The stage glittered on Monday as Hindi cinema icons Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra, Aamir Khan, Saira Banu and author Udaya Tara Nayar, attended the launch of Dilip Kumar’s long-awaited autobiography, The Substance and The Shadow.
Held at Grand Hyatt in Santa Cruz, the red carpet saw celebrities from every generation attend the momentous night.
Zeenat Aman, Danny Denzongpa, Farida Jalal, Vyjayanthimala, Subhash Ghai, Ayan Mukherjee, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Rajkumar Hirani, Madhuri Dixit and Priyanka Chopra also attended the gala.
Kumar’s wife Banu, who looked resplendent in a green sari, was overwhelmed to see so many people at the event, which was hosted by Karan Johar.
Before the event, Banu said: “Please pray that the dedication we have written in the book is received by the readers in the same way. Every chapter in the book is important and you all will read something that you have not read before about him.”
Born Mohammad Yousuf Khan, the actor entered films with the 1944 release Jwar Bhata, and thereafter dedicated six decades of his life working in much appreciated films such as Mela, Naya Daur, Devdas, Madhumati and Mughal-E-Azam.
Kumar’s autobiography chronicles the 91-year-old’s life from his days as a child to the present — the ups and downs in his life, his family, career, wife and more, as told by Nayar, who is a close family friend.
Khan, who recited a poem by Prasoon Joshi specifically for the occasion, said: “We all were eagerly waiting for this big day. I am a huge fan of Yousuf sahab and I was waiting to read his book and his experiences.”
Chopra said she was “honoured” to be invited to the event. “I’m so happy for them today. They have been close to my family for a long time. I have seen all his films and I really admire him,” she said.
For Dixit, who attended with her husband Sriram Nene, it was a proud moment to be part of the event.
“Dilip Kumar is a legend in himself and it’s a big day. He has been an inspiration for everybody,” she said.
Lata Mangeshkar, who is close to the Kumar family, was to perform at the event, but ill health prevented her from being there, according to a source.
