Dilip Kumar and Saira Banu will not celebrate their 54th wedding anniversary this year

Veteran actor Dilip Kumar and his actress wife Saira Banu Khan won’t be celebrating their 54th wedding anniversary this year. The 97-year-old actor lost brothers Ehsan Khan and Aslam Khan recently and this is one big reason the couple will stay away from celebrating their wedding milestone.

A message from Saira Banu Khan shared on the veteran actor’s official Twitter handle on Friday read, “Oct. 11, is always the most beautiful day in my life. Dilip Saheb married me on this day and made my cherished dreams come true. This year, we are not celebrating. You all know we lost two of our brothers, Ahsan Bhai and Aslam Bhai …1/n.”

Due to the novel coronavirus pandemic almost everyone’s life has been affected, directly or indirectly. Saira Banu urged everyone to pray for each other’s safety. “The unprecedented turmoil due to the Covid-19 pandemic has taken many lives and caused sorrow in many many families. In the current circumstances, we request all of you, our dear friends, to pray for each other’s safety and wellbeing. May God be with us all. Stay Safe. 2/2 (sic),” Saira Banu’s message further read.

On August 21, Aslam Khan, 88, died at Mumbai’s Lilavati Hospital, where he was admitted after testing positive for COVID-19. Days after his death, on September 3, 90-year-old Ehsan Khan also died of the coronavirus.

Dilip Kumar and Saira Banu got married on October 11, 1966. The couple has shared screen space together in films such as ‘Bairaag’, ‘Sagina Mahato’, ‘Gopi’ and ‘Duniya’.

Last month, the actor posted a picture of himself and Saira Banu twinning in pink outfits and wrote: “Pink. Favourite shirt. God’s mercy upon all of us.”

Dilip Kumar is best known for his performances in films like ‘Mughal-e-Azam’, ‘Naya Daur’, ‘Kohinoor’, ‘Ram Aur Shyam’, ‘Madhumati’, ‘Shakti’ among others. His last film appearance was in 1998 film ‘Qila’, in which the actor had a double role.