Learnt the meaning of strength of character from Dilip Kumar: Yechury

CPIM general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Wednesday condoled the demise of veteran actor Dilip Kumar and said he learnt the meaning of strength of character from him.Kumar, aged 98, died at Mumbais Hinduja Hospital on Wednesday after prolonged illness.

CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Wednesday condoled the demise of veteran actor Dilip Kumar and said he learned the meaning of strength of character from him.

Kumar, aged 98, died at Mumbai's Hinduja Hospital on Wednesday after a prolonged illness. He had been admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of the hospital, a non-COVID-19 facility, since Tuesday.

''An irreparable loss. My generation grew up with his roles shaping our consciousness. I had the fortune to be his colleague in Parliament and learned the meaning of strength of character (from him). Deepest condolences to Saira Ji and crores of his fans,'' Yechury tweeted.

Kumar, who was married to actor Saira Banu, had been in and out of the hospital the last one month and his family had hoped that he would get better.

Born Yousuf Khan and often known as the Nehruvian hero, Kumar did his first film ''Jwar Bhata'' in 1944 and his last ''Qila'' in 1998, 54 years later. His five-decade career included ''Mughal-e-Azam'', ''Devdas'', ''Naya Daur'', and ''Ram Aur Shyam'', and later, as he graduated to character roles, ''Shakti'' and ''Karma''.