Madhubala

For the Hindi television series, see Madhubala (TV series).

Madhubala
File:Madhubala chalaak.jpg Madhubala in May 1966
Born	Mumtaz Jehan Dehlavi (1933-02-14)14 February 1933 Delhi, British India (present-day India)
Died	23 February 1969(1969-02-23) (aged 36) Bombay, Maharashtra, India (present-day Mumbai)
Cause of death	Ventricular septal defect
Resting place	Juhu Muslim Cemetery, Santa Cruz, Mumbai
Nationality	British Indian (1933–1947) Indian (1947–1969)
Occupations	Actress film producer singer (early films)
Years active	1942–1964
Spouse	Kishore Kumar ​ (m. 1960)​
Relatives	See Ganguly family

Madhubala (born Mumtaz Jehan Begum Dehlavi; February 14, 1933 – February 23, 1969) was an Indian actress, producer and philanthropist, known for playing unconventional roles of independent characters. In the 1950s and early 1960s, she became one of the most popular and highest-paid film stars of Indian film industry, garnering world-wide attention to a certain extent. Long after her death, Madhubala is regarded as an Indian cultural icon, and is often referred in the media as one of the greatest and most influential figures of Indian cinema. Her beauty and comparison with Hollywood actress Marilyn Monroe have eventually earned her the titles "The Venus of Indian Cinema" and "Marilyn Monroe of Bollywood".

Born into abject poverty in Delhi, India, Madhubala used to work at the All India Radio in the early 1940s when she was spotted by Bombay Talkies' manager Rai Bahadur Chunnilal, on whose suggestion her family shifted to Bombay. Beginning as a child artist in several productions, Madhubala achieved wide recognition with her first starring role in the drama Neel Kamal (1947). In the following years, she rose to prominence with leading roles in several films including the drama Lal Dupatta (1948), the reincarnation thriller Mahal (1949) and the romantic comedy Tarana (1951).

Dismayed at being typecast in roles that focused on her physical attractiveness, Madhubala starred in, and subsequently earned critical acclaim for her performances in the romantic musical Amar (1954); the comedy Mr. & Mrs. '55 (1955); the crime dramas Howrah Bridge and Kala Pani (both 1958); and the social dramas Insan Jaag Utha and Kal Hamara Hai (both 1959). Her highest-grossing releases came with the comedies Mr. & Mrs. '55 (1955) and Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi (1958); the romantic musical Barsaat Ki Raat (1960); and the historical epic Mughal-e-Azam (1960). For her portrayal of Anarkali in the lattermost, which was the highest earning Indian film at that point of time, Madhubala received a Filmfare Award for Best Actress nomination. Her last screen appearance was in the posthumously released swashbuckler Jwala (1971), which was her only fully colour film.

Lauded in the contemporary media for her punctuality and charity work, Madhubala was also infamous for a string of rumoured affairs with her co-workers. Her career was largely controlled by her strict father, Ataullah Khan, who played a major part in creation and management of her public image. She was a part of many controversies throughout her successful career, including some well-publicised court cases and disputes with the press. Madhubala's personal life also gained wide attention. Her dalliance with actor Dilip Kumar (between 1951–56) and then marriage with actor-singer Kishore Kumar (in 1960) were troubled from the beginning and strained towards the end. Born with a ventricular septal defect, she struggled with health issues since the mid-1950s and ultimately died at 36 in 1969.

Early life and education

Madhubala was born Mumtaz Jehan Begum Dehlavi to Ataullah Khan and Meher Jahan Begum on 14 February 1933 in Delhi, British India. The fifth of eleven children, only four of her siblings survived to adulthood.

Her father, Ataullah Khan, belonged to the Yusufzai tribe of Pashtuns and was originally from Peshawar Valley, now located in Pakistan. After losing his job with the Imperial Tobacco Company, he relocated his family from Delhi to Bombay. The 1944 Bombay explosion wiped out their small home; the family had survived only because they had gone to see a film at a local theatre.

With his six remaining daughters to provide for, Khan and Madhubala began to pay frequent visits to film studios throughout Bombay in search of work. Madhubala's introduction to the movie industry, which would provide financial help to her family, occurred during this time. She was fluent in Urdu and Hindi as well as in her native language, Pashto, but had to take classes to learn how to speak English; she had also learned how to drive by the age of 12.

Career

Child actress (1942–46)

Madhubala as a child artist with Mumtaz Shanti and Ulhas in Basant (1942)

Madhubala's first film appearance was in Basant (1942). She acted as the daughter to Uma, the character played by actress Mumtaz Shanti and was credited as Baby Mumtaz in the film. Basant became the highest-grossing Indian film of that year.

A nine-year old Madhubala, then a child artist often tottered around various studios of Bombay in search of work and made several friends there. Around the same time, another child artist Baby Mahjabeen also visited these studios and was known to Madhubala. This Baby Mahjabeen later on, became one of the most sought after stars and her contemporary – Meena Kumari. Madhubala was a fan of Kumari and said: "She has the most unique voice. No other heroine has it".

After starring in the film Basant, Madhubala, as Baby Mumtaz starred in Mumtaz Mahal (1944) and in director Kidar Sharma's 1945 film Dhanna Bhagat. More films of Baby Mumtaz followed in 1946 such as Pujari, Phoolwari and Rajputani. Phoolwari was the third highest-grossing film of that year and starred Motilal and Khursheed Bano in lead roles. Rajputani was her last film as a child artist.

Switch to adult roles and early success (1947–52)

"Neither her looks, nor her raw talent impressed me so much as her intelligence and diligence. She worked like a machine, missed a meal, travelled daily in the over-crowded third-class compartments from Malad to Dadar and was never late or absent from work. Even at that age, the little lady knew her duty to her father who had so many mouths to feed with no visible means of support."

— Kidar Sharma on casting Madhubala as lead in Neel Kamal

By September 1946, Madhubala's contract with Ranjit was nearing termination, which prompted director Kidar Sharma to consider her for the heroine of his next venture, the drama Neel Kamal (1947). However, the studio's boss Chandulal Shah thought her too young for starring roles. He did not allow her to sign the picture and Sharma ultimately bought out her contract. In late 1946, Sharma commenced the filming of Neel Kamal with Madhubala, and selected his assistant Raj Kapoor to play her love interest. Recalling the production as one of the most memorable periods of her life, Madhubala later stated that she learnt tremendously from the job, and described Sharma as her "guru". Neel Kamal was released in March 1947 to positive reception, with reviewers praising Madhubala's performance.

