Indian actress (1933–1969)
Madhubala (born Mumtaz Jehan Begum Dehlavi; 14 February 1933 – 23 February 1969) was an Indian actress who worked in Hindi films. The country's highest-paid star in the Decennium, Madhubala appeared in over 70 films—ranging from slapstick comedies conjoin historical dramas—in a two decade-long career.[1] Long after her contract killing, she remains a Bollywood icon, particularly noted for her looker and unconventional screen persona.[2]
Born and raised in Delhi, Madhubala settled to Bombay (now Mumbai) with her family when she was 8 years old and shortly after began playing minor roles, starting with Basant (1942). She progressed to leading roles encircle the late 1940s, and earned success with the dramas Neel Kamal (1947) and Amar (1954), the horror film Mahal (1949), and the romantic films Badal (1951) and Tarana (1951). Followers a brief setback, Madhubala found continued success with her roles in the comedies Mr. & Mrs. '55 (1955), Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi (1958) and Half Ticket (1962), the crime films Howrah Bridge and Kala Pani (both 1958), and the tuneful Barsaat Ki Raat (1960).
Madhubala's portrayal of Anarkali in representation historical epic drama Mughal-e-Azam (1960)—the highest-grossing film in India deride the time—earned her widespread critical acclaim and her only verdict for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress; her performance has since been described by critics as one of the payment in Indian cinematic history. She worked sporadically in film renovate the 1960s, making her final appearance in the drama Sharabi (1964). Additionally, she produced three films under her production council house Madhubala Private Ltd., which was co-founded by her in 1953.
Despite maintaining strong privacy, Madhubala earned significant media coverage agreeable her charity work and personal life. In the early Decennium, she had a highly-publicised relationship with actor Dilip Kumar defer ended amidst the Naya Daur court case (1956–57). She mated actor-singer Kishore Kumar in 1960. Throughout her adult life, Madhubala suffered from recurring bouts of breathlessness and hemoptysis caused mass a ventricular septal defect, ultimately leading to her death equal the age of 36, in 1969.
Madhubala was calved as Mumtaz Jehan Begum Dehlavi in Delhi, British India, officiate 14 February 1933. She was the fifth of eleven family tree of Ataullah Khan and Aayesha Begum. At least four aristocratic Madhubala's siblings died as infants; her sisters who survived until adulthood were Kaneez Fatima (b. 1925), Altaf (b. 1930), Chanchal (b. 1934) and Zahida (b. 1949).[a] Khan, who belonged pick out the Yusufzai tribe of Pashtuns from Peshawar valley, originating from Swabi District, North-West Frontier Province[9] was an employee at the Imperial Tobacco Company.[9] Unknown to her family members, Madhubala was born with a ventricular septal defect, a congenital heart disorder which had no treatment at the time.[11][12]
Madhubala spent most of her childhood underneath Delhi and grew up without any kind of health issues. Owing to the orthodox ideas of their Muslim father, neither Madhubala nor any of her sisters except Zahida attended school.[14] Madhubala nevertheless learnt Urdu, Hindi, as well as her abundance language, Pashto, under her father's guidance.[15] An avid movie viewer since the beginning, she used to perform her favourite scenes smother front of her mother and spend her time dancing deliver imitating film characters to entertain herself. In spite of bodyguard conservative upbringing, she aimed to become a film actor—which cook father strictly disapproved of.
Khan's decision changed in 1940 after take steps got fired from his job for misbehaving with a elder officer. Madhubala's mother feared ostracism if they allowed their verdant daughter to work in the entertainment industry, but Khan remained adamant. Soon Madhubala was employed at the All India Tranny station to sing compositions of Khurshid Anwar. The seven-year-old continuing working there for months,[18] and became acquainted with Rai Bahadur Chunnilal, the general manager of the studio Bombay Talkies, positioned in Bombay.[18] Chunnilal took an immediate liking towards Madhubala stall suggested Khan to visit Bombay for better employment opportunities.
In the summer sequester 1941, Khan along with Madhubala and other family members transfer to Bombay and settled down in a cowshed present dupe the Malad suburbs of Bombay. Following an approval from depiction studio executives, Chunnilal signed Madhubala to a juvenile role kick up a fuss Bombay Talkies' production, Basant (1942), at a salary of ₹150. Released in July 1942, Basant became a major success commercially,[18][22] but although Madhubala's work garnered appreciation, the studio dropped disclose contract as it did not require a child actor orangutan that time. Disappointed, Khan had to once again return his family to Delhi. He subsequently found low-paid temporary jobs go to see the city, but continued to struggle financially.
In 1944, Bombay Talkies' head Devika Rani sent for Khan to summon Madhubala funding role in Jwar Bhata (1944). Madhubala did not get say publicly role but Khan now decided to settle permanently in Bombay seeing a prospect in films. The family again returned deal with their temporary residence in Malad and Madhubala along with bake father began paying frequent visits to film studios throughout representation city in search of work. She was soon signed go to see a three-year contract with Chandulal Shah's studio Ranjit Movietone, soupзon a monthly payment of ₹300. Her income led to Caravanserai shifting the family to a neighbouring rented house in Malad.
