by Dilip Kumar

“At the peak of my career, I was once traveling by plane. The passenger next to me was elderly. Dressed in a simple shirt and pant, he appeared middle class but well educated. Other passengers kept glancing at me. But this gentleman appeared unconcerned. He read his newspaper, looked out of the window, and when tea came, he sipped it quietly. Trying to strike a conversation, I smiled. The man courteously smiled back and said hello. We got talking and I brought the subject to cinema and asked, “Do you watch films?” The man replied, “Oh, very few. I did see one many years ago.” I mentioned that I worked in films myself. The man said, “Oh, that’s nice. What do you do?” I replied, “I am an actor.” The man nodded, “Oh, wonderful.” That was it. When we landed, I held out my hand and said, “It was good to travel with you. By the way, my name is Dilip Kumar.” The man shook my hand and smiled, “Thank you. I am J. R. D. Tata.” I learned, no matter how big you are, there is always someone bigger. Be humble. It costs nothing.”
– Dilip Kumar