Dilip Kumar - The first method actor in World Cinema

December 11, 2015.

Dilip Kumar today turns 93.

One may try to measure the greatness of talent and art but if they were to do so, they would do it in vain. One may count the number of awards, honours and recognitions bestowed on a humanly body with a distinct identification but how on earth could one measure the intangible. Something like how you were moved form within by a work of art.

Of Dilip Kumar, there is hardly anything new to offer about the man or his first-hand accounts that the world does not know by now. And even if there are some, well then of course there is no peaceful alternative to ignorance (or choice, whatever keeps them happy).

I, a self-confessed Hindi film buff, was drawn to Dilip Kumar through cable tv in the 90s that showed some of his films. All his black and white films were lesser a charm to a child who was more fascinated by the fast-paced action and over the top comedy. However, as the easily-impressionable understanding of adolescence waned and along with it was left behind the teenage-like affection one holds for every other thing, Dilip Kumar's enigma dawned upon me.

This enigma still remains inexplicable and I'd rather not try to decipher that and lose the charm of just feeling and experiencing what Dilip Kumar does to me.

In this age of fast internet, one may just juggle some google and wikipedia and come up with facts and statistics about anyone in recognizable public life. Much easily for Dilip Kumar. I affirm my allegiance to the thought of school, as Shabana Azmi writes in Dilip Kumar's autobiography, which propounds that "It is uncultured of somebody to praise somebody elder to them. We stand no authority to even speak high of them. We can only bow our heads and express our respect to them."


Down here is a scholarly account by lyricist-writer Javed Akhtar that consolidates Dilip Kumar as the first Method Actor in World Cinema and narrates how the nonagenarian has left an indelible mark on generations of actors about acting.


"By 1953, the Western World got convinced that they have found the first method actor in Cinema in Marlon Brando. Because, unfortunately they were unaware that in some other part of the world, in India, there is an actor who started his journey in 1944 and, as a matter of fact, he was doing all that is called method acting.

After first few stumbling steps, he found his bearings and not only did he find his bearings, he developed a new syntax, a new grammar, a new language of acting. It is not a matter of opinion. It is a matter of history. The first method actor in the history of World Cinema is Dilip Kumar.

It was one learned man Panini who codified the great language of Sanskrit. He founded the syntax to the vast language. Yusuf saahab is the Panini of Indian film acting. He has codified Indian cinema's acting. That is why you see generations after generations have that influence, that colour, that shape, that shadow, that effect. They have learnt from him.

For 60-70 years he has left his indelible mark. It's not easy in show-business, in mass communication. With time people change, values change, statistics change, aspirations change, morality changes. To remain relevant for more than half of a century is not easy. It's not less than a miracle.

There are two types of people. One who tried to mimic him, imitate him. On the other side there were extremely talented actors who seriously understood his craft. They understood his way of working. They learnt from him and added from there own pool of talent also and passed it onto the forthcoming generations.

Today young actors are following the same trend but don't know the art has come from Dilip saahab. Because it was passed onto them after generations and generations. They are putting the right wheels in their vehicles. But, they don't know who invented the Wheel.

बात अगर सिर्फ़ इतनी ही होती तब भी बहुत बड़ी थी। मगर हैरत ये है के बात इससे भी आगे है!

This does not hold only for actors, even writers have learnt from Dilip Kumar. When we watch his black and white films, we see how he improvised scenes. We see how he leaves the punchline. How he underplays a scene that was supposed to be dramatic. And a sensitive writer would learn from it and would write accordingly. This is the right way.

Outside Films also, Yusuf Saahab has left a deep mark on society and people. There are several dictionaries. There maybe an Oxford or a Webster's but there is one dictionary that each one of us carries and that is in our minds.

In that dictionary you decide what is the meaning of any word. Same word means different things to different people. But, there are many, many who, when they turn the pages of their mental dictionary and look for the meaning of one word - Dignity, they will find only one meaning - Dilip Kumar.

We must thank Dilip Kumar for being himself.

"आने वाली नसलें तुम पर नाज़ करेंगी ऐ लोगों

जब उनको ध्यान आएगा तुमने 'दिलीप' को देखा था"

(A maqta by Firaq Gorakhpuri. Firaq replaced by 'Dilip' in second line)"
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(Pic courtesy: 1 - internet. 2. Dilip Kumar's autobiography - The Substance and the Shadow)


On a better day. :)