Legendary actor Dilip Kumar who exhaled his last breath on Wednesday at the age of 98, was born as Mohammad Yusuf Khan.
Then, he changed his name from Joseph to blink Kumar before searching for the cinema world.
While many people may not know the real reason behind his name, Veteran actor has mentioned it in his autobiography ‘Dilip Kumar: Substance and shadow’ how he finally changed his name just before his debut.
Released in 2014, in this book, Dilip Kumar revealed his reaction to Devika Rani who suggested that he chose the screen name.
Given the meeting Devika Rani in his office, he shared, “He started with permission that used to ask me whether I would care for tea made specifically for him from the leaves he had purchased from the English store in the city.
I wonder what is there In his mind when he arrived at the point, speaking in English, the language he was most smoothly.
He said, quite important: ‘Yousuf, I think of your launch immediately as an actor and I feel it won’t be a bad idea if you adopt a screen name.
You know, the name you will know and that will be very appropriate for your audience to connect and one that will be in harmony with your romantic image bound to get through the presence of your screen.
I think Dilip Kumar is a good name.
It appears in my mind when I think of a suitable name for you.
How are you? “I was silent for a moment, really not ready for the new identity he proposed I.”
While Dilip Kumar was not comfortable changing his name in the first place, he further added, “I said it sounded good but asked him whether it was really needed.
He gave a sweet smile and told me that would be wise to do it.
He added that it was After a lot of thinking that he came to the conclusion gave me a screen name.
With his custom authority, he then told me that he predicted a long and successful career for me in films and made sense to have a screen identity that would stand by itself and had Secular appeal.
I quickly appreciated his concern but I told him that I needed to think about it a little.
He replied: ‘Good …
come back to me with your mind.’ “We are now ready to start preparations for your debut.
So we have to hurry, “he said as easy as I got up from my seat to leave.
I spent the rest of the day according to my routine but with the name Dilip Kumar rang in a niche in my mind.”
“I told S.
Mukherjee Sahab (producer) about the advice that came from Devika Rani.
He pondered a second and, looked at me directly into the eyes, said:” I think he has points.
It will be your concern to take the name he has suggested for the screen.
This is a very good name, even though I will always know you with Yousuf’s name like all your brothers and sisters and your parents.
“(I then learned that Ashok Kumar was the name of the Kumudlal Kunjilal Gangulya screen.) I was touched and it was a validation that destroyed my mind at the time and there,” he further added in his book.
