Famed actor Dilip Kumar breathed his last on Wednesday morning. Ailing for quite some time now, he had been admitted to Mumbai's Hinduja Hospital last month. According to Dr Jalil Parkar who had been treating Kumar, he passed away "due to prolonged illness at 7.30 am".
"With a heavy heart and profound grief, I announce the passing away of our beloved Dilip Saab, few minutes ago. We are from God and to Him we return," read an update shared on the veteran actor's Twitter handle by Faisal Farooqui.
The news has triggered an outpouring of grief online, with politicians, actors, and countless others expressing their sorrow. "Dilip Kumar Ji will be remembered as a cinematic legend. He was blessed with unparalleled brilliance, due to which audiences across generations were enthralled. His passing away is a loss to our cultural world. Condolences to his family, friends and innumerable admirers. RIP," tweeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"To the world many others may be heroes. To us actors, he was The Hero. Dilip Kumar Sir has taken an entire era of Indian cinema away with him. My thoughts and prayers are with his family. Om Shanti," tweeted Akshay Kumar.
"The greatest. There will never be another Dilip Kumar," summed up film director Hansal Mehta.
Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh took to Twitter recalling Kumar's performances and his contributions to the Indian film industry, calling his passing a "monumental loss".
"I had met Dilip Kumar ji in person when I went to Mumbai to present the Padma Vibhushan to him. It was a special moment for me to interact with the legendary actor," he shared.
"My heartfelt condolences to the family, friends & fans of Dilip Kumar ji. His extraordinary contribution to Indian cinema will be remembered for generations to come," tweeted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
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