In the Shadow of a Legend: Dilip Kumar is a biographical book and memoir about the life of actor, filmmaker, and politician Dilip Kumar.[1] The book is written by Faisal Farooqui[2] and published by Om Books International.[3] The book focuses on the life of the late Kumar offscreen, chronicling little-known anecdotes from his private life.[4]
The book revolves around Dilip Kumar’s personal life and some important life events.[5] Born as Mohammad Yusuf Khan, the book reveals that the actor never let his identity of Yusuf Khan become bigger than his identity as Dilip Kumar.[3] Character sketches such as how Kumar was a shy and hardworking young man, respected all religions, and suffered from the trauma of early childhood following socio-political events of the 1930s and 1940s, to the time when he acted in his first scene on camera are well narrated in the book.[3] The book traces Dilip Kumar's personality from Farooqui’s interaction with him over decades-long family friendship.[2][6][7]
The book was written by Farooqui over many years but was released on the first death anniversary of the actor on July 7, 2022, by Om Books International.[6] The book was developed more as a personal account of Kumar, than chronicling his life on screen.[8][2]
Vijay Lokapally, reviewing the book in the Business Line, notes that "In the book, Dilip Kumar: In the Shadow of a Legend, the author paints an intimate portrait of the actor, throwing light on some little-known anecdotes from his illustrious life. The book brings to us the real Dilip Kumar, away from the large screen that made him such an endearing figure for his fans."[9]Times of India called it "Dilip Kumar: In the Shadow of a Legend' is an intimate portrait of the man behind the legend, a star who captivated audiences with his performances for over seventy years."[10]
Meher Bhatia from Indian Express notes that "the book uncovers the real Dilip Kumar with his passion and vulnerabilities."[11]