The following months saw Madhubala appearing in five more films—all featuring her as a leading actress. During the filming of Neel Kamal, Khan had cultivated a friendship with director Mohan Sinha, on whose suggestion she took "Madhubala" as her professional name. Sinha cast her in three of his direction ventures: Mere Bhagwaan, Chittor Vijay and Dil Ki Rani, all of which were released in late 1947. These films went unnoticed, but Madhubala was determined to succeed. To make herself more employable, she amended her acting and dancing abilities, and began charging a relatively less amount per picture. Later on in 1950, Madhubala also received private classes at Sushila Rani Patel's home to learn English, which she picked up in only three months.

Madhubala's career prospects began improving by 1948. When she was working on Parai Aag in summer, she met and befriended screenwriter Kamal Amrohi, who was in midst of a search of an actress to portray a mysterious, "ethereal" woman in Bombay Talkies' production Mahal. Immediately impressed by her beauty, Amrohi suggested Madhubala to the producers Savak Vacha and Ashok Kumar, who considered her too young and inexperienced for the character, and preferred Suraiya over her. Nevertheless, it was Madhubala who secured the high-profile role after Suraiya's refusal and two screen tests, despite the unit's initial disapproval of her.

The December-released Lal Dupatta (1948), in which she played a spirited village girl who fights against injustice, confirmed her as a major actress in Bombay film industry. The critic Baburao Patel observed her increasing attractiveness with age, and stated that she "proves herself at once competent and versatile in both light and pathetic sequences." As her popularity escalated, Madhubala gained a reputation in the film industry for her punctuality, and so did her dour father for his strictness. According to her sister, the contemporary media articles documenting Madhubala's early life presented Khan in an overwhelmingly negative light for "forcing" his teenager daughter to work, which enraged him and cultivated hatred in his mind for journalists. During the same time, he had also began asserting in her film contracts that no journalists will be allowed during shooting. Due to her father's gruffness, Madhubala never objected to his actions and let him influence her career to its end.

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Madhubala in Mahal (1949)

The reincarnation thriller Mahal is often credited for transforming Madhubala into a superstar as well as establishing her image as a beauty and sex symbol. In it, she played a femme fatale who leads her lover, played by Ashok Kumar, to death. When Mahal was released in October 1949, it earned a fair amount of criticism for its perceived disparagement of rebirth and Hindu spiritual themes. Even so, it was an immensely popular release, finishing as the year's biggest financial success with a then-massive gross of ₹14.5 million (US$170,000). With the success of Mahal, Madhubala entered Box Office India's "Top Actress", which listed three most successful actresses of every year since 1940.

Apart from Mahal, Madhubala's other significant releases of 1949 included Anant Thanku's Paras, A. R. Kardar's Dulari and J. K. Nanda's Singaar. The melodramas Paras and Singaar featured Madhubala in supporting roles opposite Kamini Kaushal and Suraiya, respectively. Both the movies were critically and commercially successful, with critics believing that Madhubala overshadowed the lead actresses. The box-office hit Dulari, in which Madhubala had a leading role, affirmed her position as a marketable star.

File:Portrait Madhubala.jpg

Studio publicity photograph c. 1950

During the 1950s, Madhubala took starring roles in almost every genre of film being made at that time. Her 1950 film Hanste Aansoo was the first ever Hindi film to get an "A" – adults only – rating from the Central Board of Film Certification. Badal (1951) starred Madhubala and Premnath in lead roles. The film has the popular song "Do Din Ke Liye" sung by Lata Mangeshkar. It was a box-office hit. She was the archetypal fair lady in the swashbuckler Badal, and following this, an uninhibited village beauty in Tarana (1951). Tarana was the first film that started Dilip Kumar and Madhubala together. The duet "Seene Mein Sulagte Hain Armaan" became popular and was sung by Talat Mehmood and Lata Mangeshkar for Dilip Kumar and Madhubala respectively.

Hollywood interest

File:Madhubala1951.jpg

Madhubala in a publicity photograph, 1951

Although Madhubala didn't become the first Indian actress in Hollywood, it is said that she was the first Indian woman in Hollywood. In the early 1950s, as Madhubala became popular, she caught the interest of Hollywood when ace photographer James Burke visited India and photographed her for the Life magazine. In their feature of her, Life called her "the biggest star" in the international industry. She was photographed extensively for this feature by photographer James Burke. She appeared in the American magazine Theatre Arts where, in its August 1952 issue, she was featured in an article with a full page photograph under the title: "The Biggest Star in the World – and she's not in Beverly Hills". The article described Madhubala's immense popularity in India, and explored her wide appeal and large fan base. It also speculated on her potential for international success. Academy Award winner American director Frank Capra, while visiting Bombay for International Film Festival of India, was desperate to give her a break in Hollywood, but her father Ataullah Khan declined this offer. According to him, Madhubala was meant to stay in India and act in Hindi films only.

Madhubala starred in seven films in 1951. Amiya Chakravarty's swashbuckler Badal, where she played an archetypal fair lady opposite Prem Nath, was released first. Badal got poor notices from reviewers, and Madhubala's performance was almost critically panned. Even so, the movie grossed ₹9 million (US$110,000) at the box office to emerge as one of the highest-grossing films of the year. M. Sadiq's romantic thriller Saiyan (1951), a remake of Duel In The Sun (1946), was released it August. Co-starring Sajjan and Ajit, it saw Madhubala playing a teenager torn between two suitors, "what may well turn out to be her best and biggest role", according to Sadiq. Saiyan proved a major critical and commercial success, and Madhubala was praised by the international critic Roger Yue of The Singapore Free Press, who commented that she "plays the titular role to perfection." For Madhubala, the series of commercially well-received pictures continued with the adventure film Khazana (1951) and the romance Nazneen (1951). By October 1951, she was one of the highest-paid actresses in India, commanding ₹80 thousands to 1 lakh per picture.

In the same month, Madhubala achieved further success with Tarana (1951), a romantic comedy in which she enacted the titular role of an uninhibited village beauty, whose romance with a visiting doctor (Dilip Kumar) overcomes many hurdles and obstacles. During the filming, Madhubala had an affair with her co-star Dilip Kumar, which was widely reported by the press and used in the film's publicity campaign. The strategy worked, for Tarana emerged as an outstanding success on its release and got a positive feedback from critics; Baburao Patel observed: "It is difficult to separate the performances of Madhubala and Dilip. Both have almost lived their roles. [...] Incidentally, Madhubala gives the best performance of her screen career in this picture. She seems to have discovered her soul at last in Dilip Kumar's company."

In 1952, Madhubala portrayed Kamla, a character loosely based on Jane Eyre again opposite Dilip in Sangdil, an adaption of the novel Jane Eyre (1934) by Charlotte Brontë. The film was poorly-received by critics, but became a box office success, confirming the popularity of the Dilip Kumar—Madhubala pairing. In the same year Madhubala acted in the fantasy Saqi (1952) as a princess who falls for a common man, repeating the successful formula of Badal (1951). At the time of its release, Saqi was one of the most expensive Hindi films, yet emerged as a financial success, though not as lucrative as Badal.

