 3 hours and they were more drunk by the love and affection shown by Dilip Kumar than the delicious food and the Scotch that was served .

A poet from Karachi landed in Bombay and walked all over city without eating for 3 days . He too wanted to just have a glimpse of the "Shairon kaa Shahenshah " .

After losing all hope of meeting Dilip Kumar, he landed in my office looking for me . Saira ji was very kind to arrange a meeting with Sahaab the same evening .

The poet was quiet throughout our journey to Bandra and when he saw Dilip Kumar and Saira ji waiting for him , he almost fainted and kept crying with joy .

He was led inside and he sat on the floor , but Sahaab picked him up by his shoulders and said "shaairon ki jagah zameen par nahi hoti , logo ke dilon mein hoti hai . Yahaa baitho mere saath" .

The poet kept howling and when he saw how Dilip Kumar took intetest in his poetry and told him how he could improve and grow as a poet , the shaair went into a trance .

It was the charm and the care taken by Sahaab and Saira ji that brought him back to life. Sahaab spent 2 hours with him and even walked up to the gate to see him off .

That evening he walked back to his little hotel in Dongri and the next day he was out of Bombay and he left only after he came back to my office to thank me .

A very famous folk singer , Sheeva was visiting India and she was invited for dinner by Sahaab and Saira .

That night was an event that will go down as one of the most memorable events in the history of the entertainment world.

The bond between Pakistan and Dilip Kumar grew stronger after he was decorated with the Nishaan-E Pakistan (the highest civilian award in Pakistan ) .

And just a few days before he passed into history a decision was taken to convert his old house in Pesawar into a heritage sight and the authorities are planning to turn his house into a museum in his honour .

AUR HUM KYAA KAR RAHE HAI YAA KARENGE UNNKE YAAD KO ZINDAA RAKHNE KE LIYE ? AUR AGAR HUMNE UNNKE LIYE KUCH KIYAA NAHI TOH ITIHAAS HAME KABHI MAAF NAHI KAREGAA