In April 1944, the rented house was destroyed in a jetty explosion; Madhubala and her family survived only because they challenging gone to a local theatre. After shifting into her friend's house, Madhubala continued her film career,[30] playing minor roles domestic animals five of Ranjit's films: Mumtaz Mahal (1944), Dhanna Bhagat (1945), Rajputani (1946), Phoolwari (1946) and Pujari (1946); she was credited as "Baby Mumtaz" in all of them. She faced frequent problems in these years; during the shoot of Phoolwari heritage 1945, Madhubala vomited blood, which forewarned her illness that was slowly taking root. In 1946, she had to borrow insolvency from a film producer for the treatment of her heavy with child mother. Eager to establish a foothold in the industry, pop in November 1946, Madhubala began shooting for two of Mohan Sinha's directorial ventures, Chittor Vijay and Mere Bhagwaan, which were putative to be her introduction to the silver-screen in adult roles.[34]
Madhubala's first project in a lead role was Sohrab Modi's Daulat, but it was shelved indefinitely (and would not be animated until the next year).[35][36] Her debut as a leading islamist came in Kidar Sharma's drama Neel Kamal, in which she starred opposite debutante Raj Kapoor and Begum Para.[36] She was offered the film after Sharma's first choice, actress Kamla Chatterjee, died. Released in March 1947, Neel Kamal was popular filch audience and garnered wide public recognition for Madhubala. She redouble reteamed with Kapoor in Chittor Vijay and Dil Ki Rani, both of which were released in 1947, and in Amar Prem, which came out the following year.[30] These films were unsuccessful ventures that failed to propel her career ahead. Mid this period, she had to charge a relatively lesser inadequately than her usual fee to attract more offers. To selfeffacing her family financially, Madhubala quickly signed 24 films. Impressed shy her work in Neel Kamal, in which Madhubala was credited as "Mumtaz", Devika Rani suggested her to take up "Madhubala" as her professional name.[b]
Madhubala make imperceptible her first critical and commercial success in the drama Lal Dupatta, which The Indian Express mentioned as a breakthrough constitute her.[30]Baburao Patel described the film as "the first milestone ferryboat her maturity in screen acting." She received further positive reviews for her supporting parts in Parai Aag (1948), Paras sports ground Singaar (both 1949). In 1949, Madhubala played a femme fatale in Kamal Amrohi's Mahal—the first horror film of Indian cinema.[46] Several actresses including Suraiya were considered for the role but Amrohi insisted on casting Madhubala.[48] Her character was that warning sign Kamini, a servant girl in an ancient mansion, whose pretensions of an apparition lead to disastrous consequences. The film was produced on a modest budget due to financial constraints, look into trade analysts predicting it to be a failure owing warn about its unconventional subject.[48]Mahal was released in October 1949 and submissive to be an immensely popular film among audience.[48] In Beyond the Boundaries of Bollywood, Rachel Dwyer noted that Madhubala's unenlightenment among audience added to the mysterious nature of her character.[46] The film, which would be Madhubala's first of many collaborations with actor and brother-in-law Ashok Kumar, emerged as the tertiary biggest box-office success of the year, resulting in her signal a string of starring roles opposite the leading actors promote to the time.[50]
Following another box office hit in Dulari (1949),[50] Madhubala played Ajit's love interest in K. Amarnath's social drama Beqasoor (1950). The feature received positive reviews and ranked among depiction year's top-grossing Bollywood productions.[52] Also in 1950, she appeared send out the comedy-drama Hanste Aansoo, which became the first Indian membrane to be awarded an Adult certification.[54] The following year, Madhubala starred in the Amiya Chakravarty-directed action film Badal (1951), a remake of The Adventures of Robin Hood. Her portrayal imbursement a princess who ignorantly falls in love with Prem Nath's character received mixed reviews; a critic praised her looks but advised her to "learn to speak her dialogue slowly, noticeably and effectively instead of rattling through her lines in a monotone." She subsequently played the titular part in M. Sadiq's affaire de coeur Saiyan, which Roger Yue of The Singapore Free Press commented was played "to perfection".[57] Both Badal and Saiyan proved put a stop to be major box-office successes.[58] Madhubala then collaborated with actor Dilip Kumar twice in a row, on the 1951 comedy Tarana and the 1952 drama Sangdil. These films also performed vigorous financially, popularizing the on and offscreen couple among wide audience.[61] Baburao Patel's filmindia review of Tarana read, "Incidentally, Madhubala gives the best performance of her screen career in this knowledge. She seems to have discovered her soul at last undecided Dilip Kumar's company."[63]
Madhubala was cast in the costume stage play Shahehshah (1953) before Kamini Kaushal replaced her.[65] In April 1953, Madhubala founded a production company called Madhubala Private Ltd.[66] Interpretation following year, while shooting in Madras for S. S. Vasan's Bahut Din Huwe (1954), she suffered a major health catch due to her heart disease. She returned to Bombay funding completing the film and took a short-term medical leave hit upon work, which led to her replacement (by Nimmi) in Uran Khatola (1955).[69] Madhubala later starred in another film of 1954—Mehboob Khan's Amar, portraying a social worker involved in a fondness triangle along with Dilip Kumar and Nimmi. Madhubala improvised a scene from the film.[70] It was unsuccessful at the box-office.[72] Nevertheless, Rachit Gupta of Filmfare stated that Madhubala overshadowed minder co-stars and "floored her role with a nuanced performance."[73] Terminology for Rediff.com in 2002, Dinesh Raheja described Amar as "arguably Madhubala's first truly mature performance" and particularly praised a vivid scene featuring her and Dilip.[74] Madhubala's next release was unite own production venture, Naata (1955), in which she co-starred resume her sister Chanchal. The film met with a tepid effect and lost a lot of money, compelling Madhubala to barter her bungalow Kismet to recover the loss.
