Tribute to Dilip Kumar: 10 movies that made Dilip Kumar 'Tragedy King' of Bollywood

Veteran actor Dilip Kumar passed away in the early morning on July 7th 2021 at the age of 98. The actor has been in and out of the hospital for the past few weeks before his death. Kumar is considered one of the greatest actors in the history of Hindi cinema and has given several critically acclaimed movies in his career. Dilip Kumar was widely known as the 'Tragedy King' by various media outlets. Let us take a look at Dilip Kumar movies that made him the 'Tragedy King' of Bollywood.

Dilip Kumar's movies

1. Devdas

Considered one of the finest performances in his career, the 1955 Kumar starer Devdas was a crucial hit in his career. The movie is considered a cult classic.  It was based on the Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay novel Devdas and cast Dilip Kumar as Devdas Mukherjee, Suchitra Sen as Parvati 'Paro' Chakraborty and Vyjayanthimala as Chandramukhi. The film was remade in 2002 as well. 

2. Mughal-e-Azam

Mughal-e-Azam, considered a cinematic marvel even today, released in 1960. It features an ensemble cast of Prithviraj as Emperor Akbar, Madhubala as Anarkali, Durga Khote as Maharani Jodha Bai, Nigar Sultana as Bahar and Dilip Kumar as Prince Saleem. The film is widely considered to be a milestone of its genre, earning praise from critics for its grandeur and attention to detail. Film scholars have welcomed its portrayal of enduring themes but question its historical accuracy.

3. Andaz

The movie stars Dilip Kumar, Nargis and Raj Kapoor in a love triangle, with Cukoo and Murad in supporting roles.  was the highest-grossing Indian film ever, until its record was broken by Raj Kapoor's Barsaat that same year.

4. Deedar

Starring Dilip Kumar, Ashok Kumar, Nargis and Nimmi in the lead roles, The movie is a story of unfulfilled love, where the protagonist's childhood love is separated from him due to class inequalities. It is one of the noted tragedies made in early Hindi cinema. It became a popular film of the Golden era and further established Dilip Kumar as the "King of Tragedy".

5.Sangdil

The film is an adaptation of the 1847 Charlotte Brontë classic novel Jane Eyre and stars Madhubala, Dilip Kumar and Leela Chitnis. The movie was a commercial success and the leads received praise for their performances.

6. Tarana 

Starring Madhubala and Dilip Kumar together for the first time, Tarana revolves around the titular character (Madhubala), a free-spirited village girl who falls in love with a visiting doctor (Kumar). Tarana is best remembered as the production during which Madhubala and Kumar began a highly-publicised affair that lasted for nearly six years. On its release, the film emerged as one of the biggest box office hits of the year. Tarana received overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics, mostly for Madhubala and Kumar's onscreen chemistry, music, and direction.

7.Yahudi

The movie features Dilip Kumar, Meena Kumari, Sohrab Modi, Nazir Hussain, Nigar Sultana and others. It was based on the play Yahudi Ki Ladki by Agha Hashar Kashmiri, a classic in Parsi-Urdu theatre, about the persecution of Jews in the Roman Empire.

8. Babul

 The film stars Dilip Kumar, Munawar Sultana and Nargis. A box office success, the film became the 2nd highest-earning film of 1950. The movie showcases Dilip Kumar as a rich man who has two suitors.

9. Mela

The movie stars  Dilip Kumar, Nargis, Jeevan, Rehman and Nur Jehan. The musical film, set in a village milieu, was a tragic love story involving Manju and Mohan.

10.Gunga Jumna

Set in a rural part of the Awadh region of Northern India, the film tells the story of two impoverished brothers, Ganga and Jamna (Dilip Kumar and Nasir Khan), and their intensity and sibling rivalry on opposing sides of the law, one a dacoit criminal and the other a police officer. 

IMAGE: DILIP KUMAR'S FAN PAGE INSTAGRAM