Dilip Kumar, once hailed as Bollywood’s most eligible bachelor, held that status for many years. At the age of 44, he finally married Saira Banu, who was 22 at the time. However, after 16 years of marriage, their relationship was tested when Dilip secretly married another woman, Asma Rehman. The revelation deeply hurt Saira, who first learned about the marriage through the press. Initially in disbelief, she soon faced the painful reality.
In his autobiography, ‘The Substance And The Shadow’, Dilip recalled this difficult phase of his life. He explained how he met Asma during a cricket match in Hyderabad, where a seemingly innocent interaction gradually turned into something more. Dilip later realized there were hidden motives. Introduced through his sisters, Asma was already married with three children. Dilip noted how she and her husband seemed to appear everywhere he went, leading him to suspect they were deliberately following him. “I was unaware of the manipulation happening around me, with the intent to force my hand,” he reflected.
In 1982, Dilip’s marriage to Asma shocked Saira, who had placed her full trust in him. It was a pivotal moment in their marriage, and Dilip openly admitted that he had caused Saira great anguish. “I will never be able to forget or forgive myself for the hurt I caused her and for breaking the unwavering trust she had in me,” he wrote.
Dilip eventually confessed his mistake to Saira, asking for her understanding and patience as he took legal steps to end his second marriage. “Saira stood by me when I admitted my grave error and requested time to legally rectify the situation and restore the sanctity of our 16-year marriage,” he wrote. Before the divorce proceedings were finalized, Dilip even signed a “letter of commitment” to Saira, reaffirming his promise to her family that there would never be talk of a second marriage.
After closing that chapter, Dilip reflected on how the ordeal had strengthened their relationship. He believed there was a “divine purpose” behind the crisis and that it deepened their emotional connection. Despite the turbulence, Dilip and Saira’s bond endured, and they remained married until his death in 2021.