- Dilip Kumar as a self destructive lover in Devdas (SRK copied this role completely in remake)
A rich, self destructive guy who sinks into alcoholism after a failed love affair.
- Dilip Kumar as tragic lover in Mela
A man whose life gets destroyed by bad luck & false accusations. He's separated from his childhood love Manju after getting badly beaten up and robbed.
- Dilip Kumar as royal & historical hero in Mughal E Azam, playing Prince Salim.
- Dilip Kumar as a horse cart driver in Naya Daur
He leads the fight against mechanization when greedy mill owners replace local workers with buses. He famously takes on an impossible bet, racing his horse carriage against a motor bus.
- Dilip Kumar as village dacoit in Ganga Jamuna (Robin Hood kinda role)
Forced by poverty, systemic oppression, and injustice to become a bandit
- Dilip Kumar as the uncompromising police officer in Shakti
A fiercely honest cop who chooses law over his own son (played by Amitabh Bachchan)
These aren't just different type of roles, Dilip nailed all of them so smoothly that its hard to believe its the same guy playing this whole range & variety of characters…
I don't think comparing SRK here is even valid, this is way above his league. Let him compete with his rivals (Salman, Aamir, Hrithik, Ajay, Akshay) first better not to compare him to Dilip kumar at all…