Dilip Kumar, Bollywood's 'tragedy king', dies aged 98

Dilip Kumar, one of Bollywood's most accomplished and respected film stars, died on Wednesday aged 98, prompting tributes from across Indian cinema and politics.

With Dev Anand and Raj Kapoor, Kumar was one of the three big names who dominated the golden age of Indian cinema from the 1940s to the 1960s, enjoying a career spanning more than 50 years and nearly 60 films, AFP reports.

Nicknamed "The Tragedy King" because of his brooding good looks, tousled hair and deep voice, he played the lead in some of the Indian film industry's most commercially successful films of the period.

But he missed out on international fame after famously turning down the chance to play Sherif Ali in David Lean's 1962 classic "Lawrence of Arabia". The part went to then little known Egyptian actor Omar Sharif.