TEEN MAHARATIYO KI TAQDEERAI SAATH MEI LIKHI THI, LEKIN KOI KAHA AUR KOI KIDER PAHUNCH GAYE... BY ALI PETER JOHN

In the forties, three talented men from three different places left their native places to find out what destiny had in store for them - Ali Peter John

Mohammad Yousuf Khan left a flourishing fruit business of his father and reached Poona and from Poona, he reached Bombay Talkies where he got his first break as an actor in “Jwar Bhata" in which he was not the hero, but his friend Agha was.

His first few films didn't do very well, but once his career picked up, there was just no going back for him till he became the Shehshah, the tragedy king and the greatest all rounder.

He was the first to build his bungalow on Pali Hill which was close to the bungalow of Naseem Banu and Saira Banu.

Circumstances led him to marry Saira Banu, who was 22 years younger than him and after their marriage Yousuf Khan who was now Dilip Kumar moved into the bungalow of Saira Banu and lived there till July 07, 2021.

His bungalow is now in a shambles and there is a legal procedure going on between the dead Dilip Kumar and some sharks who claim to be builders and who have been lusting over the legendary bungalow.

There were talks about the bungalow being turned into a museum, but as of now all those talks have only been talks. And in that kabarastan in Juhu the shehshah must be truly resting in peace.

Dharam Dev Pishorimal was a graduate in English literature and was originally from Gurdaspur in pre-partition Punjab. He was inspired by veteran actor like Prithviraj Kapoor, Motilal and Ashok Kumar.

But he had to keep his dream to act on hold till his mother died after which he took the first train to Bombay. He started life in Bombay as a censor officer and he gave up the job because it was coming in the way of his dreams to be an actor and that is what he became after films like “Hum Ek Hai" and “Ziddi".

He too reached a stage when he could have his own bungalow in Juhu called “Iris Park" and his own studio and office, Navketan in the same Pali Hill area in Bandra.

He had everything that a superstar and legend could ask for, but things worked out for him in the reverse when Mr Larsen of Larsen Toubro gifted him with his own bungalow because he was leaving India and Dev turned his bungalow into the office of Anand and the dubbing studio which was the best in Asia and he named both ‘Anand'. And life was ‘Anand hi Anand' for several years till.....

Raj Ranbir Kapoor was the youngest of the trio, but a boy who started as a helper at Bombay Talkies and was slapped by his director Kedar Sharma went on to become a talented director himself and at the age of 23, he built the R.K Studio after buying the land for a few thousand rupees and then building his house, ‘Deonar Cottage'. All was well till the ambitious son of Prithviraj Kapoor made “Mera Naam Joker" which turned his empire upside down.

But he didn't believe in giving up and fought back after making the lowest budgeted film of R.K called “Bobby" and he was back in action and made three big films which were hits and he had started “Henna" after which he started falling sick and dramatically collapsed while receiving the Dadasaheb Phalke Awards from president K.R Narayanan, was rushed to his son-in-law's hospital, Escorts from where he only returned with eyes closed and his body in alert.

Raj Kapoor's sons had vowed to keep their father's banner alive, but they did it for only two films after Raj Kapoor died. And the worst happened when R.K Studios was burnt out in a massive fire.

People say it was an accidental fire, but facts prove otherwise. And now there are talks about Raj Kapoor's house being bought by the Godrej who have already bought over the once fabulous R.K Studios.

Dilip Kumar's one time royal mansion now looks like the ruins of his mansion and the only thing that lives is a legal notice saying that the house belongs to Yousuf Khan alias Dilip Kumar. Saira Banu has rarely come out of her bungalow after her sahab's death and I wonder what thoughts she must be living with these days.

And the only bungalow which stands steady is ‘Iris Park' which was built by Dev Anand in the fifties and there is not a scratch on the bungalow and the garden where Dev used to take his morning walks is still as fresh as it was when Dev Sahab walked around, caressed a rose or ran a blade of grass on his ever so handsome face.