During her vacations to India, a young girl studying in London accompanied her mother to a series of get-togethers and social gatherings. Some of these were social commitments with a tableau of whispered conversations and classical music. But some were predestined to happen; how could Saira Banu meet her Dilip Sahab if she had not been there? “I first saw him when I was around 12 or 13.
He was a man so different from any other. I used to accompany my mother (Pari Chehra - Naseem Banu) in my school holidays from London to get-togethers because she was very friendly. She was like a sister to Akhtar Aunty (Mrs.
Mehboob Khan of Mehboob Studios),” she recollects. She first noticed him during one of the soirees at Akhtars — a figure of effortless charm and quiet allure. “At the entrance stood a man in white clothing, white shirt and trousers, and he held his arms criss-crossed.
He was standing with much respect for Mrs Mehboob and my mother Naseem ji. He seemed to exude an aura. To my young eyes, it seemed like a light around him, as you can see in paintings.
He had such an impression on my young mind that I came home and spoke about him to my mother. I told her, ‘What an unusual-looking man, what a good human being. Aisa lagta hai ke bilkul alag hai, logo se bilkul alag hai.
’ I continued to feel this way even after returning to London.” That’s how Saira Banu remembers her first encounter with Dilip Sahab. In her subsequent visits, he appears to be a recurring motif.