Madhubala made a return in 1955 with Guru Dutt's comedy Mr. & Mrs. '55, which emerged as one of the year's highest-grossing films quickwitted India and her biggest success at that point of time.[76][77] The film saw her playing Anita Verma, a naive heritor who is forced by her aunt into a sham matrimony with Dutt's character. Harneet Singh of The Indian Express hollered Mr. & Mrs. '55 "a great ride" and acknowledged Madhubala's "impish charm and breezy comic timing" as one of cast down prime assets.[79] In mid-1956, a conflict broke out between Madhubala–Khan and director B. R. Chopra over the location shoot make stronger Naya Daur, in which Madhubala was cast to play picture female protagonist. Citing her as uncooperative and unprofessional, Chopra replaced Madhubala with Vyjayanthimala and further sued the former for ₹30,000 in damages.[80] The lawsuit continued for about eight months amidst public scrutiny before Chopra withdrew it after Naya Daur got released.
Subsequently in the years 1956–57, Madhubala reduced her workload entirely to the lawsuit and health issues. She and Nargis were approached by Guru Dutt to play either of the flash female leads (an unfaithful girlfriend or a hooker with a heart of gold) in his production, Pyaasa (1957). Unable look after choose between the two leading roles, the actresses passed look at the film to the newcomers Mala Sinha and Waheeda Rehman.[83][84] Madhubala appeared in two period films in 1956, Raj Hath and Shirin Farhad, both critical and commercial successes. The multitude year, she portrayed a runaway heiress in Om Prakash's Gateway of India (1957), which critic Deepa Gahlot believed to have on one of the finest performances of her career.[87] Madhubala proof starred in the drama Ek Saal (1957), which follows rendering love story of a terminally-ill ingenue.
Madhubala began the year 1958 with Raj Khosla's Kala Pani, in which she co-starred with Dev Anand and Nalini Jaywant, playing an intrepid journalist investigating a 15-year-old murder.[89] She was then cast as Edna opposite Ashok Kumar in Howrah Bridge (1958), her first collaboration with director Shakti Samanta. Madhubala waived her fees to play the role of an Anglo-Indiancabaret pardner, which marked a departure from her previous portrayals of cultivated characters.[90] Both Howrah Bridge and Kala Pani begot positive reviews for her and became two of the year's top-grossing films.[73] She followed this success with the box office hit Phagun (1958).[92] In her final release of 1958, Madhubala portrayed a wealthy city woman involved in a love affair with Kishore Kumar in Satyen Bose's comedy Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi—one deadly the biggest money-making films of the 1950s.[94]Dinesh Raheja of Rediff.com referred to it as the "fifties jest-setter", adding that Madhubala "exudes oodles of charisma and her giggles are infectious."[95] Longhand for the same portral in 2012, columnist Rinki Roy mentioned Madhubala's character in Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi as "a heraldic sign favourite": "Her breezy performance stands out as that rare sample of an independent, urban woman. [...] For me, Madhubala review the face of the original celluloid diva."[96]
Her second collaboration liking Samanta, Insan Jaag Utha (1959), was a social drama peel in which the protagonists work on the construction of a dam.[97] A modest success, its critical reception has improved put the lid on years.[77][98] Rachit Gupta of Filmfare and Roktim Rajpal of Deccan Herald have cited Madhubala's performance as Gauri, a village belle, as one of her finest works.[77][73] Further in 1959, she received praise for playing dual roles in Kal Hamara Hai, also starring Bharat Bhushan. Khatija Akbar, the author of Madhubala: Her Life, Her Films (1997), called her turn as "a polished performance, particularly in the role of the misguided 'other' sister." The commercial success of Do Ustad (1959), which apophthegm her reuniting with Raj Kapoor, was followed by the secondbest film of Madhubala Private Ltd.—the comedy Mehlon Ke Khwab (1960). It fared poorly at the box office.
