Saira Banu Opens Up On Madhubala's 'Interest' In Dilip Kumar, Says She Was 'Aware': 'My Dream Of...'

Saira Banu was a massive fan of Dilip Kumar from a young age, and when she learned he would be at the premiere of Mughal-e-Azam, she was determined to look her best. Taking to her Instagram, Saira reminisced about the six days she spent preparing to dazzle at the star-studded event. In a recent post, she revealed that she convinced her mother to lend her a traditional gota saree, which was incredibly heavy. “But do you think I would give up? I draped it up with my mother’s help and very bravely weathered the storm of swaying when I walked side-to-side with the heavy fabric,” she wrote, describing how she bravely managed the cumbersome fabric. Saira also playfully noted that while the stunning Madhubala had her eye on Dilip Kumar, nothing would stop her from pursuing her dream of becoming Mrs. Dilip Kumar.

Saira was let down when Dilip Kumar didn’t show up at the premiere on August 5, 1960, at Mumbai’s Maratha Mandir theatre. She described the moment she had been waiting for—an exchange of glances with him—as a disappointment, feeling like she was doused with cold water. “The moment when I would exchange a glance with him went waste and I felt cascaded with cold water!” she wrote.

Interestingly, Mughal-E-Azam was Dilip Kumar and Madhubala’s last film together. Their love story is one of Bollywood’s most legendary and tragic romances. The romance began in the early 1950s on the set of the film Tarana. Their on-screen magic quickly turned into a passionate off-screen romance, but their fairy tale faced dramatic hurdles. Despite their love, their relationship was marred by family drama and industry politics. According to Madhubala’s sister, Madhur Bhusan, a wedding was on the cards until Dilip Kumar refused to apologise to Madhubala’s father.

Dilip Kumar and Saira Banu got married in 1966.