Dilip Kumar's biography will be released at a grand event on June 9, at Mumbai's Grand Hyatt hotel.
Says author Uday Tara Nayar, “The book's title Substance And The Shadow was suggested by Dilipsaab. The ‘substance’ refers to the actual person behind the legend and the ‘shadow’ is the mythical image that has come to surround his persona.”
The long-awaited biography will trace Dilip Kumar’s life from birth.
The biography will be released in the presence of the top actors of the industry like Amitabh Bachchan and Aamir Khan. Lata Mangeshkar, who will release the book, may also sing a few lines of Dilip Kumar's favourite song, Allah Tero Naam.
"Whenever he got restless, Dilipsaab would ring up Lataji and ask her to sing this song. She would always oblige him. Lataji visited Dilipsaab recently. He immediately recognised her and exclaimed, ‘Meri choti bahen mujhse milne ayee hai.’ She fed him his evening meal with her own hands. Sairaji (Banu, wife) just watched the historic moment," says Tara.
At the book release, Aamir will recite a poem in Dilipsaab’s honour, written by Prasoon Joshi.
Amitabh Bachchan is expected to speak on his regard for the Thespian.
Lataji and Madhuri Dixit will light the inaugural diya while Shaan and Javed Ali will sing a medley of Dilip Kumar's hits, arranged by composer Lalit Pundit.
Another highlight of the evening will be an audio-visual showing never-seen before intimate moments of the Thespian’s life with his family.
"It’s been a 10-year journey to put together the authorized biography of Dilip Kumar. We have finally done it. It couldn’t have happened without his and Sairaji's active support. They helped me piece together the life of a man, who is not just the greatest actor in the country but also a father-figure for me.”
