MUMBAI: Veteran actor Dilip Kumar passed away this morning. He was 98. Dilipji was hospitalised a few days ago. The entire industry has been mourning the legendary actor’s demise.

Shagufta Ali, who is facing financial and health problems, spoke about how Dilip Kumar helped her father with an expensive surgery. The actress shared, “One of the reasons behind not tying the knot was that I had my family’s responsibility on my shoulders and I had to take care of them. I started working because of my family. I was just 17 when I started working. I started working because my father had to undergo a very big heart surgery in London and Dilip Kumar Sahab had taken him there for his treatment. He had borne all the expenses for it. My father was his close friend and so all the expenses were taken care of by Dilip uncle and this was 38 years ago. During that time Yusuf Uncle aka Dilip Kumar had spent Rs 6 lakh on his treatment in London. The surgery was successful; he stayed there for 2 months and came back. My mother and I are too indebted to him. He did us a big favour.” 

He also helped Shagufta find a foothold in the industry. She said, “I did two years of schooling and he (Dilip Kumar) helped us a lot financially as my father couldn’t work after the surgery. As there was nobody to look after and I was the only person, I decided to work. I finished my SSC and approached Yusuf uncle for work. He asked me to get married but I told him that I wanted to help my parents and look after the family. He then helped me with films. He got me my first film 'Kanoon Apna Apna', though I had done a Telugu film first but he got me that film. He then got me another film and from there on I started working. Even at that time I wanted to help my parents and even now I want to look after my family.”

Credits: TOI