Saira Banu Recalls Dharmendra's Deep Love for Dilip Kumar in Emotional Tribute

The actress posted a warm picture from their meeting on Instagram and wrote about their long friendship and old memories.

In her post, Saira Banu recalled how meeting Hema Malini again reminded her of the past. She shared how she first met Hema in 1966 on the sets of Deewana and was instantly impressed by her beauty.

"It does not feel so long ago that Hema had come to see me at my home, accompanied by her cousin Prabha... and yet, when I heard that she's coming again... my heart was happy. When she entered, she looked just as graceful, and in that instant, I was taken back to the very first time I met her in 1966, on the sets of Deewana with Raj Kapoor. Even then, I remember, I was quite simply mesmerised by her beauty. There is no other word that feels as true."

She also spoke about the time they spent together during outdoor shoots near Krishna Raj Sagar Dam, where they stayed in neighbouring rooms and often sat together for long conversations.

"Our mothers were with us too, and would often join, adding something wiser, something steadier, to our easy, unguarded conversations. And yet, what moves me most is not merely the memory of those moments, but how little, in essence, has changed. Some friendships do not ask to be maintained; they simply endure. With her, there is no effort, no need to explain or revisit. There is only understanding, a familiarity that time, in all its passing, has not diminished."

In the same post, Banu also remembered veteran actor Dharmendra and his deep respect for her late husband, Dilip Kumar. She spoke about the strong bond they shared over the years.

"And somewhere in those thoughts, I found myself thinking of Dharmendra ji, of his warmth, of the sincerity with which he held his affections. The love and regard he had for Dilip sahib was never something he needed to declare; it was understood in the way he spoke of him, with a respect that came from somewhere very deep.

Some bonds, I feel, are like that. They do not announce themselves. They are simply lived, over years, in ways both seen and unseen. And in moments like these, one realises not everything that is precious belongs to the past. Some of it remains with us still," she added.

Dharmendra, one of Hindi cinema's most loved actors, passed away in November 2025 at the age of 89. He was later honoured in the Academy's official online In Memoriam list.

- ANI