Is it true that Dilip Kumar never planned on becoming an actor?

Okay, now jumping straight to your question, yes, you are right, Dilip Kumar had different plans for his career, and acting was not the part of those plans. No matter how phenomenal an actor he was, and how great he used to look on the big screen, this was not what he had dreamt for himself. His example proves that more often than not, our destiny has its own plans for us.

Now the question is, what he wanted to become, if not an actor.

Dilip Kumar actually wanted to become a star footballer. Being an Indian, it was indeed a big dream.

He always saw himself being admired for his skills as a footballer, not as an actor. The Mughal e Aazam actor worked very hard during his student life to achieve this goal, but could not.

(courtesy: nasir-eclectic.blogspot.com)

Known as one of the best football players in his school, Dilip Kumar used was the secretary of the Football Association of his school. Till the age of 19, he was adamant on becoming a footballer.

God, however, had planned to change the then Yousuf Khan to Dilip Kumar.

It was a family friend helping him to find a job who introduced him to Mrs. Devika Rani, who offered Kumar a role in Jwar Bhata, his debut film, seeing the potential he had as an actor.

(courtesy: in.bookmyshow.com)

Dilip Kumar never saw behind after that. Some of his best-known movies are Naya Daur (1957) and Madhumati (1958) opposite Vaijantimala; Mughal e Azam (1960) opposite Madhubala; and Devdas (1967), again opposite Vaijantimala.