Dilip Kumar (born Muhammad Yusuf Khan, ?Urdu: ???? ???? ?????; December 11, 1922) is an Indian film actor, producer, screenwriter and activist, known for his work in Hindi cinema. Popularly known as The Tragedy King and The First Khan, he has been credited with bringing realism to film acting since his first film which was released in 1944.
Kumar debuted as an actor in the film Jwar Bhata (1944), produced by Bombay Talkies. In a career spanning over six decades, Dilip Kumar worked in over 65 films. Kumar is known for roles in films such as the romantic Andaz (1949), the heartwarming Babul (1950), the impassioned Deedar (1951), the swashbuckling Aan (1952), social drama Daag (1952), the dramatic Devdas (1955), the comical Azaad (1955), Naya Daur (1957), Yahudi (1958), Madhumati (1958), Kohinoor (1960), the epic historical Mughal-e-Azam (1960), the social dacoit crime drama Gunga Jamuna (1961), and the comedy Ram Aur Shyam (1967).
In 1976, Dilip Kumar took a five-year break from film performances and returned with a character role in the film Kranti (1981) and continued his career playing leading roles in films such as Shakti (1982), Karma (1986) and Saudagar (1991). His last film was Qila (1998).
He has won nine Filmfare Awards and is the first recipient of the Filmfare Best Actor Award (1954). Critics have acclaimed him as one of the greatest actors in the history of Indian cinema. Dilip Kumar had a long relationship with actress Madhubala but never married her. He married actress Saira Bano, who was 22 years younger than him. He and his wife currently live in Bandra, Mumbai.