‘He loved football with all his heart’: Throwback to Dilip Kumar’s love for the attractive recreation

Bollywood icon and one among Hindi cinema’s biggest actors, Dilip Kumar handed away on Wednesday in a Mumbai hospital after a chronic sickness. He was 98.
Dilip Kumar, a.okay.a. Mohammed Yusuf Khan, was blessed with unparalleled brilliance, as a result of which audiences throughout generations have been enthralled by his work.
However, the Indian soccer group remembers him as somebody who took an lively curiosity within the stunning recreation and would usually be watching the matches from the stands.
Former India defender Subrata Bhattacharya, who was additionally part of the Indian aspect that performed within the 1984 AFC Asian Cup, recalled his interplay with Dilip Kumar.
“Dilip Kumar was extremely passionate about football. On the field, when he’d come to a game as a chief guest, you don’t get to talk much. But I had met him a few times off the field as well, and he used to love to discuss the game with us,” knowledgeable Bhattacharya.
“I remember he used to be a frequent visitor in the Rovers Cup games. He had also come to the Santosh Trophy Final in Kashmir (1978-79).”

We mourn the tragic demise of legendary actor Dilip Kumar, who was additionally an avid #IndianFootball fan. May his soul relaxation in peace 🙏#RIP #DilipKumar pic.twitter.com/Mn82OjWrGu
— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) July 7, 2021
Off the pitch, Bhattacharya had met Dilip Kumar a number of instances in several studio units, and the previous defender recalled how the filmstar had proven his hospitality.
“I went to fulfill him a number of instances after I was in Bombay, on the Himalaya and the Nataraj Studios. The first time I went there, he came visiting to me and bellowed in an affectionate method ‘Aise khada kyun hain? (Why are you standing there).’
He took me to the director and launched me, ‘Bada player hai, India ke liye khelta hai. Isse baithne do. (He’s an enormous participant, performs for India. Let’s discover him a spot to take a seat)’.”
“He truly was one of those people who was pure at heart. There was no malice in the man. And he was a very good actor too. This is a huge loss for India,” mentioned Bhattacharya.
Subhash Bhowmick, who was a member of the Indian bronze medal profitable squad within the 1970 Asian Games, has himself been an avid fan of Dilip Kumar movies – Mughal-e-Azam (1960), Ganga Jamuna (1961) have been two of many Dilip Kumar movies that had captivated Bhowmick.
“It was an honour to see such a great superstar come to watch our matches. Not only the club matches, but he was also an avid follower of the National Team,” he recalled. “This is a huge loss for the world of art and culture. He was one of the first true superheroes of Indian cinema,” mentioned Bhowmick.
Former Blue Tigers captain Prasanta Banerjee, who had additionally represented India within the 1984 AFC Asian Cup recalled Dilip Kumar as somebody who liked the attractive recreation “with all his heart”.
“I had first met him in the Rovers Cup in Bombay, when he was the chief guest in the 1980 final (East Bengal vs Mohammedan Sporting). Later, when I was playing for Mohammedan Sporting, he had visited the club a few times as well and we had several chats,” Banerjee knowledgeable. “When I got to chat with him, I understood his love for football. He knew me by my name. For me that was a big honour – he was such a legend.”
“He loved watching football with all his heart, and had come to watch a number of matches from the stands.”