Though he quit acting over a decade ago, actor Dilip Kumar's charisma continues. Not surprisingly, actor Sivaji Ganesan described him a “truly polished performer”. On the occasion of his 88th birthday recently, Dilip Kumar, one of the best ‘method' actors in Indian cinema, talks about his five personal favourite performances.
Footpath
My first tryst with realistic cinema. The imaginative director of ‘Humlog', Zia Sarhadi inspired me with this hard-hitting saga of a simple man from Mumbai who takes to black marketing compelled by circumstances, repents and later returns to his roots. This was my first film opposite Meena Kumari, and our most memorable one. Shot partially on the sets of Ranjit Movietone and outdoors, ‘Footpath' gave me ample scope to emote certain social sentiments prevalent in the 1950s. Zia Sarhadi believed his actors should be the characters, and not act. I was very happy to play Nashu in the film, and the scene where I break down after my elder brother Bani passes away remains my all-time favourite. Khayyam composed the haunting, ‘Shaam-e-Gham Ki Kasam', which I lip-synched for Talat Mehmood.
Devdas
I'd not watched Pramathesh Barua's ‘Devdas' before shooting for Bimal Roy's version. This Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay classic was aptly penned by Nabendu Ghosh, and Bimal Roy cast me alongside the highly-gifted Suchitra Sen, Vyjayanthimala and Motilal. After narrating the script to me, Bimal da wanted to see the pain of Devdas in my eyes. Something within inspired me to perform the climax scene of Devdas to Bimal da . He was impressed, and felt I was the right choice. However, I must admit Pramathesh Barua was definitely better than me as Devdas. I watched the film later and marvelled at his performance. My experience of working with Suchitra Sen is still memorable, as I consider her an actor of international calibre.
Gunga Jumna
The tale of the Chambal dacoits inspired my first production in colour, and I scripted this film, directed efficiently by Nitin Bose. Vyjayanthimala paired opposite me, and I introduced my brother Nasir Khan in a pivotal character. The story was about an innocent villager Gunga, wronged by a feudal tyrant, played to the hilt by Anwar Hussain. He is imprisoned, and after his release, circumstances force him to become a dacoit. I consider ‘Gunga Jumna' my best film in terms of the character I played, delivering dialogues north Indian rural style. In fact, in the scene where Nasir Khan and I meet after a long gap, we actually cried!
Ram Aur Shyam
Playing intense and tragic characters continuously was taking a toll on my health. So, I switched to comic and light-hearted characters with ‘Kohinoor' and ‘Ram Aur Shyam'. In the latter, I performed my first double role — one, that of an innocent, rustic guy living under the shadow of his elder sister (Nirupa Roy), and the other, was that of a smart twin, alert and elegant.
Well-conceived and directed by Tapi Chanakya, the film enabled me to come out of the traditional mould of ‘method' acting. ‘Method' has constraints and it limits an actor. Comedy requires a perfect sense of timing, which was the essence of this film.
Sagina Mahato
My most memorable film in Bengali, directed by Tapan Sinha. Based on the famous novel by Gour Kishore Ghosh, the film also starred Saira Banu, Sumita Sanyal, Anil Chatterjee and Ajitesh Bandopadhyay. We shot almost the entire film at a tea garden in Darjeeling.
I grow nostalgic when I recollect the scene where I had to leap like a little kid in joy as the toy train passes by. I understood the difference between child-like and childish, after the scene. Anil Chatterjee as the over-ambitious revolutionary was very effective, and I was thrilled when Uttam Kumar complimented me after watching ‘Sagina Mahato'.
