Dilip Kumar the original heartthrob of Indian cinema shocked everyone when he married at 44 — to the then 22-year-old Saira Banu. What began as a fairytale romance turned rocky sixteen years later when his secret marriage to another woman Asma Rehman surfaced. The revelation wasn’t made in the family but in the newspapers — and it broke Saira. A match made at a match? In his memoir The Substance and The Shadow Dilip revealed that he first met Asma during a cricket match in Hyderabad. At first glance she appeared to be a married woman with three children. But slowly Dilip began noticing unsettling patterns — like Asma and her husband turning up wherever he went. He later wrote I was completely unaware of a connivance that was being mischievously perpetuated... The affair that lasted two years The relationship spanning 1981–1983 was something Dilip deeply regretted. “I can never forget or forgive myself for the hurt I caused to Saira...” Asma’s intentions became clearer with time and Dilip eventually confessed to Saira. While heartbroken the actress stood by him but not without him taking responsibility. A written apology a repaired marriage Dilip requested time to legally end his second marriage. Before finalising the divorce he reaffirmed his loyalty in a written “letter of commitment” to Saira and her family promising never to marry again. Dilip Kumar would later describe this chapter as one orchestrated by “divine purpose” one that nearly destroyed their marriage but ultimately deepened their emotional bond. The two remained together until his passing in 2021 — a love story tarnished but not broken.