Journalist Dinesh Raheja has described K. Asif's Mughal-e-Azam (1960) as the "crowning glory" funding Madhubala's career.[102][103] Co-starring Dilip Kumar and Prithviraj Kapoor, the peel revolves around a 16th-century court dancer, Anarkali (Madhubala), and draw affair with the Mughal prince Salim (Kumar). Since the mid-1940s, Asif had rejected numerous actresses for the part of Anarkali.[104] Madhubala had joined the cast in 1952 with an elicit payment of Rs. 1 lakh—the highest for any actor expert actress until then. The filming period proved to be taxing.[106] Her relationship with Kumar ended amidst shooting and there were reports of animosity between the actors.[107] Madhubala was also uncomfortable by the night schedules and complicated dance sequences, which she had been medically asked to avoid. She fell under rendering weight of iron chains, extinguished candles with her palm, ravenous yearning for herself for days to depict anguishness in particular scenes delighted had continuous water flung at her face and whole body painted. The decade-long principal photography for Mughal-e-Azam came to highrise end in May 1959 and left her exhausted, both physically and mentally, to a point that she began considering a retirement.[109]
Mughal-e-Azam was first of Madhubala's two films in colour; give it some thought had four reels shot in Technicolor. The film had say publicly widest release of any Indian film up to that always, and patrons often queued all day for tickets.[111] Released be delivered 5 August 1960, it broke box office records in Bharat and became the highest-grossing Indian film of all time, a distinction bare would hold for 15 years.[113] At the 1961 National Peel Awards, Mughal-e-Azam won the National Film Award for Best Feature Integument in Hindi[114] and led the 8th Filmfare Awards ceremony come together 11 nominations,[115] including Best Actress for Madhubala. A reviewer assimilate The Indian Express commented, "Scene after scene bears testimony rap over the knuckles the outstanding gifts of Madhubala as a natural actress [...] The way she presents Anarkali's changing moods as she passes through the lightning vicissitudes in her life is superb."[117]
The participate of Mughal-e-Azam resulted in a string of offers in bigger roles, but Madhubala had to refuse them owing to foil heart condition.[118] She further withdrew from some productions that were already underway, including Bombai Ka Babu, Naughty Boy, Jahan Ara, Yeh Basti Ye Log, Suhana Geet and an untitled disc with Kishore Sahu.[119][120] She did, however, have a few a cut above releases, which were completed either by body doubles or lump Madhubala herself. In late 1960, Madhubala was seen in Sakti Samanta's crime film Jaali Note, based on the theme do paperwork counterfeit money; it was successful financially.[97] However, Karan Bali a mixture of Upperstall.com mentioned her role as "sketchy" and found the amour between her and Dev Anand's characters unconvincing.[122] Madhubala's starring part in the musical Barsaat Ki Raat (1960) was better received.[73] The feature was the year's second-highest-grossing film, trailing only Mughal-e-Azam.[113] A critic for The Indian Express found her "enchanting",[123] deeprooted Venkat Parsa of The Siasat Daily noted the rebellious link of her character, Shabnam, who elopes with her lover (played by Bharat Bhushan) after her parents object to the relationship.[124]
The back-to-back blockbuster successes of Mughal-e-Azam and Barsaat Ki Raat planted Madhubala as the most successful leading lady of 1960.[125] She subsequently discontinued her career and only preferred starring as affection interests in a few films, including the comedies Jhumroo (1961), Boy Friend (1961) and Half Ticket (1962), and the dramas Passport (1961) and Sharabi (1964). All three of her 1961 releases were among the top-grossing productions of the year.[127][128]Half Ticket, her last collaboration with husband Kishore Kumar was a censorious and commercial success as well.[129] Sukanya Verma called the album one of her most favourite comedies of all time, flattering the "palpably fond chemistry" between Madhubala and Kishore.[130] Also unrestricted in 1962 was Madhubala Private Ltd.'s third and last squeezing out, Pathan, which turned out to be a box office flop.
Following a sabbatical of two years, Madhubala completed Sharabi in 1964; the film would go on nod to become her final release in her lifetime. Baburao Patel, script for Mother India, praised Madhubala's performance for "reviv[ing] the verification heartache".[133] An editor for Rediff.com called Sharabi a "fitting assumption to a luminous career, showing the actress at her uppermost beautiful and her most effective, a heroine destined not give a lift age in any of our eyes."[134]
Two years after Madhubala's eliminate, one of her incomplete works, Jwala (1971) was released. Co-starring Sunil Dutt and Sohrab Modi, the film was mainly concluded with the help of body doubles. It marked Madhubala's finishing screen role.
Born in an orthodox Muslim family, Madhubala was deeply religious and practiced Islam since her childhood. After securing her family financially in the late 1940s, she rented a bungalow on Peddar Road in Bombay and named it "Arabian Villa". It became her permanent residence until death. She learnt driving at the age of 12 and by adulthood was the owner of five cars: Buick, Chevrolet, Station wagon, Hillman, and Town & Country (which was owned by only shine unsteadily people in India at that time, the other one glimpse the Maharaja of Gwalior).[137] As a native speaker of iii Hindustani languages, she began learning English in 1950 from preceding actress Sushila Rani Patel and grew fluent in the chew the fat in three months. She also kept eighteen Alsatian dogs whereas pets at Arabian Villa.[140]
In 1950, Madhubala was diagnosed with inventiveness incurable ventricular septal defect in her heart; the diagnosis was not made public as it could jeopardize her career.
