How Yusuf Khan, son of a poor fruit merchant, became Dilip Kumar

Dilip Kumar, the last of Bollywood's legends who ruled the Indian cinema in the 50s and 60s, passed away on Wednesday at the age of 98.

Hailed as the Marlon Brando of Bollywood, the icon was born as Mohammed Yusuf Khan on December 11, 1922, at Qissa Khwani Bazaar in Peshawar, Pakistan [then British India], the fourth of 12 children to parents Ayesha and Mohammad Sarwar Khan. He later adopted the stage name Dilip Kumar when he stepped into the film industry as one of its earliest Method actors. 

With his father being a fruit merchant, Kumar's dreams of pursuing professional cricket or football were abandoned, owing to the family's unstable financial situation as he was growing up. 

Kumar was introduced to pioneering Indian actor Devika Rani by his former teacher. He was asked to consider becoming an actor by Rani, which left him in a state of bafflement as he had only seen one film in his life, and that too a war documentary. In spite of his hesitance, the dire need for money persuaded him to take up the offer. 

Rani had also advised him to conceal his Muslim identity and take up a new Hindu name which would help his career flourish in the post-partition India. And from there on, he became Dilip Kumar.