Commercial fluctuations and Naya Daur court case (1953–57)

In 1953, both of Madhubala's releases—Armaan and Rail Ka Dibba—failed critically and commercially. In April of the year, the actress became a producer for a production company called Madhubala Private Ltd., and began preparing for her first production venture called Naata, where she would act alongside her younger sister, Chanchal. The reason behind making a picture for herself was her wish to display more of her acting range; she was discontent with the response she had received from critics in past. Reportedly, Madhubala had also tried securing the author-backed part of heroine in Bimal Roy's drama Biraj Bahu (1954), which instead went to Kamini Kaushal, as Roy doubted Madhubala's acting abilities; he was also facing some financial constraints and found himself unable to cast her for his film. Madhubala later lamented the fact the she would have acted in the film for a single rupee if Roy had asked to do so.

In early 1954, Madhubala began filming S. S. Vasan's costume drama Bahut Din Huwe (1954) in Madras, staying at the Connernara Hotel along with her father. Her heart disease was discovered during this time; after two day's work she unexpectedly took very ill and was medically advised to have only malted milk. The next morning she suddenly brought up blood while in bathroom. Doctors discovered that Madhubala suffered from ventricular septal defect (hole in the heart), due to which her body produced extra blood that spilled out from her nose and mouth, a condition that aggravated in the late 1950s. However, she was determined to complete the film and resumed filming after her doctor's approval. However, since Madhubala was medically advised not to overwork for some time, she left Meenar (1954) and Bina Rai replaced her.

Madhubala returned to Bombay following the completion of Bahut Din Huwe. The film was released in March 1954 and earned a lot of publicity because Madhubala was present at its premiere, as a token to the kindness Vasan (the film's director) had shown towards her when she was ill. However, the film received mixed reviews and was unpopular with audience. Mehboob Khan's physiological drama Amar, which starred Madhubala in a more dramatic role, was next released in September 1954 and proved a commercial failure. The film's initial critical reception was mediocre, and it has received more favorable reviews in the 21st century: Khalid Mohammed has termed it a classic and "ahead of its time", and Rachit Gupta of Filmfare has called Madhubala's portrayal to be one of her finest, writing that she "stole the show. [...] Going through the transition of a bubbly girl to a confused lover to a resolute woman, Madhubala was impressive to say the least." January 1955 saw the release of her own production's Naata, a romantic drama about the bond of two sisters and the elder one's attraction towards her village's new post-master. Receiving mixed-to-negative reviews, Naata became yet another failure for her and she had to mortgage a bungalow belonging to her to recover the losses.

Despite her lack of box office success, Madhubala remained in great demand and also retained her position as the highest-paid actress in India, now earning 2 lakhs per movie. In order to improve her skills as an artiste, she began attending signing and dancing classes regularly, and also learnt English, which she was unable to do in her childhood. According to a Filmfare reporter who interviewed Madhubala in 1954, she now "uses idiom and expression as a facility that speaks volumes of her talent and determination". This interview, one of the fewest she granted in her two decade long career, focused on her childhood struggles, stardom, busy shooting schedules and public image, with the title "Filmland's loveliest star".

File:Madhuhala and Guru Dutt in Mr. & Mrs. '55.jpg

With Guru Dutt in the romantic comedy Mr. & Mrs. '55 (1955), one of the biggest box-office successes of her career

In February 1955 was released Guru Dutt's romantic comedy Mr. & Mrs. '55, where she portrayed a naive heiress named Anita Verma, who is forced into a marriage with an unemployed cartoonist to save her millions. Madhubala was initially reluctant to do a comedy film when it was offered to her in late 1954, but agreed after Dutt enforced his faith in her. In the beginning of filming, she was very nervous and would often ask Dutt, "How can I do this? What is this?", but she began enjoying her role as the filming progressed.

With worldwide earnings of ₹17 million (US$200,000) at the box office, Mr. & Mrs. '55 became one of the biggest commercial successes of the year. According to Abrar Alvi, the film's writer, Madhubala's "timing was perfect. She knew exactly how to get a reaction from audience and how long to hold that reaction." Her performance met with critical praise also; Sameera Sood of The Print said, "Madhubala as Anita is in full high-pitched form, giggly and chirpy and sulky like a schoolgirl. This might have been grating on anyone else but she manages to make it cute, and is the perfect foil for Guru Dutt's laconic charm, his raised eyebrow and his tortured smile."

Madhubala ventured into prominent costume dramas in 1956, including Raj Hath and Shirin Farhad. Both the films were commercially successful, but begot mostly negative reviews for her. Cineplot said that she "displays an artificiality of gesture, speech and movement which is utterly unconvincing" in the role of a Rajput princess in Raj Hath, while Baburao Patel found her "unimpressive" in Shirin Farhad, adding that her voice is "too shrill".

In June 1956, Madhubala began filming B. R. Chopra's horse-cart race drama Naya Daur (1957) along with Dilip Kumar. A controversy broke out in August when Chopra replaced Madhubala with actress Vyjayanthimala, causing much displeasure to Madhubala's father Ataullah Khan. According to Chopra, Naya Daur was the kind of film that required the unit including Madhubala to travel to Bhopal for a 40-day location shoot, but her father insisted that the film be shot in the Bombay studios. When all the persuasion from Chopra's side failed, he replaced Madhubala and filed a legal case against her and her father for cheating him, for Madhubala had already accepted an advance of ₹30 thousands and now she was not interested in completing the film. Chopra had also previously asked Khan to return the advance payment, but he refused, citing that it was Madhubala's payment for the 15-days work she did in the movie between June and August.

According to Madhur Bhushan, "BR Chopra's film 'Naya Daur' was being shot in Gwalior. At the same time, the shooting of another film was going on, where people attacked the women working in the film. They even tore their clothes. Our father was very worried due to this incident. He asked Chopra Sahab to change the location of the film, which he refused."

In September, the conflict between Khan and Chopra was dragged in court and ensued a four month-long legal battle between them, which journalist Bunny Reuben describes as "the most sensational court case ever to be fought in the annals of Indian cinema." Whenever Madhubala would arrive in the courtroom, hundreds of people would flock inside to catch a glimpse of her, outrightly refusing to leave. The court case was ultimately lost by Madhubala and her father amid much negative publicity. Meanwhile, Naya Daur, now starring Vyjayanthimala as the female lead, was released and emerged a success. Chopra subsequently dropped the case and saved Madhubala from the humiliation of a possible prison sentence.