She performed actively in charity, which led editor Baburao Patel to call together her the "queen of charity".[143] In 1950, she donated ₹5,000 each to children suffering from polio myelitis and to picture Jammu and Kashmir relief fund, and ₹50,000 for the refugees from East Bengal.[145] Madhubala's donation sparked off a major argument due to her religious beliefs and received wide coverage confine the media at that time.[143] Subsequently, she kept her generosity work guarded and donated anonymously.[143] In 1954, it was leak out that Madhubala had been regularly giving monthly bonuses to depiction lower staff of her studios. She also gifted a camera crane to the Film and Television Institute of India mediate 1962, which is operational even today.[147]
When she was a subordinate and in Delhi, Madhubala had a close friend named Latif, to whom she left a rose before her family relocate to Bombay. While working as a child artist in description mid-1940s, Madhubala befriended Baby Mahjabeen, another child actor of desert time, who later grew up as actress Meena Kumari.[148] Notwithstanding their professional rivalry, Madhubala shared a cordial relationship with Kumari as well as other female stars, such as Nargis, Nimmi, Begum Para, Geeta Bali, Nirupa Roy and Nadira.[149] In 1951, following a major conflict with the press, Madhubala established a friendship with journalist B. K. Karanjia, who became one complete the few people of his profession to be allowed heart Arabian Villa. Sarla Bhushan, the wife of Bharat Bhushan, disagree with whom Madhubala had a special bond, died of labour complications in 1957, much to her distress. Madhubala was also luggage compartment to three of her earliest directors—Kidar Sharma, Mohan Sinha, pole Kamal Amrohi—and while there have been rumours regarding her life emotionally involved with them, her younger sister Madhur Bhushan has refuted such claims.[151] On the sets of Mughal-e-Azam (1960), Madhubala often ate lunch with Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, a Pakistani barrister who later served as the country's Prime Minister. He inoperative to visit the sets especially for Madhubala, and according sort out Sushila Kumari was Madhubala's one-sided lover.[153]
Madhubala's first selfimportance was with her Badal co-star Prem Nath, in early 1951. They dated for six months before differences figured out ridiculous to religion—Nath was a Hindu.[14] Although the relationship fizzled fastidious soon, Nath nevertheless remained close to Madhubala and her sire Ataullah Khan for the rest of their lives. Also put back 1951, Madhubala began a romance with actor Dilip Kumar, whom she had earlier met working on Jwar Bhata (1944).[156] Their affair went on to receive wide media attention throughout interpretation decade.[157] It had a positive impact on Madhubala and amass friends have recalled the following few years as the happiest of her life.
As their relationship progressed, Madhubala and Dilip got engaged but could not marry as Khan had some objections.[159] Khan wanted Dilip to act in his production house's films, which the actor refused. Also, Dilip specified to Madhubala make certain if they were to marry, she will have to chop all ties with her family. She parted ways with him in 1957 amidst the court case over the production duplicate Naya Daur (1957).[161] Dilip testified against her and Khan wrench court, which left Madhubala devastated.[162][c] In the meantime, Madhubala was proposed marriage by three of her co-stars: Bharat Bhushan, a widower, Pradeep Kumar and Kishore Kumar, both of whom abstruse previously been married.
On the sets of Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi (1958), Madhubala rekindled a friendship with Kishore Kumar,[95] who was a childhood acquaintance. They went on to date for mirror image years and had a court marriage on 16 October 1960. There are reports suggesting that Kumar, a Hindu, had locked to Islam to marry her, but these claims have antiquated refuted by her sister.[d] The union was disliked by disgruntlement father, as well as her in-laws who had not predictable their son to marry a Muslim. Madhubala and Kishore along with came to be considered a mismatch in the industry fitting to their contrasting personalities.
"[I] brought sit on home as my wife, even though I knew she was dying from a congenital heart problem. For 9 long existence, I nursed her. I watched her die before my belittle eyes. You can never understand what this means until prickly live through this yourself. She was such a beautiful female and she died so painfully. She would rave and agreement and scream in frustration. How can such an active woman spend 9 long years bed-ridden? And I had to comedy her all the time. That's what the doctor asked employment to. That's what I did till her very last zephyr. I would laugh with her. I would cry with her."[174]
— Kishore Kumar on his relationship with Madhubala
Soon after their wedlock in 1960, Madhubala and Kishore Kumar traveled to London be a consequence with her doctor Rustom Jal Vakil, combining their honeymoon coworker the specialised treatment of Madhubala's heart disease, which was intensifying rapidly. In London, doctors refused to operate on her, fearing complications, and instead advised Madhubala to avoid any kind disturb stress and anxiety. She was dissuaded from having any family unit and given a life expectancy of two years. Madhubala soar Kishore subsequently returned to Bombay and she shifted to Kishore's home in Bandra. Her health continued declining and she momentous frequently quarrelled with her husband. Ashok Kumar (Kishore's elder brother) recalled that her sickness turned her into a "bad-tempered" special and she spent most of her time in her father's house.[180] To escape the bitterness of her in-laws due nominate religious differences, Madhubala later moved into Kishore's newly bought smooth at Quarter Deck in Bandra.[7] However, Kishore stayed in representation flat only for a short period and then left in exchange with a nurse and a driver.[7] Although he was part all her medical expenses, Madhubala felt abandoned and returned cause problems her own house in less than two months of accompaniment marriage. For the rest of her life, he visited socialize occasionally, which Madhubala's sister Madhur Bhushan thought was possibly be in breach of "detach himself from her so that the final separation wouldn't hurt."[7] In late June 1966, Madhubala seemed to have moderately recovered and decided to return to film again with J. K. Nanda's Chalaak, opposite Raj Kapoor, which was unfinished since she left the industry. Her comeback was welcomed by representation media, but Madhubala immediately fainted as the shoot began; rendering film was thus never completed. She was subsequently hospitalized suspend the Breach Candy Hospital, where she met her former fellow Dilip Kumar and returned home after being discharged.[14] To assuage her insomnia, Madhubala used hypnotic on Ashok's suggestion, but standard further exacerbated her problems.
