Dilip Kumar takes part at a special broadcast of BBC Indian Service during his visit to London in April 1953.

Born to a dry fruit merchant in December 11,1922, Yusuf Khan started his career as a manager at Bombay Army Canteen. But fate had other plans for him. A chance encounter with Devika Rani of Bombay Talkies landed this shy and debonair young man in Tinsel Town.

Of this Ashok Raj in his book Hero wrote: The Silent Era to Dilip Kumar says: “Devika Rani had gone out for shopping to a local market. At one fruit shop, she looked keenly at the young man engrossed at selling his merchandise. It was by mere chance that the shy shopkeeper had only replaced his father that day. Devika Rani found this young man with a sensitive face and expressive eyes quite unusual. She gave him her visiting card and asked him to meet her at the studio.”

Bombay Talkies not only changed his destiny but also his name — Yusuf Khan became Dilip Kumar and made his debut in Tinsel Town with Jwar Bhata (1944).

It has been 70 long years since Yusuf was ‘spotted’ and today he is considered as the ‘first modern Indian actor’ who freed himself from the theatrical mannerisms and developed a more natural and distinctive style, which stressed on silent pauses and hand gestures and films like Andaz, Jogan, Daag, Baabul, Aan, Daag, Foot Path, Madhumati, Devdas, Naya Daur and Ganga Jumna stand testimony to his versatility.

source: http://www.mumbaimirror.com / Mumbai Mirror / Home> Entertainment> Bollywood / by Mumbai Mirror / October 19th, 2013