BATHINDA: Lahore-based author Saeed Ahmad remembers the incident when he sent actor Dilip Kumar a page through fax as preface of a book about him three times. But Dilip Kumar was unable to receive the document as his fax line has been snapped. This was way back in 1998. Finally, Dilip Kumar had given consent for the publication of the book, but only in Urdu, in 2004. The book, ‘Dilip Kumar Ahmadnama e Mohabbat’ had to wait for six years after relations had soured due to Kargil War in 1999.
It was a critical appreciation of the 41 films of the legendary actor. It was later translated into Hindi in 2006, said Saeed.
Saeed speaking to TOI from Lahore on phone said, “Though I met Dilip Saab on number of occasions at foreign soils — in Kuwait, Dubai and England — but the meeting in Pakistan in 1998 was a special one. He was visiting Pakistan as state guest to receive the award Sitar-e-Imtiaz on the invitation of Premier Nawaz Sharif. I handed over him the manuscript of my book running into 800 pages. After he returned to India, he wrote to me to send a note through fax. I sent him the note, but he DID not receive it and after I sent at least thrice, he noticed that his fax line has been snapped.”
