Dilip Kumar conferred with Padma Vibhushan

MUMBAI: Legendary Indian actor Dilip Kumar was on December 13 honoured with Padma Vibhushan, India’s second highest civilian award, by Home Minister of India Rajnath Singh.

The 93-year-old cine icon was bestowed with the honour at his residence here just two days after his birthday.

His close friend Udaya Tara Nayar and compiler of the actor’s autobiography, The Substance and the Shadow, told IANS that the actor was felicitated on December 13 afternoon.

He was presented the Padma Vibhushan medallion, a certificate and a shawl by Singh.

Present on the occasion were his actress-wife Saira Bano, Maharashtra Governor CV Rao and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

Born in Peshawar now in Pakistan, Dilip Kumar, whose real name is Yusuf Khan, entered the Indian film industry in the black-and-white era and became a name to reckon with in the 1950s and 1960s.

He is credited for films like Aan, Daag, Madhumati, Paigham, Leader and Ram Aur Shyam. His cinematic gems range from the tragic story of Devdas, the historical love saga Mughal-E-Azam to the dacoit drama Ganga Jamuna.

After working for about six decades, he stepped away from the arc lights in 1998. His last movie was Qila.