Saira Banu's Heartfelt Tribute To Vyjayanthimala On Her 91st Birthday

Saira Banu, a Bollywood legend celebrated for her elegance, recently wished her dear friend Vyjayanthimala a happy 91st birthday on Instagram. In her heartfelt post, Saira reminisced about their first meeting and shared stories from their long-standing friendship.

Their initial encounter occurred at Mehboob Studios when Saira visited with her mother. She was captivated by Vyjayanthimala's performance in the song "Radha Krishna." Saira recalled, "I was thrilled to see such a spectacular song number of 'Radha Krishna,' where Vyjayantimalaji was swirling in a beautiful Ghagra Choli."

Another memorable meeting happened at a film premiere. Saira, who had just started working on "Junglee," was awestruck when Vyjayanthimala approached her and gently touched her cheek, calling her "beautiful." Saira humorously admitted, "I think I did not wash my face that week!"

Admiration for On-Screen Pairing

Saira also expressed admiration for the on-screen pairing of her husband, Dilip Kumar (fondly known as 'Sahib’), and Vyjayanthimala. She highlighted their successful collaborations, particularly "Gunga Jumna." She noted, "She did a fabulous job as Dhanno, and Sahib worked very hard on her diction to record the Purbi dialogues on tape with the correct pronunciations and dialect."

Despite their successful collaborations, a misunderstanding during the shooting of "Ram Aur Shyam" led to Vyjayanthimala's replacement. However, fate kept bringing them together at various functions and dinners. It was during one of these meetings that Saira Banu decided to take matters into her own hands. She recounted, "I got fed up and brought the two of them together to patch up as friends again. That was quite a feat!"

Strengthening Their Bond

Their friendship only grew stronger from that point. Vyjayanthimala, along with her son Suchendra, would often visit Saira and Dilip Kumar whenever they were in town. Saira fondly recalled a time when she and her husband helped solve a complicated issue troubling Vyjayanthimala and her son. This act of kindness cemented their bond, leading Vyjayanthimala to lovingly call Saira her "angel."

Saira concluded her message by expressing gratitude for their beautiful friendship. She wrote, "Ever since Vyjayantimala labelled me as her 'angel,' and as for me, Vyjayantimala turned into Akka." With such touching memories and mutual respect, it's no wonder these two legends of Indian cinema have maintained a deep and enduring friendship over the years.