Dilip Kumar met an old gentleman in an aircraft. You wouldn't guess what happened next!
Friday, January 5, 2018 IST
An inspiring story of a simple yet extraordinary encounter on a plane.
Flights are much more than just a means of transport. Some of the most interesting incidents take place when you are flying from one city to another. You often meet interesting people many of whom you might never meet again. However, there are times when an event, encounter or personality is so extraordinary that the experience stays with you forever. One such incident happened many years ago when veteran film actor Dilip Kumar was at the peak of his career. On a flight, Dilip Kumar was seated next to an old man dressed in simple clothes - a pair of trousers and a plain shirt. Dilip Kumar was quite popular by then and therefore, turned many heads on the flight. Even as people kept staring at him, the old man continued to look outside the window, read his newspaper and calmly sip his tea not taking much notice of Kumar's presence.
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Dilip Kumar obviously noticed this nonchalant attitude and got very curious. He tried to make eye contact with the old man. The man looked at him and smiled saying "Hello". Trying to strike a conversation Dilip Kumar said to him, "Do you watch films?"
"Oh, very few. I did watch one many years ago," the man replied.
Taking the opportunity, Dilip Kumar mentioned that he worked in films.
"Oh, that's nice. What do you do?", the man asked.
"I am an actor", Kumar said.
"Oh, wonderful" the man replied with a smile.
That was the extent of their conversation. Later, when the flight landed, Dilip Kumar shook hands with the man to bid goodbye. "It was good to travel with you. By the way, my name is Dilip Kumar," he said.
The man replied, "Thank you. I am JRD Tata".
Till this date, the event has stayed with Dilip Kumar and finds mention in his autobiography. He says it was a humbling experience that reminded him that no matter how big you are, there is someone bigger. So, one must be always be humble. It costs nothing.
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