Madhubala's health began showing some symptoms of failing in the beginning of 1957; she again vomited blood while shooting for J. K. Nanda's crime-drama Chalaak, opposite Raj Kapoor. The film was subsequently shelved. Madhubala also faced some health problems while filming for Ek Saal (1957) and Kala Pani (1958). After temporary recovery, she quickly returned to acting. Disappointed by her career graph, she now decided to take up more challenging roles in films produced by respected banners. In early 1957, Madhubala began working on Om Prakash's Gateway of India, a crime film that revolved around an heiress who runs away from her house to escape her murderous uncle. Drawn to the film due to its women-oriented subject, she partially waived her fees to star in it and also began filming—without the approval of her father. Gateway of India was released in July 1957 to critical and moderate commercial success; Pritish Nandy of The Illustrated Weekly of India cited it to be one of the earliest crime films to prove popular with audience.

Urmila Lanba believes that Madhubala's success saw a resurgence following Devendra Goel's romance Ek Saal (December 1957), where she played a brain tumor patient unaware of her illness. The film was a major box office success, and Madhubala's performance opened to a positive reception. Filmi Geek commented: "Madhubala is utterly radiant [...] she does play a marvelous ingenue, and she's simply lovely." With her career prospects seeing improvements, Madhubala drowned herself into work—she was working simultaneously on seven films then—and became increasingly serious about her career. Dev Anand, with whom she collaborated for sixth time on Kala Pani (1958), noted: "[Now] she not only discusse[s] the story but every shot. She puts life into a scene and helps her co-star do the same. [...] She sometimes becomes a fountain of endless laughter... but this Madhuras never interferes with work on the sets. Indeed, it speeds it up."

Continued success and critical acclaim (1958–61)

1958 marked the beginning of the most successful period of Madhubala's career. Kala Pani, a crime drama based on A. J. Cronin's 1953 novel Beyond This Place, was released in May and shortly after became one of the biggest box office successes of the year. Though Madhubala's role as an intrepid press reporter in the film was small, but she was noted for the song sequence "Accha Ji Main Haari", where her character apologizes to Anand's and asks for forgiveness. Shakti Samanta's crime thriller Howrah Bridge followed in August and also emerged as a critical and commercial success. In it, Madhubala played an unconventional part of an enticing Anglo-Indian cabaret dancer named Edna, who is attracted to one of her audiences, played by Ashok Kumar. She had charged a single rupee for Howrah Bridge, citing her admiration for her character and the storyline. In 2016, Rediff.com noted that Madhubala played against type in the movie and linked her "showgirl oomph" to its enduring popularity. The critic Vijay Lokapally asserted: "As Edna, [Madhubala] blazed a trail: in the latter years every heroine had to meet the challenge of equating, if not improving upon her performance." Later in the year, she starred in Bibhuti Mitra's rustic romance Phagun (1958), portraying Banani, a village dancer in love with a wealthy zamindar man. Despite largely unfavorable reviews, Phagun too succeeded commercially.

An even bigger success for Madhubala arrived in December 1958 in Satyen Bose's popular comedy Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi, which grossed ₹25 million (US$300,000) at the box office to become one of the biggest money-making pictures of the decade. Her comedic portrayal of an educated and independent woman met with critical praise; writer Rinki Roy called it her her "top favourite", noting, "Her breezy performance stands out as that rare example of an independent, urban woman. She is no coy, pallu-twisting heroine, who make the majority–but a gutsy, fun loving woman who drives her car, and her man, with equal aplomb." With four major hits in a single year, Madhubala made a "grand" comeback in Box Office India's "Top Actress", finishing at the second position, and Time published in January 1959 that she has established herself as the most successful actress of contemporary Indian cinema.

In April 1959, Madhubala finished the filming of Insan Jaag Utha and Kal Hamara Hai; both social dramas that were popular with audience on their theatrical release. Samanta's Insan Jaag Utha, where she played a village laborer opposite Sunil Dutt, was released in mid-April and had a positive reception: Manjeet Singh of Thought said that she acted naturally shedding her glamorous personality, and Filmfare mentioned the role among her best in 2016. S. K. Prabhakar's Kal Hamara Hai is often counted among the most memorable performances by Madhubala as she played a dual role in it: one of a "misguided" club dancer and other of a homely woman. Although the film got lackluster reviews, Madhubala was praised; K. B. Goel of Thought wrote that she left a lasting impact in both the roles, providing "a sensuality rare in Indian films" as the dancer. Madhubala's greatest box office success of 1959 was her third and final release of that year—Do Ustad—a crime film with "a dash of comedy", where critics believed that she overshadowed her co-stars Sheikh Mukhtar and Raj Kapoor.

Madhubala began the new decade with her own production's Mehlon Ke Khwab (1960), a comedy starring her and her sister Chanchal opposite Pradeep Kumar and Kishore Kumar. In it she played an aspiring actress who teams up with her friend to find rich husbands. It was not well-received, but Madhubala called it one of her favourites from her own repertoire.

Mughal-e-Azam

"As an actress, one gets a lot of roles, there is no shortage of them, but there isn't always a good scope for acting. With Mughal-e-Azam Madhubala showed the world just what she could do."

— Nimmi, contemporary actress

August saw the release of Mughal-e-Azam (1960), a historical epic set in 16th century, in which she played Anarkali, a doomed courtesan who was entombed alive at the behest of Mughal emperor Akbar (played by Prithviraj Kapoor). According to Dilip Kumar, who played her love interest prince Salim, this film "immortalized the Madhubala visage." Mughal-e-Azam's production–known for lavish sets, constant delays for about ten years, costly costumes, extravagance and her highly-publicised affair with Dilip Kumar–became one of the most famous and talked-about ever. Filming with Dilip and Kapoor began in 1950, but Madhubala was not put on the board before December 1952, after Nargis, Suraiya, Nutan and Shehnaz (a stage actress) refused the film, and over 250 girls were rejected by director K. Asif. Madhubala was paid about ₹5 lakh for playing Anarkali, which made her the highest-paid actor in India by a wide margin.

The difficult production of Mughal-e-Azam is now considered "a gigantic affair". In her introduction scene from the movie, Madhubala was made stand as a statue, painted from head-to-toe in white, which made it hard for her to breathe. As filming progressed, she was trained by choreographer Lacchu Maharaj for nearly 3 years for her first dance sequence "Mohe Panghat Pe". To give an accurate portrayal of Anarkali, Madhubala learnt the mannerisms of courtesans and also performed a complicated traditional dance on the song "Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya". While her doctors repeatedly forbade her from dancing or doing physically draining tasks, Madhubala was determined to complete the film; there would be buckets of water flung on her body, running across huge sets, extinguishing candles with palm and authentic iron chains double of her weight placed on her body. Further trouble for Madhubala arrived with her ultimate break-up with Dilip in 1956; she was required to do several romantic scenes with him when they had even stopped greeting each other. Mughal-e-Azam was finished in late 1959, and Madhubala was completely bedridden at the time it was released, nursing the skin abrasions she endured while shooting the prison scenes. The film's final cost was ₹15 million (US$180,000), making it the most expensive Indian film made up to that point.