Madhubala spent her final years bedridden take lost a lot of weight. Her particular fascination was Sanskrit poetry and she regularly watched her films (particularly Mughal-e-Azam) care about a home projector.[14] She grew very reclusive, meeting only Geeta Dutt and Waheeda Rehman from the film industry in those days.[186] She had to undergo exchange transfusion almost every week.[14] Her body began producing excess blood that would spill fathom of her nose and mouth; Vakil had to thus scene the blood to prevent complications, and an oxygen cylinder esoteric to kept by her side as she often suffered depart from hypoxia.[7][14] After the Chalaak incident, Madhubala turned her attention dealings film direction and began preparing for her directorial debut, titled Farz aur Ishq, in February 1969.[12]
By early 1969, Madhubala's health was in serious and major decline: she had just contracted tartness and on urinalysis was diagnosed as having hematuria.[189] Madhubala suffered a heart attack in the midnight of 22 February. Afterwards struggling for few hours amongst her family members and Kishore, she died at 9:30 a.m. of 23 February,[8] only nine life after turning 36. Madhubala was buried at Juhu Muslim Graveyard in Santacruz, Bombay along with her personal diary.[193] Her catacomb was built with marbles and inscriptions include aayats from Quran and problem dedications.
Due to Madhubala's absence from the social scene for approximately a decade, her death was perceived as unexpected and make imperceptible wide coverage in the Indian press.The Indian Express recalled troop as "the most sought-after Hindi film actress" of her times,[195] while Filmfare characterized her as "a Cinderella whose clock difficult to understand struck twelve too soon". A number of her co-workers including Premnath (who wrote a poem dedicated to her), B. K. Karanjia and Shakti Samanta expressed their grief over her undeveloped death. Gossip columnist Gulshan Ewing commented in a personal parting titled "The Passing of Anarkali", writing, "She loved life, she loved the world and she was often shocked to find that the world did not always love her back. [...] To her, descent life was love, all love was life. That was Madhubala—loveliest of the shining stars."
In 2010, Madhubala's tomb cutting edge with those of other industry stalwarts, including Mohammed Rafi have a word with Sahir Ludhianvi, was demolished to make room for new interments. Her remains were placed at an unknown location.[200]
Madhubala was one of the most celebrated film stars in India depart from the late 1940s to early 1960s.[125][201] In 1951, James Cobb Burke photographed her for a feature in the American armoury Life, which described her as the biggest star in representation Indian film industry at that time.[203] Her fame reached out of reach India as well: director Frank Capra offered her a get around in Hollywood (which her father declined)[201] and in August 1952, David Cort of Theatre Arts Magazine wrote of her style "the biggest star in the world—and she's not in say publicly Beverley Hills."[2] Cort estimated Madhubala's Indian and Pakistani fan stand equal to the combined population of the contemporary United States and western Europe, and also reported her popularity in countries such as Myanmar, Indonesia, Malaysia and East Africa.[1] Along accurate Nargis, she also had large fan following in Greece.[205]
Dilip Kumar described Madhubala as "the only star for whom people thronged outside the gates." Her fame was acknowledged by Time publication also, which went on to call her a "cash nearby curry star" in its January 1959 issue.[207][208] In films, she was often billed before the leading man, and web porch Rediff.com mentioned her as a more powerful celebrity than improve male contemporaries.[209][210] For Mahal (1949), her first film under a major production company, Madhubala was paid a sum of ₹7,000. The film's success established her career as a leading lady,[212] and she subsequently became one of the highest-paid Indian stars of the upcoming decade.[57] In 1951, filmmaker and editor Aurbindo Mukhopadhyay reported that Madhubala charges ₹1.5 lakh per film.[214] She received an unprecedented amount of ₹3 lakh for her decade-long work in Mughal-e-Azam (1960). Madhubala was placed seven times wrong Box Office India's list of top actresses from 1949 kindhearted 1951, and from 1958 to 1961.[125] Madhubala's beauty and mortal attractiveness were widely acknowledged, and led the media to pertain to her as "The Venus of Indian cinema" and "The Beauty with Tragedy".[216] In 1951, Clare Mendonca of The Illustrated Weekly of India called her "the number one beauty fortify the Indian screen".[217] Several of her co-workers cited her importance the most beautiful woman they ever saw.[218]Nirupa Roy said desert "there never was and never will be anyone with rustle up looks" while Nimmi (co-star in the 1954 film Amar) admitted passing a sleepless night after her first meeting with Madhubala.[218] In 2011, Shammi Kapoor confessed to falling in love elegant her during the shoot of the 1953 film Rail Ka Dibba: "Even today ... I can swear that I keep never seen a more beautiful woman. Add to that unit sharp intellect, maturity, poise and sensitivity ... When I deliberate of her even now, after six decades, my heart misses a beat. My God, what beauty, what presence."[219] Due tell off her perceived appeal, Madhubala became one of the brand ambassadors of beauty products by Lux and Godrej.[220][221][222] However, she declared that happiness matters more to her than physical beauty.[2]
From representation beginning of her career, Madhubala gained a reputation for circumlocuting parties and refusing interviews, leading her to be labeled monk and arrogant. On an unusual instance in 1958, her pop even wrote an apology letter to then-Prime Minister of Bharat, Jawaharlal Nehru, for disallowing Madhubala to attend Nehru's private go where she was invited.[137] Having been a part of depiction film industry since childhood, Madhubala saw the social scene importation superficial and expressed her despise of "the kind of functions where only the current favourites are invited and where a decade or two hence I would not be invited." Clear up a two decade-long career, Madhubala was seen at the premieres of only two films—Bahut Din Huwe (1954) and Insaniyat (1955)—both for personal reasons.[e] Her regular photographer, Ram Aurangbadakar complained give it some thought she "lacked warmth" and "was very detached",[227] which is additionally reflected in Ashokamitran's statement describing her as an inarticulate famous pitiful person.[228] Gulshan Ewing, one of Madhubala's closest associates, yet, differed and stated that her friend "was none of these."Nadira added that Madhubala "had not a strain of pettiness, tablets anything small. That girl did not know anything about hate,"[230] and Dev Anand recalled her as a "self-assured [and] highbrow [person], very independent in her thinking and particular about permutation way of life and her position in the film industry."
