90-Year-Old Bollywood Superstar Dilip Kumar Dragged to Court by His Brothers Over Property Issues

90-year-old Bollywood superstar Dilip Kumar was dragged to court in January 2013 following a legal complaint filed by his two brothers over their Pali Hill bungalow in Mumbai.

The complaint

The brothers, 77-year-old Ehsan Khan and 75-year-old Aslam Khan, accused Dilip Kumar of breaking a promise to provide each of them an apartment once the Pali Hill property was redeveloped. They also alleged they had not been paid the monthly maintenance of Rs 60,000 promised to them when they moved out of the bungalow in 2006.

Speaking to a daily, the brothers painted a picture of destitution: "In less than a week, we will have nowhere to go. We also have no money left." Their public stand was simple: "We are only asking for our share and nothing more. We don't want to fight, we just want justice."

The other side

In reply to the legal notice, Dilip Kumar's wife Saira Banu said: "We are entitled to our privacy which others must also respect. We have a lot to say in reply, but do not want to." The terse response suggested a family dispute with far more history than the complaint contained.

Why it mattered

The case was painful precisely because of who Dilip Kumar was: the tragedy king of Indian cinema, a figure of almost filial reverence for generations of fans. Seeing a 90-year-old legend, frail and largely retired from public life, pulled into a property fight with his elderly brothers punctured the romance. It was also a familiar Indian story: the ancestral property, the redevelopment windfall, the promises made verbally and remembered differently.

The dispute dragged on for years, outliving several rounds of claims and counter-claims. Dilip Kumar died in July 2021 at 98, with the shadow of the family feud still hanging over his final years.

FAQ

Who filed the complaint? Dilip Kumar's brothers Ehsan Khan, 77, and Aslam Khan, 75.

What was the property? The family bungalow in Pali Hill, Bandra, Mumbai, slated for redevelopment.

What did the brothers allege? Broken promises of apartments after redevelopment and unpaid Rs 60,000 monthly maintenance since 2006.

How did Saira Banu respond? She asserted the couple's right to privacy and declined a detailed public rebuttal.

The takeaway

The tragedy king's final act was a property dispute. Stardom protects against everything except family.