I was just bowled over by Dilipji’s style and aura: Dr Jalil Parkar

Dilip Kumar’s doctor for more than 20 years, Dr Jalil Parkar remembers the veteran actor as one of his most cooperative patients, who also wore his stardom lightly

Veteran actor Dilip Kumar passed away at Hinduja Healthcare Hospital in Khar on Wednesday around 7.30 am. Dr Jalil Parkar, the actor’s doctor for the last 21 years, remembers him as an affectionate person, and someone who bowled him over with his style and aura.

Dr Parkar, a chest physician at the Lilavati Hospital, said he would love to talk to everyone. “He would chat with the doctors, nurses, ward boys every time he got hospitalised. He would ask them about their families and how their day was,” said Dr Parkar, whose first interaction with the actor was when he went to invite him as chief guest for the annual day function of the Grant Medical College where he was a student. 

‘I am an eternal fan’

“I still remember. The loud and boisterous goings-on stopped as soon as he stepped on the stage and every one listened to his masterful speech in pin-drop silence. He had complete command over languages, be it English, Urdu, Hindi or Pashtu. As an eternal fan, I was bowled over by his style and aura,” said Dr Parkar.

Before the Covid-19 outbreak, the actor was hospitalised in Lilavati Hospital under Dr Parkar whenever required. “Since Lilavati Hospital is a Covid centre, his wife Saira Banuji, chose to admit him to Hinduja Hospital at Khar this time around. She got some of us doctors who are not attached there, permission to treat him. Early on Wednesday morning, I got a call from the family’s main doctor, Dr Nitin Gokhale, who informed me he had passed away. I will always remember him as one of the most cooperative patients who wore his stardom lightly,” said Dr Parkar, who last saw him on Tuesday evening.

“I had been visiting him daily for the past one week at the hospital. As a patient, he had complete trust in us. We treated him for age-related cardio-pulmonary issues and prostate problems. He never questioned his doctors,” said Dr Parkar.

‘A voracious reader’

“Whenever he got better, he used to request us and make us walk with him in the ward. It’s now a memory, how he used to talk about his illness and other things. He was a voracious reader and well informed about everything including movies, politics, literature etc,” said Dr Parker.

Dilip Kumar was diagnosed with bilateral pleural effusion - a build-up of excess fluid between the layers of the pleura outside the lungs and underwent a successful pleural aspiration procedure and was discharged after five days when he was admitted on June 29. He had advanced prostate cancer, which had spread to other parts of the body. He was being treated for it and was in and out of hospital many times.  He also had kidney failure. Dr Parkar said the advanced cancer deteriorated the actor’s health and he died of cardio-respiratory arrest.

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