'An institution himself': President Kovind and VP Naidu condole actor Dilip Kumar's demise

Condoling the demise of veteran Bollywood icon Dilip Kumar, President Ram Nath Kovind on Wednesday took to his official Twitter handle and said that the 98-year-old actor summarised in himself a history of emerging India. Ram Nath Kovind said that the thespian's charm transcended all boundaries and Dilip Kumar was loved across the subcontinent. Stating that the veteran actor will live forever in the heart of India, the President said, "With his demise, an era ends."

VP Venkaiah Naidu condoles Dilip Kumar's death

Besides the President of India, Vice President Venkaiah Naidu also paid his heartfelt condolences to Dilip Kumar's family members and his legions of fans in India and abroad. Remarking that some of the greatest actors in Hindi cinema acknowledge his immeasurable contribution to their understanding of the varied skills of actions, the Vice President said that the veteran actor's death has created an irreplaceable void in the field of cinema. 

Venkaiah Naidu on Wednesday tweeted, "Although known by sobriquet Tragedy kind, the legendary thespian was one of the most versatile actors and assayed a variety of roles from social dramas to romantic hero with equal felicity."

Dilip Kumar passes away

Legendary actor Dilip Kumar passed away in Mumbai on Wednesday. He was 98. The Padma Vibhushan recipient had been facing multiple health issues for the past few weeks, being hospitalised numerous times for breathlessness and being treated upon for bilateral pleural effusion. The news was confirmed by Dr Jalil Parkar, the pulmonologist treating the actor at Mumbai's PD Hinduja Hospital.

Dr. Jalil Parkar issued a statement reading, "The doyen of Indian film industry Mr Dilip Kumar breathed his last today at 7.30 AM at Khar Hinduja hospital after a long and protracted illness. May God bless his soul in heaven". Soon after, his family confirmed the same

Dilip Kumar had been admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of a Mumbai hospital, has shown improvement in his health, his wife Saira Banu said on Monday. The 98-year-old screen icon was admitted in suburban Khar-based Hinduja Hospital, a non-COVID-19 facility, last week to address age-related "medical issues" days after being discharged from the same hospital.  A tweet posted by Banu from the official Twitter account of Kumar on Monday asked his fans to pray for the actor so that he is discharged from the hospital "soon." 

The Hindi cinema veteran was admitted to the Hinduja Hospital in June following episodes of breathlessness.  At the time, Kumar was diagnosed with bilateral pleural effusion -- a build-up of excess fluid between the layers of the pleura outside the lungs -- and underwent a successful pleural aspiration procedure. He was discharged after five days.

Dilip Kumar is considered among the greatest actors in the Indian film industry. Starting his career in 1944, he went on to feature in iconic films likes Mughal-e-Azaam, Devdas, Naya Daur, and Ram Aur Shyam, among others. His last big-screen appearance was in the 1998 film Qila. He has been felicitated with numerous honours and awards, including the Padma Vibhushan and Dadasaheb Phalke Award by the Government of India.

(Image: PTI, Twitter-@DilipKumar)