How Yousuf Khan became Dilip Kumar
New Delhi, Jul 7: Legend, thespian, tragedy king, god of acting Dilip Kumar was given several monikers in his illustrious career but how he acquired his screen name is a story unto itself.
He was born Mohammed Yousuf Khan but Devika Rani, who was head of the Bombay Talkies where he joined as an actor, wasn't too happy with the name. Dilip Kumar, she thought, would be in tune with his "romantic image" which he was bound to acquire and would also have a "secular appeal".
And so Dilip Kumar it was.
Kumar, who died in a Mumbai hospital on Wednesday at the age of 98, narrates in detail how he went from being Yousuf Khan to Dilip Kumar in his autobiography "The Substance and the Shadow".
"One morning, as I entered the studio I was given the message that Devika Rani wanted to see me in her office. I wondered what it could be. I was certain it couldn't be for expressing any displeasure because she was always courteous and pleasant whenever she met me and enquired how I was doing. So what could it be?" Kumar writes.
When he walked into Rani's office, she was seated at her desk, smiled warmly and asked him to sit down.
Devika Rani began the conversation with the usual courtesy of asking him whether he would care for some tea made specially for her from leaves she had purchased from an English store in the city, he recounts in great detail.
According to the autobiography, she soon came to the point and said quite matter-of-factly, "Yousuf, I was thinking about your launch soon as an actor and I felt it would not be a bad idea if you adopted a screen name".
"You know, a name you would be known by and which will be very appropriate for your audience to relate to and one that will be in tune with the romantic image you are bound to acquire through your screen presence. I thought Dilip Kumar was a nice name," she is quoted as saying.
She told him the name just "popped up" in her mind when she was thinking about a suitable name for him.
"How does it sound to you?" she asked.
"I was speechless for a moment, being totally unprepared for the new identity she was proposing to me. I said it sounded nice but asked her whether it was really necessary," Kumar says in the book.
"She gave her sweet smile and told me that it would be prudent to do so. She added that it was after considerable thought that she came to the conclusion of giving me a screen name."
Rani told Kumar that she foresaw a long and successful career for him in films and it made good sense to have a screen identity that would "stand up by itself and have a secular appeal".
Kumar was quick to appreciate her concern, but added that he needed to think about it a bit.
She responded, "Fine... come back to me with your thoughts.
"We are now ready to begin preparations for your debut. So we must hurry up."
The actor recalls spending the rest of the day, going about his routine, but with the name 'Dilip Kumar' ringing in his mind's inner recesses.
S. Mukherjee, who was effectively the second in command at Bombay Talkies after Devika Rani, noticed that the actor was rather contemplative that afternoon.
After lunch, when work started on the shooting stage, Mukherjee asked him if there was something disturbing him and if he could share with him.
"I told S. Mukherjee Sahab about the suggestion that had come from Devika Rani. He reflected for a second and, looking me straight in the eye, said: 'I think she has a point. It will be in your interest to take the name she has suggested for the screen. It is a very nice name, though I will always know you by the name Yousuf like all your brothers and sisters and your parents," says Kumar in the autobiography.
Kumar said he was touched by what Mukherjee said and it was a validation that cleared his thoughts then and there.
The rest as they say is history. Dilip Kumar went on to debut with 'Jwar Bhata' in 1944, becoming one of the biggest names in Indian cinema history.
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Metro ridership in Haryana sees over 13 pc rise in 2025-26
Chandigarh (PTI): Haryana's urban transit system witnessed a strong growth in 2025-26, with metro ridership registering a robust 13.55 per cent increase, the state government said in a statement on Thursday.
The progress was reviewed in the 64th board meeting of Haryana Mass Rapid Transport Corporation (HMRTC) chaired by Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi.
Between April 2025 and February 2026, the metro network recorded over 1.74 crore passengers, compared to 1.53 crore in the corresponding period the previous year.
July recorded the highest monthly growth at 22.93 per cent, while all months showed consistent positive trends.
Financial performance has also remained strong, with fare revenue rising 12.64 per cent till January 2026, the statement said.
Non-fare revenue surged by 108 per cent, driven by effective monetisation of station spaces, advertisements and commercial activities, resulting in an operating surplus for Rapid Metro.
Further initiatives, including the auction of station naming rights and additional advertisement sites, are expected to strengthen HMRTC's financial position, the statement said.
Appreciating the performance, Rastogi stated that the consistent rise in ridership and revenue reflects the success of Haryana's integrated transport strategy, rising commuter confidence and a clear shift towards public transport.
HMRTC Managing Director Chander Shekhar Khare said that, alongside operational gains, the state is making steady progress on an ambitious pipeline of metro and regional transit projects.
Metro connectivity from Gurugram Sector 56 to Panchgaon is under active consideration, with Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited studying the Detailed Project Report (DPR) and layout plan, and finalising a depot location in Sector 36A near Sihi village, he said.
The Gurugram-Faridabad Namo Bharat corridor has achieved a key milestone, with alignment and station locations finalised and approved by the Haryana government. The National Capital Region Transport Corporation is preparing the DPR, he added.
Similarly, the Delhi-Kundli metro extension is proposed to be placed before the Haryana Cabinet for approval.
The 136.3-kilometre Delhi-Panipat-Karnal RRTS Corridor has also progressed, with the revised DPR submitted for financial concurrence ahead of Haryana Cabinet consideration.
Within Gurugram, DPR preparation has been approved for key intra-city corridors, including the 17.09-kilometre Bhondsi-Subhash Chowk-Rajeev Chowk-Sohna Chowk Railway Station corridor, enhancing connectivity along Sohna Road, Khare said.
