Bollywood legendary actor Dilip Kumar passed away on Wednesday after a prolonged illness, his family and doctors treating him said. He was 98. 

The actor had been suffering from age-related ailments for the last few days and had been admitted to the hospital multiple times. Recently, he was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of Mumbai’s Hinduja Hospital. He passed away due to prolonged illness at 7.30 am, said Dr Jalil Parkar, who had been treating the actor.

Kumar had been in and out of hospitals in the last one month and the family was hoping he would get better. He was diagnosed with bilateral pleural effusion and underwent a successful pleural aspiration procedure on June 6 after experiencing breathlessness He was discharged after five days.

Kumar’s wife and actor Saira Banu had been with him throughout. Earlier, Banu had assured fans that Kumar’s condition was stable. Her last tweet said that Kumar’s health is still stable. He is still in the ICU. We want to take him home but we are waiting for doctors’ approval as they know his medical condition as soon as doctors allow, and will take him home. He will not be discharged today. Need prayers of his fans, he will be back soon, she wrote. 

One of Kumar’s family friends, Faisal Farooqui, has announced the news of his demise. He tweeted through the actor’s handle that said, “With a heavy heart and profound grief, I announce the passing away of our beloved Dilip Saab, a few minutes ago. We are from God and to Him, we return,” he wrote.

Fondly known as ‘tragedy king of Bollywood, the veteran actor’s career spanned over six decades. He has worked in over 65 films, of which his iconic roles are in movies like ‘Devdas ‘(1955), ‘Naya Daur’ (1957), ‘Mughal-e-Azam’ (1960), ‘Ganga Jamuna’ (1961), ‘Kranti’ (1981), and ‘Karma’ (1986). He was last seen in ‘Qila’ in 1998.

He had also been honoured with Padma Bhushan, Dada Saheb Phalke award,  Padma Vibhushan, and numerous other accolades for his contribution to Indian cinema during his illustrious career.

Read Also: Anupam Kher recalls memories with Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio, says he is a kind and affectionate actor

Saddened by the demise of cinema legend, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted,  “Dilip Kumar Ji will be remembered as a cinematic legend. He was blessed with unparalleled brilliance, due to which audiences across generations were enthralled. His passing away is a loss to our cultural world. Condolences to his family, friends, and innumerable admirers. RIP,” he wrote.

Read other tweets here:

The post Dilip Kumar passes away at 98, PM Modi and others mourn his demise appeared first on APN News.