Amitabh and I unintentionally developed an exclusive mutual admiration club

Amitabh and I unintentionally developed an exclusive mutual admiration club 

On his 90th birthday today, thespian Dilip Kumar talks about his childhood, career and the current crop in Bollywood

You turn 90 today. How young do you feel? It is said a man is as old as he feels and a woman, as old as she looks. I feel as good and healthy as I felt on my last birthday and the birthday before that. Of course, I am grateful to the Almighty that I have lived to this age. I am able to eat what I like, walk without help and enjoy all the small and simple pleasures of life as much as I always did.
Which were the best years of your life? My childhood in Peshawar. I was filled with curiosity about everything around me. I would follow my mother everywhere and listen to the stories she and my aunts told each other — some eerie and spooky, some charming and idyllic. They would recite verses written by famous Persian poets and I would try and fathom their meaning. Those were wonderful, carefree years.
Given a choice, would you have continued with acting?
    I always had the choice to
    not accept scripts that
    I did not like.
    Whether it
    was a
comedy or a historical film, I selected projects because I liked them. It is very important for an actor to know that it is his work that people appreciate. So, it is in his interest to try as much as he can to do work that will be looked up to and not looked down upon.
On his equation with Amitabh Bachchan... It’s the love of my fraternity that I have always held in high value. Over the years, we have developed
    — quite unintentionally — an
    exclusive mutual admiration club. He keeps in touch and it is always a pleasure to meet and talk to him. Always a man of fine manners, well-spoken, respectful towards seniors, humble about his exceptional achievements, unflinchingly dedicated and disciplined at work, he should be an example to aspirants and rising actors. As for Shakti (1982), if there was any misunderstanding then, we would not have been the friends we are or shared the warmth we share as families.
Watching today’s films…. I don’t watch films on television. I prefer to watch sports events or listen to soothing music, especially ghazals. We attended a special screening of Talaash the other day. It was nice.
The Khans keep visiting you on your birthdays.. It’s the love of my fraternity that I have always held in high value. It is not just the Khans who come over to our house. Amitabh was here recently, Kamal Hassan dropped in with Ramesh Sippy last month, Salim Khan comes over often, Shabana and Javed spent an evening with us, Vyajayanthimala and her son come over to meet us when they are in Mumbai, Yash used to drop in whenever he was in the vicinity, Dharmendra does not need a formal invitation from us to join us for a cup of tea.
On turning down Hollywood’s offer to work in Lawrence of Arabia (1962)... I took a decision, which was appropriate at that time. In all humility, I’d like to say that I judged the offer with the same parameters as all the offers that came to me then. I felt I didn’t have to go to Hollywood to prove or satisfy myself.

Amitabh Bachchan Dilip Kumar

Dilip Kumar