Before he became Hindi cinema’s ‘Tragedy King’ Dilip Kumar — born Yusuf Khan — found himself on the wrong side of the British Raj. In his autobiography the Substance and the Shadow the legendary actor revealed how he was once arrested and jailed for delivering a passionate pro-freedom speech during the colonial era. As a young man working in a British army canteen in Pune he openly criticised the empires policies and demanded independence for India. The speech was deemed seditious and the British authorities arrested him locking him up in Yerwada Jail where many freedom fighters were already imprisoned. He was nicknamed Gandhiwala Inside he joined a hunger strike and was quickly dubbed a “Gandhiwala” — a supporter of Mahatma Gandhi. Although his jail time lasted only one night it left an indelible mark. He was released the next morning thanks to a familiar Major who intervened on his behalf. Dilip Kumar was born on 11 December 1922 in Peshawar (now in Pakistan). His family migrated to India and eventually settled in Mumbai. Acting wasn’t on his radar — until fate intervened. A chance meeting with Devika Rani head of Bombay Talkies changed his life. She offered him a job at Rs 1250 per month (a princely sum then) and suggested a new screen name: Dilip Kumar. For those of you who don’t know his film career began in the 1940s and over the next five decades he delivered iconic performances in films like Mughal-e-Azam Devdas Naya Daur Andaz Ganga Jamuna and more forever redefining the emotional landscape of Indian cinema. The man behind the legend Dilip Kumar married actress Saira Banu who was much younger than he was. Despite the age gap their bond remained strong for decades. On 7 July 2021 he passed away at the age of 98 at Mumbai’s PD Hinduja Hospital. His death wasn’t just the end of an actor; it was the closing chapter of an era. Yet his films memories and even untold stories such as his night in jail continue to live on.