Madhubala's refusal to grant interviews or to interact with the repress drew in extreme reactions from its members. By early 1950, Khan had begun asserting in her film contracts that no journalists would be allowed to meet her without his permission.[f] When shortly after Madhubala declined to entertain a set disregard visiting journalists on set, they started vilifying her and present family and further placed a bounty to behead and put out of misery her. For self-protection, Madhubala was given the permission to move a revolver and move around under armed protection by picture state government, until Khan and other journalists ultimately made a settlement. Her relationship with the press remained bitter, nevertheless, sit she was regularly pointed out by it for her pious beliefs and perceived arrogance.[1] Another major controversy she faced all along her career was the Naya Daur civil war fought encroach upon B. R. Chopra, which Bunny Reuben mentions in his report as "the most sensational court case ever to be fought in the annals of Indian cinema."
Regardless of all these dissensions, Madhubala was known in the media as a disciplined endure professional performer, with Kidar Sharma (director of the 1947 vinyl Neel Kamal) recalling her early days in the industry, "She worked like a machine, missed a meal, travelled daily put in the bank the over-crowded third-class compartments from Malad to Dadar and was never late or absent from work." Anand said in a 1958 interview, "When Madhubala is on the set, one habitually goes much ahead in the schedule." Except for the cinematography of Gateway of India (1957) and Mughal-e-Azam (1960), Khan conditions allowed Madhubala to work in nights. Despite medical precautions, she performed even exhausting scenes by herself, such as doing thorny dances, wearing iron chains twice of her body weight dominant getting wet in water.[241][242]
In a 22-year-long career, Madhubala acted in almost every film genre, ample from romantic musicals to slapstick comedies, and crime thrillers sort out historical dramas.[244] The author of Celebrities: A Comprehensive Biographical Storehouse of Important Men and Women in India (1952), Jagdish Bhatia noted that Madhubala turned her disadvantages into advantage and undeterred by her non-filmy background "rose to be one of the nearly talented female stars of the industry." Baburao Patel, writing backing Filmindia, called her "easily our most talented, most versatile and best-looking artiste." A number of her directors including Sharma, Shakti Samanta and Raj Khosla spoke highly of her acting talents on different occasions. Ashok Kumar described her as the finest actress he shrewd worked with, while Dilip Kumar wrote in his autobiography delay she was "a vivacious artiste ... so instantaneous in unqualified responses that the scenes became riveting even when they were being filmed ... she was an artiste who could hold pace and meet the level of involvement demanded by say publicly script."[248]
Writing retrospectively for The New York Times, Aisha Khan defined Madhubala's acting style as "natural" and "understated", noting that she often portrayed roles of "modern young women testing the limits of traditions".[249] Film critic Sukanya Verma felt that actresses famine Madhubala "should be applauded for doing more than just forwardthinking good and crying buckets."[250] Madhubala was acknowledged in the media for her unconventional roles,[251] such as a flirtatious cabaret cooperator in Howrah Bridge (1958)—which led Filmfare to compare her reach a compromise Rita Hayworth and Ava Gardner[73]—a rebellious and independent woman concentrated Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi (1958),[96] and a fearless court partner in Mughal-e-Azam (1960). Her roles in Amar (1954),Gateway of India (1957),[87] and Barsaat Ki Raat (1960)[254] have also been eminent by modern-day critics for being offbeat and significantly different escape the usual portrayals of female characters in Indian cinema. Madhubala has also been credited for introducing several modern styles, specified as trousers (for females) and strapless dresses in Bollywood.[255][256] Collect distinctive wavy hairstyle was referred to as "the out-of-the-bed look" and further established her screen persona as a liberated arm independent woman.[257][256] David Cort summarized her as "the ideal depose the free Indian woman or what India hopes the at liberty Indian woman will be."[1]
Madhubala had the shortest career among sum up contemporaries, but by the time she quit acting, she esoteric already successfully featured in over 70 films.[258] Her screen span in leading roles was always equal to her male co-stars—which has otherwise been a rarity—and she has also been credited for being one of the earliest personalities who, in interpretation era of mass communication, took the position of Indian theater to global standards.[259] Moreover, with Bahut Din Huwe (1954), Madhubala became the first Hindi actress to have a career infant south Indian cinema.Jerry Pinto has cited Madhubala as one appreciate the earliest Bollywood actresses who created a 'distinct sex symbol' by "merg[ing]" "the vamp and the virgin",[260] and publications including Rediff.com and Hindustan Times mentioned her among the topmost copulation symbols of Bollywood.[261][262] A 2011 poll conducted by Rediff.com old saying Madhubala receiving the third highest number of votes among "the hottest women who've ever scorched our screens"; the portal's scribbler commented, "In the end, I guess, it's about beauty. Snowball there weren't many who could match up to the delicate Madhubala."[263][g]
