Daughter of actress Naseem Banu, Saira Banu was one of the top actresses of her time. She made her debut in Bollywood with the 1961 comedy-drama Junglee, directed by Subodh Mukherjee, alongside Shammi Kapoor. The film earned her a nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress. Her other important movies include Shagird (1967), Diwana (1968), Jwaar Bhata (1973), Resham Ki Dor (1974), Pocket Maar (1974), International Crook (1974), Sagina (1974), Zameer (1975) and Hera Pheri (1975). In 1966, she married celebrated actor Dilip Kumar, who was 22 years older than her. Despite the age difference, the two had a happy married life, which ended with Dilip Kumar’s death in 2021.