'Mujhe Yusuf chahiye': Raj Kapoor once fumed at Rishi for not matching up to Dilip Kumar

‘Tragedy King’ was a common term used to describe Dilip Kumar when the legend passed away earlier this week. The term had got stuck to the actor after he played roles of tragedy-struck lovers in numerous movies like Devdas. The late star left such a benchmark over the portrayal of such roles that late actor Rishi Kapoor found it hard to replicate it in front of legendary Raj Kapoor.

When Rishi Kapoor couldn't act like Dilip Kumar 

An anecdote from Dilip Kumar’s autobiography Dilip Kumar: The Substance and Shadow has surfaced in media reports, in which Rishi Kapoor has opened up on the incident from the shooting of Prem Rog in 1982. 

Rishi Kapoor wrote that he was asked to bring intense expressions of a despondent lover for the shot. However, he could not manage to get it, and that irritated the director, his father Raj Kapoor. The legend then told Rishi Kapoor ‘Mujhe Yusuf chahiye’, (I want Yusuf, Mohammed Yusuf being Dilip Kumar's real name) stating that he wanted the look same as Dilip Kumar’s eyes while expressing love, intensity and realism that he’d have given in such a situation. 

The Bobby star revealed that the whole set was in silence at the scene and added that they all could not believe that his professional rival Dilip Kumar was being praised in this way. Rishi Kapoor termed it as the ‘ultimate acknowledgement’ of Dilip Kumar’s 'unmatched ability to portray love with agony and ecstasy.'

Dilip Kumar, known as one of the greatest actors in Indian cinema, breathed his last at a Mumbai hospital at age 98 on Wednesday after battling various illnesses for a long time. The Mughal -E-Azam star, who showcased his finesse in a five-decade career was honoured with prestigious awards like Padma Vibhuhsan and Dadasaheb Phalke Award in his career.