Mughal-e-Azam became the highest-grossing Indian film of all-time on its release, grossing an unprecedented ₹110 million (US$1.3 million) at the box office. According to Hindustan Times, "the way [Madhubala] looked, each and everything became a rage"; her dance on "Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya" drew in repeat audience, who would clap and scream when she would appear on the screen. Critically also, Madhubala's performance was acclaimed; The Indian Express wrote extensively about it, focusing on her acting and dancing "gifts" and calling her "a natural actress". A 2003 review by Dinesh Raheja of Rediff.com said that "the show belongs to Madhubala. Always beautiful, she has never looked this luminous. She appears hopelessly in love, but more important, effectively conveys the innate strength that stems from her conviction in her love." Her performance is often included in listings of Indian cinema's finest, so is Mughal-e-Azam, which has found place in the 2002 British Film Institute poll of Top 10 Indian Films, and Anupama Chopra's 2009 list The Best Bollywood Films. The film is also included in CNN-IBN's 2013 list of the "100 greatest Indian films of all time". Although Madhubala unexpectedly lost the Filmfare Award for Best Actress in 1961 to Bina Rai, but Filmfare later added Madhubala's work in Mughal-e-Azam at eleventh position in their list of "Top 80 Iconic Performances" in 2010. The film's enduring popularity is often linked to Madhubala's portrayal of Anarkali.

On 17 October 1960, a day after her marriage with Kishore Kumar, Madhubala announced that she has retired from films and would work only occasionally. Her health had by then started fluctuating, and she decided to visit London soon with her husband for treatment. In November, Samanta's suspense thriller Jaali Note (1960), which she had completed in past, was released. Karan Bali of Upperstall.com said that Madhubala's role was poorly written, but the film was success. The following month saw the release of P. L. Santoshi's romantic musical Barsaat Ki Raat (1960), which opened to critical acclaim; critic Venkat Parsa describes it as the "greatest-ever musical of all times of the Indian cinema". Madhubala was noted for her portrayal of Shabnam, who elopes with her poor boyfriend when her parents disapprove of their relationship, which Monica Kar termed "brilliant". Barsaat Ki Raat grossed a successful ₹35 million (US$420,000) at the box office to become the second highest-grossing film of 1960 (after Mughal-e-Azam); The Indian Express proclaimed that Madhubala "dominated the box-office charts" with the release of two blockbuster successes (Mughal-e-Azam and Barsaat Ki Raat) in a same year.

Three films starring Madhubala were released in 1961—Jhumroo, Boy Friend and Passport—all of which were filmed prior her marriage. Shankar Mukherjee's musical comedy Jhumroo, in which she portrayed a wealthy young woman who returns to her hometown and falls in love with a tribal man (played by her husband), was released in January 1961 and grossed ₹12 million (US$140,000) to become one of the highest-grossers of the year. In a retrospective review from 2014, Filmi Geek found Madhubala "genius at a gentle physical comedy that both gets out of Kishore's way to let him own the screen." The romantic comedy Boy Friend, a remake of Kismet (1943), starred her as a stage actress opposite Shammi Kapoor. Boy Friend was marred by Madhubala's absence due to illness during filming and subsequent lack of completion; body doubles were used to patch-in scenes that she was unable to shoot. The production of Passport, which marked her final collaboration with Pradeep Kumar, was also delayed by her frequent absences from the set. Even so, both Boy Friend and Passport became financial successes when released in August and October 1961, respectively. Madhubala appeared for the last time in Box Office India's "Top Actress" in 1961.

Later career (1962–64)

In 1960s, Madhubala was at the peak of her career and popularity with the release of Mughal-e-Azam and Barsaat Ki Raat. She did have intermittent releases in the early 1960s. Some of these, such as Jhumroo (1961), Half Ticket (1962) and Sharabi (1964), performed well at the box office.

Half Ticket is a musical comedy film again starring Madhubala with Kishore Kumar. The film is based on the Hollywood film You're Never Too Young. The film has hit songs such as "Chand Raat Tum Jo Saath" and "Aake Seedhi Lagi". Vijay (Kumar) is the good-for-nothing son of a rich industrialist, who becomes bored of his father's constant railing and the efforts to marry him off. Vijay leaves for Bombay to start life afresh. However, he doesn't have enough money for a ticket, so he decides to pass himself off as a child in order to get the eponymous half ticket. Now disguised as Munna, Vijay is used as a mule for a diamond smuggler (Pran) without his knowledge. On the train, Vijay also meets Rajnidevi (Madhubala) and falls in love with her. Suhana Geet, directed by Phani Majumdar featured Madhubala with her husband Kishore Kumar and brother-in-law Ashok Kumar. The film never saw the light of the day and remained incomplete. She was replaced by Kalpana Mohan in Shakti Samantha's Naughty Boy. She was offered several authored and powerful roles in films but had to withdraw from them owing to her poor heart condition.

Most of her other films released during this time were marred by her absence due to illness during filming and subsequent lack of completion. These films suffer from compromised editing, and in some cases the use of "doubles" in an attempt to patch-in scenes that Madhubala was unable to shoot. Her last released film Jwala, although filmed in the late 1950s, was not released until 1971. It was released two years after her death.

Madhubala's co-stars Ashok Kumar, Raj Kapoor, Rehman, Pradeep Kumar, Shammi Kapoor, Dilip Kumar, Sunil Dutt and Dev Anand were the most popular actors of that period. She also appeared with notable leading ladies such as Kamini Kaushal, Suraiya, Geeta Bali, Nalini Jaywant, Shyama and Nimmi. The directors she worked with, Mehboob Khan (Amar), Guru Dutt (Mr. & Mrs. '55), Kamal Amrohi (Mahal) and K. Asif (Mughal-e-Azam), were amongst the most prolific and respected. Madhubala also became a producer and produced films like Naata (1955) and Mehlon Ke Khwab (1960) and acted in both the films. She was a fan of actresses Meena Kumari and Geeta Bali, and admired singers including Noor Jehan, Mohammed Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar.

Besides acting, Madhubala produced three films: Naata (1955), Mehlon Ke Khwab (1960) and Pathan (1962). She also did playback singing in her early days, when she worked as a child artist. She sang two songs in Basant (1942): Humko Hai Pyaari Hamari Galiyaan and Mere Chote Se Man Mein. In 1946, she also recorded the song Bhagwan Mere Gyan Ke Deepak for Pujari (1946). In 1950, Madhubala had donated ₹50,000 for refugees of East Bengal.