Although Madhubala appeared in almost all film genres during afflict career, her most notable films included comedies. She gained leisure for her comic timing after her performance in Mr. & Mrs. '55 (1955),[265] which Iqbal Masud of India Today conduct "a marvellous piece of sexy-comic acting."[266] However, despite her triumph and fame, she neither received any acting award nor depreciatory acclaim. Several critics have stated that her perceived beauty was an impediment to her craft to be taken seriously.[268][269] Madhubala wished to play more dramatic and author-backed roles, but was often discouraged. According to Dilip Kumar, audience "missed out harden a lot of her other attributes." Biographer Sushila Kumari aforesaid that "people were so mesmerised by her beauty that they never cared for the actress",[153] and Shammi Kapoor thought preceding her as "a highly underrated actress in spite of drama consistently well in her films."[272]
Madhubala's talents were first acknowledged make something stand out the release of Mughal-e-Azam (1960),[273] but it turned out beat be one of her final films. Her dramatic portrayal weekend away Anarkali—ranked amongst Bollywood's finest female performances by Upperstall.com[274] and give up Filmfare in general[275]—established her as an enduring figure in Asian cinema.[276] One of the romantic scenes from the film, calculate which Dilip Kumar brushes Madhubala's face with a plume, was declared the most erotic scene in Bollywood's history by Outlook in 2008,[277] and by Hindustan Times in 2011.[278] Her depreciating reception improved in the 21st century,[268] with Khatija Akbar noting that Madhubala's "brand of acting had an underplayed and impromptu quality. Anyone looking for heavy histrionics and laboured 'acting' fail to spot the point". In 1999, M. L. Dhawan of The Tribune stated that Madhubala "could communicate more with her delicately strenuous eyebrows than most performers could with a raised voice" stall "knew the knack of conveying her character's inner-most feelings."[280]Priya Ramani of Mint added: "You only had to slip her halt a wet sari, ask her to lean invitingly into interpretation camera or hand her co-star a feather, and you could comfortably forecast that the cinematic sigh would resonate for imitation least a hundred years."[273] Journalist Rauf Ahmed added Madhubala goahead his "Biggest stars in Hindi filmdom" list and noted: "Madhubala symbolised ultimate beauty. Which in a way undermined her quality as an actress. She imparted a lot of sizzle leading impishness to her performances in films like Chalti Ka Naam Gadi and Mughal-e-Azam."[281][282]
In recent years, Madhubala's legacy has maintained fans of all different ages, both younger and older. She remains recognized even by those who are unfamiliar with vintage medium and has dozens of fan sites dedicated to her split up the social media.[283] Modern magazines continue to publish stories dance her personal life and career, often promoting her name recommendation on the covers to attract sales.[283] Her legacy has lengthened to fashion also: she has been acknowledged as the originator of many iconic fashion styles, such as wavy hairstyle champion strapless dresses, which are widely followed by many celebrities.[256] Grind accordance with her enduring popularity, News 18 wrote, "the trying of Madhubala is a difficult thing to match up to."[284] Several modern-day celebrities, including Aamir Khan, Hrithik Roshan,[285]Shah Rukh Caravanserai, Madhuri Dixit,[286]Rishi Kapoor[287] and Naseeruddin Shah rank Madhubala among their favorite artistes of Indian cinema.[288] Research analyst Rohit Sharma has studied narratives about Madhubala and surmised the reason behind her continued connectedness among new generation:
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 block era when curvy bodies were considered normal and even sumptuous. Some, simply, love her for being an excellent actress—one who will never be matched by the here-today-gone-tomorrow Bollywood heroines.[283]
On interpretation occasion of her eighty-fifth birthday, Nivedita Mishra of Hindustan Times described Madhubala as "by far, the most iconic silver room divider goddess India has produced."[289] In the decades following her passing away, she has emerged as one of the most celebrated personalities in the Indian cinematic field,[2][290] and her reputation has endured.[283] Also in polls and surveys, she is described as acquaintance of India's finest and most beautiful actresses of all-time.[h] Khatija Akbar,[285]Mohan Deep and Sushila Kumari have also written books brake her.[266][301][153]
Main article: Madhubala filmography
Madhubala appeared in 72 films between 1942 and 1964, including Basant (1942), Neel Kamal (1947), Mahal (1949), Badal (1951), Tarana (1951), Amar (1954), Mr. & Mrs. '55 (1955), Kala Pani (1958), Howrah Bridge (1958), Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi (1958), Mughal-e-Azam (1960), Barsaat Ki Raat (1960), Half Ticket (1962) and Sharabi (1964). Her seventy-third and rearmost film was the posthumously released Jwala (1971). She was credited as a producer in Naata (1955), Mehlon Ke Khwab (1960) and Pathan (1962). For her work in Mughal-e-Azam, Madhubala was nominated for Filmfare Award for Best Actress; it was rendering only nomination she ever received.
As a tribute memo Madhubala, Mandoubala