Saira Banu shared unseen photographs from her wedding with legendary actor Dilip Kumar. She fondly recalled amusing moments from the ceremony, including guests playfully taking forks and spoons as souvenirs.
It was a normal day in October 1966 when superstar Dilip Kumar had just mounted on his ghodi to marry Saira Banu. What they thought would be an intimate celebration, soon reached the ears of their many fans, who swiftly gathered outside Banu’s house to be a part of the festivities. Several Octobers later, Saira Banu recalled her wedding day with Dilip Kumar. She also revealed they ran short of food and that guests were keeping forks and spoons as keepsakes from the wedding of the year.
“A wistful drift into one of the most cherished evenings of my life, our wedding night, 59 years ago. The song “Do Sitaron Ka Zameen Par Hai Milan Aaj Ki Raat” floated through the air like a blessing that wouldn’t fade. It played all night long, echoing the joy in my heart, and I remember thinking that if someone told me I could truly fly that evening, I would have believed them. That’s how unreal, how dreamlike it all felt,” wrote Saira Banu, sharing fond memories from her wedding day.
She revealed that they hadn’t planned anything extravagant for the day, yet it was perfect in its own simplicity. “My wedding joda was lovingly stitched by our local tailor; there were no grand designers, no detailed plans, no printed cards, just hurried excitement and heartfelt emotion. The Nikaah was meant for November, but destiny had other plans. I can still hear Sahib’s gentle but firm voice over the telephone from Calcutta saying, “Aap ek Maulvi ko bulaiye aur Nikaah karwa dijiye!” And just like that, the most important day of my life unfolded before I could even blink,” she wrote.
Then came the fun part. No Indian wedding has ever taken place without “delightful chaos”. Dilip Kumar and Saira Banu’s was no different. “Sahib and I lived close by, and when his Baraat came down the lane, the Ghodi descended a small slope, the umbrella brushing against his Sehra, a sight so charming that it still makes me smile. In no time, word spread that Dilip Kumar was getting married, and hundreds of admirers found their way into my home. The house was overflowing with laughter, noise, and strangers who felt like family,” she continued.
She concluded her note with the fondest memory from her wedding. She explained, “It took me nearly two hours to make my way down from the upper floor for the Nikaah ceremony, the bride delayed by her own guests! The crowd was so large that we even ran short of food, people began pocketing tiny souvenirs a fork here, a spoon there as if they were collecting tokens from a fairytale. Oh, what a day that was! Unscripted, imperfect, and yet filled with a kind of joy that words can never truly capture. That night remains etched in my heart a memory that still glows softly, even after all these years.”
Dilip Kumar and Saira Banu were married for 55 years.