Personal life

Relationships

In her biography, The Mystery and Mystique of Madhubala, freelance journalist and author, Mohan Deep wrote:

She was a woman possessed. Haunted by her own insecurities until the very end. She loved men. And lost them. Latif, Mohan Sinha, Kamal Amrohi, Premnath, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, Dilip Kumar, Kishore Kumar.

When Madhubala was a child, she had a friend called Latif. Before leaving for Mumbai, Madhubala gave him a red rose and an indication for their love. After she left, he became depressed. He kept the rose with himself and later became an Indian Administrative Service officer. When Madhubala died, he placed that red rose on her grave. He used to keep a red rose in her grave on 23 February every year until it was demolished. This episode has been independently verified by another retired IAS officer, Manohar Subrahmanyam, who knew the real Latif as a fellow bureaucrat and who confirmed the story as true.

Dilip Kumar

File:Madhubala and Dilip Kumar.jpg

Madhubala and Dilip Kumar photographed together, 1954

Dilip Kumar and Madhubala met each other on the sets of Tarana (1951) which starred them in lead roles. Her father stood between her and Kumar as he was worried because if Madhubala married Dilip Kumar, he would lose the financial cushion that Madhubala had offered to her entire family as she was the sole breadwinner. Ataullah Khan was against the relationship as Madhubala had just started her career and earning huge amount of money for her roles. It has been said that Dilip Kumar insisted that if they were to marry, Madhubala would have to sever all ties with her family. The authenticity of this statement is questionable. Ataullah Khan allowed his daughter to interact with Dilip Kumar only on the sets. Both Kumar and Madhubala had to keep extreme care to their rendezvous hidden from the watchful eyes of Ataullah Khan. Kumar had felt it like a huge imposition.

Commenting on her choice of films, Dilip Kumar regrets that "had she lived, and had she selected her films with more care, she would have been far superior to her contemporaries..." Kumar also points out that "actresses those days faced a lot of difficulties and constraints in their career. Unable to assert themselves too much, they fell back on their families who became their caretakers and defined everything for them."

Marriage to Kishore Kumar (1960)

File:Madhubala Kishore Kumar.jpg

Madhubala with Kishore Kumar at her home c. 1966

Madhubala met Kishore Kumar during the shooting of Dhake Ki Malmal (1956). In 1960, Madhubala married him when she was 27 years old. When Madhubala was ill in the late 1950s with the congenital heart disease, Kishore Kumar proposed to her and she decided to marry him after realising that Dilip Kumar was not going to marry her. Reportedly, Kishore Kumar converted himself into Islam and changed his legal name to "Karim Abdul" to marry her. However, in an interview given to Filmfare, he said that neither he nor Madhubala ever changed their religion to marry each other. They went to London soon after their marriage for their honeymoon where the doctor told her that she had only two years to live. According to Madhubala's sister, Madhur Bhushan, after returning India, Kishore Kumar bought a flat for Madhubala at Quarter Deck, Carter's Road, Bandra, where they stayed for a while and then, he left her there with a nurse and a driver. According to her, Kishore Kumar would visit Madhubala once every two months possibly to "detach himself from her so that the final separation wouldn't hurt." But he never abused her as was reported and bore her medical expenses. She added "Often Kishore bhaiya's phone was disconnected. He'd visit her once in two to three months. He'd say, 'If I come, you'll cry and it'll not be good for your heart. You'll go into depression. You should rest'. She was young and jealousy was natural. Perhaps, a feeling of being abandoned killed her". Their marriage lasted for nine years. After Madhubala died in 1969 at the age of 36, Kishore Kumar married actress Yogeeta Bali in 1976.

Controversies on Madhubala's life

In their 1962 book Self-Portrait, Harish Booch and Karing Doyle commented that "[u]nlike other stars, Madhubala prefers a veiled secrecy around her and is seldom seen in social gatherings or public functions", and went on to say that "[c]ontrary to general belief, Madhubala is rather simple and unassuming". This is echoed in her sister's interview with Filmfare: "[Madhubala] became a craze because she was never seen in public. She wasn't allowed to attend any function, any premiere. She had no friends. But she never resisted, she was obedient. Being protective, my father earned the reputation of being domineering". When asked why she is rarely seen in public, Madhubala was quoted to have said: "Once I have finished work at the studio, I don’t want to be Madhubala, the star. I’m just a normal, average girl, and only at home am I treated as such. That is why I remain so much within the four walls of my home."

Madhubala listed in Box Office India's "Top Actresses" for three consecutive years (1949–1951) and then again for five consecutive years (1958–1962), topping the list once in 1960. In most of her films, she was given top-billing over the film's lead actor, which "indicated that she was a more popular star than others", according to writer Manav Agrawal. Dilip Kumar similarly asserted that Madhubala "was extremely popular... and I think the only star for whom people thronged outside the gates. Very often when shooting was over, there'd be a vast crowd standing at the gates just to have a look at Madhu... It wasn't so for anyone else. That was her personal effect on fans. Her personality was vivacious." But, "[s]he was aware of her beauty," reminisces B. K. Karanjia, former Filmfare editor and a close friend of both Madhubala and her father, "and because there were so many in love with her, she used to play one against the other. But it was out of innocence rather than shrewd calculation." Dev Anand recalled in a similar way: "She liked to flirt innocently and was great fun." However, with Dilip Kumar she had a long association.

Dilip and Madhubala first met on the set of Jwar Bhata when she was 11 years of age, and worked together again on the film Har Singaar (1949), which was shelved. Their relationship began two years later during the filming of Tarana (1951). But she had to give the courtship with Dilip due to her father's opposition to him. They became a romantic pair appearing in a total of four films together. Actor Shammi Kapoor recalled that during the shooting of Naqab (1955), "Dilip Kumar would drive down from Bombay to meet Madhubala... he even flew to Bombay to spend Eid with her, taking time off from his shooting stint..." But, Madhubala's father Ataullah Khan initially did not give them permission to marry. Dilip said: "She was a very, very obedient daughter", and who, in spite of the success, fame and wealth, submitted to the domination of her father and more often than not paid for his mistakes. "This inability to leave her family was her greatest drawback", believed Shammi Kapoor, "for it had to be done at some time."

Dilip later revealed that her father eventually gave them permission to marry and was "glad to have two stars under the same roof." However, her father, who owned his own production company, wanted to make "a business venture out of their proposed marriage", which he did not approve of, after which the relationship began turning sour. The Naya Daur court case happened in 1956 when Dilip testified against Madhubala and her father in favour of director B. R. Chopra in open court. This struck a fatal blow to the Dilip-Madhubala relationship as it ended any chance of reconciliation between Dilip and Madhubala's father. Reflecting on this, while Dilip said he was "trapped", Kapoor felt "this was something which went beyond him (Dilip) and he couldn't control the whole situation..."

