In the Shadow of a Legend: Dilip Kumar

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In the Shadow of a Legend: Dilip Kumar
In the Shadow of a Legend 1.jpg
Author Faisal Farooqui
LanguageEnglish
Genrebiographical book and memoir
PublisherOm Books International
Publication date
7 July 2022
Publication place India
Media typeHardcover
Pages208
ISBN 978-9392834660

In the Shadow of a Legend: Dilip Kumar is a biographical book and memoir about the life of actor, filmmaker, and politician Dilip Kumar. [1] The book is written by Faisal Farooqui, his longtime family friend, [2] and published by Om Books International. [3] The book focuses on the life of the late Kumar offscreen, chronicling little-known anecdotes from his private life. [4]

Contents

Synopsis

The book revolves around the personal life of Dilip Kumar, born as Mohammad Yusuf Khan. [5] It traces Kumar's personality from Farooqui’s interaction with him over decades-long family friendship. [2] [6] [7] Farooqui presents Kumar as someone who never let his identity of Yusuf Khan become bigger than his identity as Dilip Kumar. [3] It includes character sketches of Kumar as a shy and hardworking young man, who respected all religions, and suffered from the trauma of early childhood following socio-political events of the 1930s and 1940s, to the time when he acted in his first scene on camera. [3]

Development and release

The book was written by Farooqui over many years but was released on the first death anniversary of the actor on July 7, 2022, by Om Books International. [6] The book was developed more as a personal account of Kumar, than chronicling his life on screen. [8] [2]

Critical reception

Vijay Lokapally, reviewing the book in the Business Line, notes that "In the book, Dilip Kumar: In the Shadow of a Legend, the author paints an intimate portrait of the actor, throwing light on some little-known anecdotes from his illustrious life. The book brings to us the real Dilip Kumar, away from the large screen that made him such an endearing figure for his fans." [9] Times of India called it "an intimate portrait of the man behind the legend, a star who captivated audiences with his performances for over seventy years." [10] Meher Bhatia from Indian Express says that "the book uncovers the real Dilip Kumar with his passion and vulnerabilities." [11]

References

  1. "Faisal Farooqui on his new Dilip Kumar memoir: I wanted people to know the man behind the legend". cnbctv18.com. 2022-08-22. Retrieved 2022-10-23.
  2. 1 2 3 Lokapally, Vijay (2022-07-23). "Book Review: In the Shadow of a Legend: Dilip Kumar". www.thehindubusinessline.com. Retrieved 2022-10-20.
  3. 1 2 3 Bhatia, Meher (2022-08-23). "'Yusuf sahab would often tell me about his fear of Dilip Kumar'". The Indian Express. Retrieved 2022-10-23.
  4. Arora, Sumit (2022-07-26). "A book titled "Dilip Kumar: In the Shadow of a Legend" by Faisal Farooqui". adda247. Retrieved 2022-10-20.
  5. Chhabria, Rachna (2022-08-14). "Yusuf of Peshawar who spotted talent, changed lives..." Deccan Chronicle. Retrieved 2022-10-23.
  6. 1 2 "When legendary actor Dilip Kumar found a plate of Paani-Puri too expensive - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 2022-10-23.
  7. "Remembering Dilip Kumar: The techie and the foodie who loved paani puri". www.telegraphindia.com. Retrieved 2022-10-23.
  8. "A warm, intimate look at the man behind the legend: Book on Dilip Kumar releases on his first death anniversary - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 2022-10-20.
  9. Lokapally, Vijay (2022-07-23). "Book Review: In the Shadow of a Legend: Dilip Kumar". www.thehindubusinessline.com. Retrieved 2022-10-23.
  10. "A warm, intimate look at the man behind the legend: Book on Dilip Kumar releases on his first death anniversary - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 2022-10-23.
  11. "'Yusuf sahab would often tell me about his fear of Dilip Kumar'". The Indian Express. 2022-08-23. Retrieved 2022-10-23.