In a world full of stars, he shone differently: Saira Banu remembers Dharmendra on 90th birthday

In a world filled with stars, Dharmendra shone differently and touched everyone with his warmth, veteran actor Saira Banu said while remembering her friend and co-star on his 90th birthday.

Dharmendra died on November 24, just two weeks before his landmark birthday and Banu was among the many friends who mourned the loss with a touching tribute on Monday.

Banu, who worked with Dharmendra in several films, including “Ayee Milan Ki Bela” in 1964, “Jwar Bhata” in 1973, and “Chaitali” in 1975, said Dharmendra was not only a close friend but also someone who loved her husband, Dilip Kumar, dearly.

“Dharam ji… if I were to put the man into words, it would never be easy. Some people are too large for language, too gentle for description, and too loved for boundaries and he was all of that. His humility was unlike…very much like Dilip Sahib…anything I have ever seen. In a world filled with stars, he shone differently… quietly with a warmth that touched every soul lucky enough to know him. He was always very close to our family effortlessly bridging the worlds of stardom and simplicity,” she wrote in an Instagram post.

The actor said the bond between her late husband and Dharmendra was “rare and pure”.

“And the way he loved Dilip Sahib… sometimes I could never decide who loved Dilip Sahib more Dharam Ji or I. Their bond was beyond friendship. It was something rare, something pure, something that made you believe that souls truly recognise each other.”

“Today, on his birthday, my heart feels both heavy and full. Heavy because I wish he were still here with us… and full because I want to believe with all my heart that he is with Dilip Sahib once again. That somewhere, in a quieter, kinder world, the two of them have reunited… laughing, talking, sharing that indescribable bond only they understood. Happy Birthday, Dharam ji. You may not be here, but your goodness, your warmth, your humility they remain. And so does our love for you,” she added.