Madhubala married Kishore Kumar in 1960. According to Leena Chandavarkar (Kishore's fourth wife): "When she realized Dilip was not going to marry her, on the rebound and just to prove to him that she could get whomsoever she wanted, she went and married a man she did not even know properly." Karanjia assumed that "Madhubala may have felt that perhaps this was her best chance" because by this time she became seriously ill, and was about to stop working completely; however, he added that "it was a most unlikely union, and not a happy one either."

Madhubala's illness was known to Kishore, but like all the others, he did not realise its gravity; her father did not approve of his son-in-law at all, but he had lost the courage to disapprove. Ashok Kumar (Madhubala's brother-in-law) reminisced in a Filmfare interview: "She suffered a lot and her illness made her very bad-tempered. She often fought with Kishore, and would take off to her father's house where she spent most of her time."

Illness and death

Madhubala had a ventricular septal defect (a hole in her heart) which was detected while she was shooting for Bahut Din Huwe in Madras in 1954. This was in the era before open heart surgeries were possible. The natural history of an unrepaired ventricular septal defect leads to pulmonary hypertension and Eisenmenger's syndrome. At this stage the hole cannot be repaired. Hence, she could never undergo a heart surgery later in life, when open heart surgeries were possible in some Western countries like the United States. By 1960, her condition had become aggravated, and as her sister Madhur Bhushan explains that due to her ailment, her body would produce extra blood, so it would spill out from her nose and mouth. The doctor would come home and extract bottles of blood. As a result of the ventricular septal defect, blood would bypass her lungs leading to low oxygen levels and giving her a blue discoloration. As a compensatory mechanism, the body produced more red blood cells making the blood too thick. Hence, the doctors had to extract the excess blood to prevent complications. She was confined to bed for nine years and was reduced to just bones and skin. Unfortunately, there was no surgery or medicine available at that time to treat her.

File:Madhubala Chalaak.jpg

A visibly ill Madhubala on the set of the incomplete film Chalaak

In 1966, with a slight improvement in her health, she made a valiant attempt to complete her work in Chalaak opposite Raj Kapoor, which needed only a short spell of shooting, but she could not even survive that strain. When acting was no longer an option, Madhubala turned her attention to film direction. In 1969, she was set to make her directorial debut with the film Farz aur Ishq. However, the film was never made, as she died during pre-production. She contracted Jaundice on her 36th birthday, 14 February, and passed away shortly afterwards, on 23 February 1969. The cause of death was determined to be the prolonged lung and heart illness.

Her funeral was attended by many film personalities including her husband Kishore Kumar, brother-in-law Ashok Kumar, Prem Nath, Kamal Amrohi, Sunil Dutt, K.N. Singh, Prithviraj Kapoor, Raj Kapoor, Shashi Kapoor and Nasir Khan. Nargis helped prepare her body for the funeral.

Her father, Ataullah Khan, passed away in 1975, six years after his daughter. Her mother, Meher Jahan Begum, passed away in 1989. They are buried in the same grave in the Mahim Cemetery. All her sisters- Kaneez Balsara, Altaf Kotwal, Chanchal and Madhur Bhushan - are alive. Kannez lives in New Zealand, Altaf lives in the US and Chanchal and Madhur Bhushan are residing in Mumbai.

File:Madhubala Prithviraj Kapoor.jpg

Mughal-e-Azam co-star Prithviraj Kapoor visiting Madhubala's burial site in 1969

While it is not officially confirmed whether Dilip Kumar attended Madhubala's funeral, it has been suggested by her sister that he did attend. She was buried at Juhu Muslim Cemetery in Santacruz, Mumbai. Her tomb was built with marbles and inscriptions include aayats from Qur'an and verse dedications. In 2010, her tomb along with those of Mohammed Rafi, Parveen Babi, Talat Mahmood, Naushad Ali and Sahir Ludhianvi, was demolished to make way for newer graves. Her remains were placed at an unknown location.

Long after her death, Madhubala's love-life continues to be the subject of wide media and public speculation. Mohan Deep wrote an unofficial biography of Madhubala titled Mystery and Mystique of Madhubala, published in 1996, where he claimed that Kishore regularly whipped Madhubala, who would show her lashes to Naushad. The book was heavily criticized for its unjustified lies on its release by industry veterans such as Shammi Kapoor, Shakti Samanta and Paidi Jairaj.

Legacy

Madhubala is one of the most celebrated actresses of Bollywood. Her strong presence in the public memory has been evidenced by all recent polls about top actresses or beauties of the Indian cinema. Every year, numerous articles are printed and television programmes aired to commemorate her birthday. Madhubala is idolised by several new actresses and her posters are still in demand and sold alongside modern-day actresses. Modern magazines continue to publish stories on her personal life and career, often promoting her name heavily on the covers to attract sales. In Rediff.com's International Women's Day 2007 special, Madhubala was ranked second in its top ten list of "Bollywood's best actresses". In 2008, Madhubala won the poll conducted by Outlook titled "Favourite Female Star of All Times" by 15.97 percent votes.

File:Madhubala1957.png

Lauded for her beauty, Madhubala felt that her physical attractiveness often prevented her from being taken seriously as an actress.

Many believe, however, that Madhubala remains one of the most underrated actresses as "her beauty attracted more attention than her talent." In 1992, writer Asif Noorani asked Madhubala's frequent co-star Dev Anand about what did he think of his co-star, to which Anand replied in one word, "statuesque". When Noorani pointed out that Madhubala "was a fine performer as well", Anand retorted saying, "You are right. But I am not the only one to make that mistake." Regarding her acting abilities, Madhubala's biographer Khatija Akbar added that the actress' "brand of acting had an underplayed and spontaneous quality. Anyone looking for heavy histrionics and laboured "acting" missed the point." In 1995, M. L. Dhawan of The Tribune wrote that "Madhubala could communicate more with her delicately raised eyebrows than most performers could with a raised voice" and "[s]he knew the knack of conveying her character’s inner-most feelings." Actresses such as Tara Sutaria and Kiara Advani have described her as their acting inspiration.

Madhubala's legacy extends to fashion. Regarded as a style icon, she is known as a trendsetter and creator of iconic fashion styles, followed by many celebrities, even after her death. Considering her popularity and widespread influence decades after her death, film critic Rohit Sharma studied narratives about the actress and stated the following:

Today, teenagers identify with the insecurities she lived with in her youth, like acne and hair issues. Others relate to her for being the poster-girl of an era when curvy bodies were considered normal and even sensuous. Some, simply, love her for being an excellent actress—one who will never be matched by the here-today-gone-tomorrow Bollywood heroines.

