Dilip Kumar rejected a big-budget blockbuster, which went on to win seven Oscars.
Dilip Kumar, known as the Tragedy King of Bollywood, never failed to impress the audience with his performances. The actor once rejected a high-budget film just to focus on his career in Indian cinema and later that film won multiple Oscars.
The film Dilip Kumar rejected, turned out to be a huge blockbuster of the 60s. Not only this, the movie though banned in Arab countries, went on to win 7 Oscars. It was none other than Lawrence of Arabia.
Helmed by David Lean, Lawrence of Arabia is a biographical adventure film based on the life of of T. E. Lawrence and his 1926 book Seven Pillars of Wisdom (also known as Revolt in the Desert). The film was reportedly made on a massive budget and the screenplay was written by Robert Bolt and Michael Wilson.
Dilip Kumar was offered a role in the Oscar-winning movie, Lawrence of Arabia, which could have been his Hollywood debut. However, the superstar turned it down because he believed that he did not need Hollywood to prove himself.
In an interview with Times Of India, in 2012, when he asked about his plans of not entering Hollywood, he said, “I took a decision, which was appropriate at that time. In all humility, I would like to say that I judged the offer with the same parameters as all the offers that came to me at that time.” He further added, “I felt I did not have to go to Hollywood to prove or satisfy myself.” The role then went to Omar Sharif, because David Lean wanted an authentic-looking actor and not a European actor.
Reportedly made in $15 million (Rs 125 crore as of 2024), collected a whopping $70 million (Rs 585 crore as of 2024). According to IMDb trivia, the movie was banned in Arab countries because they felt Arab historical figures and the Arab people were misrepresented. Later, Omar Sharif also arranged a viewing with President Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt to show him that there was nothing wrong with the way they were portrayed.
Not only was it a blockbuster, but the film also bagged 10 nominations in the 35th Academy Awards out of which, the film won 7 awards in major categories like Best Picture, Best Director, Best Art Direction-Color, Best Cinematography-Color, Best Film Editing, Best Music Score-Substantially original and Best Sound. It is regarded as one of the greatest films ever made. In 1991, it was deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the United States Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.
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