Saquib Salim

Dilip Kumar, considered by many as the finest actor India had ever produced, was often seen as someone on the other side of the political divide when it came toShiv sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray. But, truth is often different from the public imagery. While remembering his association with Balasaheb, Dilip compared him with ‘Lion’.

Dilip Kumar wrote:

“To his followers and the political world he dominated he was known as ‘Tiger’. But I always felt he led more like a lion than a tiger – inspiring trust, loyalty and admiration in his followers.”

Dilip and Balasaheb knew each other much before Balasaheb joined active politics in 1966. Balasaheb admired Dilip for his art of acting while he liked his ‘sharp, incisive cartoons’.

In the late 1980s, there arose a few political differences between the two. Dilip recalls that when they met to iron out these differences it did not take seconds for them to re-establish their old friendship. The respect for each other’s profession was profound and generated mutual admiration.

Dilip recalled Meena Tai, the wife of Balasaheb, as a simple grounded person who would not change with the political success of her husband. She used to host small gatherings of ‘old friends like Dilip’ and cook meals for them. Moreover, as a mother she inculcated best of the etiquettes in Uddhav Thackeray and taught him to respect elders.

Dilip Kumar especially recalled one event when at a party, hosted by a mutual friend, his wife, Saira Banu, complained of a backache. Meena Tai came to know of it and told Balasaheb. Balasaheb, instantly stopped the party and went to the kitchen himself, took a glass bottle, heated the water and gave it to saira to comfort herself with heat therapy. Meena later confided to Dilip and Saira that Balasaheb behaved in a similar fashion whenever someone in the family got ill.

Dilip further appreciated Balasaheb for his ‘noble and sensitive’ side for helping Sunil Dutt, when his son Sanjay was imprisoned. He recalls that all the ‘so called friends’ of Sunil had deserted him in those trying times and only Balasaheb “responded to Sunil Dutt with patience and understanding, which was exemplary”.

Dilip wrote, “In our long, enduring friendship what remained constant was our respect for each other’s professions……...He (Balasaheb) was witty and entertaining when he was in his element.”