Honors and tributes

Madhubala on 2008 stamp of India

In 2004, a digitally-colorized version of the original Mughal-e-Azam was released, 35 years after her death. This version was a box office success too. On 18 March 2008, a commemorative postage stamp featuring Madhubala was issued. The stamp was produced by India Post in a limited edition presentation pack. It was launched by veteran actors Nimmi and Manoj Kumar in a ceremony attended by colleagues, friends and surviving members of Madhubala's family. The only other Indian film actress that was honoured in this manner was Nargis Dutt, at that point of time. In 2012, Madhubala's 1962 release Half Ticket was also remastered, digitally coloured and re-released after 50 years of its original release.

On 10 August 2017, the New Delhi center of Madame Tussauds unveiled a statue of Madhubala inspired by her look in the film Mughal-e-Azam (1960) as a tribute to her. In 2018 the New York Times published a belated obituary for her. On 14 February 2019, search engine Google commemorated Madhubala with a Doodle on her 86th birth anniversary. Google commented: "While her breathtaking appearance earned comparisons to Venus, Madhubala was a gifted actor with an understated style well suited for comedies, dramas, and romantic roles alike [...] Appearing in over 70 films over the course of a tragically brief career, Madhubala—who would have turned 86 today—was called "The Biggest Star in the World" in 1952 by Theatre Arts Magazine."

Nomination

Despite the fact that Madhubala eventually became an iconic actress of Indian cinema, she had never received any awards, unlike her contemporary actresses. She received her only nomination for a Filmfare Award for Best Actress in 1961 for her performance in Mughal-e-Azam.

Filmography

Main article: Madhubala filmography

File:A still of Madhubala and Ashok Kumar from Howrah Bridge.jpg

With Ashok Kumar in Howrah Bridge (1958), one of the biggest critical and commercial successes of her career

• Basant (1942)
• Mumtaz Mahal (1944)
• Dhanna Bhagat (1945)
• Pujari (1946)
• Phoolwari (1946)
• Rajputani (1946)
• Neel Kamal (1947)
• Mere Bhagwaan (1947)
• Chittor Vijay (1947)
• Khoobsurat Duniya (1947)
• Dil Ki Rani (1947)
• Saat Samundaron Ki Mallika (1947)
• Desh Sewa (1948)
• Amar Prem (1948)
• Parai Aag (1948)
• Lal Dupatta (1948)
• Sipahiya (1949)
• Apradhi (1949)
• Daulat (1949)
• Neki Aur Badi (1949)
• Imtihaan (1949)
• Paras (1949)
• Mahal (1949)
• Dulari (1949)
• Singaar (1949)
• Nishana (1950)
• Nirala (1950)
• Hanste Aansoo (1950)
• Beqasoor (1950)
• Madhubala (1950)
• Pardes (1950)
• Tarana (1951)
• Saiyan (1951)
• Nazneen (1951)
• Nadaan (1951)
• Khazana (1951)
• Badal (1951)
• Aaram (1951)
• Saqi (1952)
• Sangdil (1952)
• Rail Ka Dibba (1953)
• Armaan (1953)
• Bahut Din Huwe (1954)
• Amar (1954)
• Teerandaz (1955)
• Naqab (1955)
• Naata (1955)
• Mr. & Mrs. '55 (1955)
• Raj Hath (1956)
• Shirin Farhad (1956)
• Dhake Ki Malmal (1956)
• Yahudi Ki Ladki (1957)
• Gateway of India (1957)
• Ek Saal (1957)
• Baghi Sipahi (1958)
• Police (1958)
• Phagun (1958)
• Kala Pani (1958)
• Howrah Bridge (1958)
• Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi (1958)
• Kal Hamara Hai (1959)
• Insan Jaag Utha (1959)
• Do Ustad (1959)
• Mehlon Ke Khwab (1960)
• Mughal-e-Azam (1960)
• Jaali Note (1960)
• Barsaat Ki Raat (1960)
• Jhumroo (1961)
• Boy Friend (1961)
• Passport (1961)
• Half Ticket (1962)
• Sharabi (1964)
• Jwala (1971)

In film

In July 2018, Madhubala's sister, Madhur Bhushan, announced that she was planning to make a biopic on her sister. She will not be directing the film but has urged other filmmakers not to plan any biopics on the same subject. Bhushan wants Kareena Kapoor Khan to play Madhubala's role onscreen. However, as of now, the project remains at the initial stages.

In November 2019, it was reported that filmmaker Imtiaz Ali is planning to make a biopic of Madhubala. However, he dropped the idea of making the biopic after her family denied of making one.

See also

• List of Indian film actresses
• List of Bollywood actresses

References

Sources

• Akbar, Khatija (1997). Madhubala: Her Life, Her Films. UBS Publishers Distributors. ISBN 9788174761538.
• Booch, Harish (1962). Star Portrait. Jai Gujerat Press. ISBN 978-0670001040.
• Deep, Mohan (1996). The Mystery and Mystique of Madhubala. Magna Publishing Co. Ltd. ISBN 1906574219.
• Khdair, Dina (2020). Crossover Stars in the Hindi Film Industry: Globalizing Pakistani Identity. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 9781000069600.
• Lanba, Urmila (2012). Bollywood's Top 20: Superstars of Indian Cinema. Penguin Books. ISBN 9780670085729.
• Patel, Baburao (1952). Stars of the Indian Screen. Parker & Sons.
• Reuben, Bunny (1993). Follywood Flashback : A Collection of Movie Memories. New Delhi: Indus. ISBN 9788172231064. OCLC 651858921.
• Roy, Piyush (2019). Bollywood FAQ: All That's Left to Know About the Greatest Film Story Never Told. Applause Theatre Book Publishers. ISBN 9781495082306.

Further reading

• Akbar, M. J. Sunday Magazine, 5 August 1996
• Bajaj, Rajiv K. (ed.). The Daily, 26 May 1996
• Bhattacharya, Rinki. Bimal Roy: A man of silence, South Asia Books
• Cort, David. Theatre Arts magazine, Issue Date: August 1952; Vol. XXXVI No. 8
• Joshi, Meera. Madhubala: Tears in Heaven Filmfare, 14 May 2008
• Kamath M.V. The Daily, June 1996
• Karanjia, B.K. Dates with Diva, Deccan Chronicle, 17 December 2006
• Khan, Aisha. "Madhubala, 1933–1969," New York Times, 8 March 2018.
• Raheja, Dinesh. The Hundred Luminaries of Hindi Cinema, India Book House Publishers
• Rajadhyaksha, Ashish; Willemen, Paul. The Encyclopedia of Indian Cinema, Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers
• Sawhney, Clifford. Debonair', June 1996
• Singh, Khushwant. Sunday Observer 23–29 June 1996

External links

• Madhubala at IMDb