When Dilip Kumar Married Asma Rehman Despite Being Married to Saira Banu for 16 Years and Called It His Biggest Regret

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DILIP KUMAR, ALSO KNOWN AS ABHINAY SAMRAT (the Emperor of Acting), is one of the three iconic stars, alongside Dev Anand and Raj Kapoor, who once ruled the Hindi film industry. An acclaimed Indian actor and writer, Dilip Kumar enjoyed a career spanning several decades and starred opposite some of the country's most beloved actresses, including Madhubala, Mumtaz, and Nargis. However, Kumar's pairing with actress Saira Banu is often remembered as one of the most beloved combinations.

Not just onscreen but offscreen as well, Saira Banu and Dilip Kumar shared one of the most enduring love stories in Indian cinema. 

The couple married in 1966 and remained together until 2021, when Dilip Kumar passed away following a prolonged illness. While Kumar lived a life surrounded by cameras, audiences, and stories, he later came to live a life that resembled cinema itself. One of the lesser-known tales of his life is his short-lived marriage to Asma Rehman when he had already been married to Banu for 16 years. 

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The Mughal-e-Azam actor's love life became an open chapter for tabloids and newspapers at the time. However, his second marriage to Asma Rehman was something that the actor later regretted. It was in 1981 that Saira Banu reportedly learned of Dilip Kumar's second marriage to Rehman. Kumar later confessed that the marriage had deeply hurt Banu and eventually divorced Rehman in 1983. 

When Asma Rehman Talked about her short-lived Marriage with Dilip Saahb

Rehman shared her side of the story, including her experience of being at the centre of intense media criticism, in an interview in 1983. She said that she left India and moved to Vancouver, Canada, in an attempt to escape the overwhelming attention but never found peace.

Speaking about her lack of privacy, she stated, “It was because of the media, which was hounding me. I just wanted to get away from the media, but I can't.” She emphasised that her marriage to Dilip Kumar was all the media wanted to talk about. “Ninety-five percent of the things that were written about me were false,” said Asma Rehman. 

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She even took a dig at the many stories that were being reported at the time, claiming that they were based on her conversations with Dilip Kumar. Questioning the credibility of such reports, she asked, “Conversations that take place between two people, which are personal and private in nature, how can anyone know about them? But these people’s imaginations are just so wild that they make up stories.” 

Dilip Kumar on his Second Marriage with Asma Rehman

Dilip Kumar had always regretted his decision to marry Asma Rehman. He shared his side of the story in his 2014 autobiography, Dilip Kumar: The Substance and the Shadow, written with Udaya Tara Nayar. According to Kumar, his marriage to Rehman caused great pain to Saira Banu, which became the source of his regret. The book states, “I can never forget or forgive myself for the hurt I caused Saira and the shattering of the unshakeable faith she had in me.” He later divorced Rehman just three years after their marriage. 

There are various narratives about why Dilip Kumar married Asma Rehman when he had already been married to Saira Banu for 16 years. Some claim that the marriage was a result of Kumar and Banu not having children. However, Udaya Tara Nayar stated that the marriage to Asma Rehman was orchestrated by Kumar’s sisters. 

Dilip Kumar and Saira Banu shared a marriage that lasted for more than five decades. With a timeless legacy attached to their names, the couple are still remembered for their perfect-yet-imperfect marriage and enduring bond.

(Edited by  Harsh Pandey)

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