Madhubala

2025-10-26T18:36:18Z

59.145.92.84: Fixed content and added references

{{short description|Indian actress (1933–1969)}}
{{Use Indian English|date=September 2025}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2025}}
{{Infobox actress
| name = Madhubala
| image = Madhubala_on_2008_stamp.jpg
| caption =
| native_name = 
| birth_name = Mumtaz Jehan Begum Dehlavi
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1933|2|14}}
| birth_place = [[Delhi]], [[British Raj|British India]]
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1969|2|23|1933|2|14}}
| death_place = [[Bombay]], [[Maharashtra]], India
| death_cause = [[Ventricular septal defect]] (hole in the heart)
| resting_place = Juhu Muslim Cemetery, [[Santacruz, Mumbai|Santa Cruz]], Mumbai
| relatives = [[Chanchal (actress)|Chanchal]] (sister)<br />[[Ganguly family]] (by marriage)
| spouse = {{marriage|[[Kishore Kumar]]|1960}}
| othername =
| occupation = Actress
| native_name_lang = 
| years_active = 1942–1964
| works = [[Madhubala filmography|Full list]]
}}
'''Madhubala''' (born '''Mumtaz Jehan Begum Dehlavi'''; 14 February 1933 – 23 February 1969) was an Indian actress who worked in [[Hindi]] films. She is considered to have been one of the finest actresses in the history of [[Indian cinema]].<ref>https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/anniversary/madhubala-the-venus-of-indian-cinema/</ref><ref>https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/madhubala-remembering-the-timeless-beauty-of-indian-cinema-on-her-birth-anniversary/articleshow/118234234.cms</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.filmfare.com/features/remembering-madhubalas-best-roles-32527.html|title=Remembering Madhubala's best roles | Filmfare.com|website=www.filmfare.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/anniversary/madhubala-the-venus-of-indian-cinema/|title=Madhubala: The Venus of Indian cinema|website=The Tribune}}</ref> One of the country's highest-paid stars in the 1950s, Madhubala appeared in [[Madhubala filmography#Films|over 70 films]]{{mdash}}ranging from slapstick comedies to historical dramas{{mdash}}in a two decade-long career.<ref name="theatre arts" /> Long after her death, she remains a [[Bollywood]] icon, particularly noted for her beauty and unconventional screen persona.<ref name="story of india" /> Media outlets often refer to her as "The Venus of Indian cinema".<ref>https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/madhubala-remembering-the-timeless-beauty-of-indian-cinema-on-her-birth-anniversary/articleshow/118234234.cms</ref><ref>https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/anniversary/madhubala-the-venus-of-indian-cinema/</ref>

Born and raised in [[Delhi]], Madhubala relocated to [[Bombay]] (now Mumbai) with her family when she was 8 years old and shortly after began playing minor roles, starting with ''[[Basant (1942 film)|Basant]]'' (1942). She progressed to leading roles in the late 1940s, and earned success with the dramas ''[[Neel Kamal (1947 film)|Neel Kamal]]'' (1947) and ''[[Amar (1954 film)|Amar]]'' (1954), the horror film ''[[Mahal (1949 film)|Mahal]]'' (1949), and the romantic films ''[[Baadal (1951 film)|Badal]]'' (1951) and ''[[Tarana (1951 film)|Tarana]]'' (1951). Following 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 film)|Half Ticket]]'' (1962), the crime films ''[[Howrah Bridge (1958 film)|Howrah Bridge]]'' and ''[[Kala Pani (1958 film)|Kala Pani]]'' (both 1958), and the musical ''[[Barsaat Ki Raat]]'' (1960).

Madhubala's portrayal of [[Anarkali]] in the historical epic drama ''[[Mughal-e-Azam]]'' (1960){{mdash}}the [[List of highest-grossing Indian films|highest-grossing film in India]] at the time{{mdash}}earned her widespread critical acclaim and her only nomination for the [[Filmfare Award for Best Actress]]; her performance has since been described by critics as one of the finest in Indian cinematic history.{{sfn|Roy|2019|p=151|ps=: "Her most challenging performance, as a doomed courtesan who is in love with the son (or crown prince) of Mughal emperor Akbar, ranks high on every list of the greatest female performances in Indian cinema."}} She worked sporadically in film in the 1960s, making her final appearance in the drama ''[[Sharabi (1964 film)|Sharabi]]'' (1964). Additionally, she produced three films under her production house Madhubala Private Ltd., which was co-founded by her in 1953.

Despite maintaining strong privacy, Madhubala earned significant media coverage for her charity work and personal life. In the early 1950s, she had a highly-publicised relationship with actor [[Dilip Kumar]] that ended amidst the [[Naya Daur (1957 film)#Production|''Naya Daur'' court case]] (1956–57). She married actor-singer [[Kishore Kumar]] in 1960. Throughout her adult life, Madhubala suffered from recurring bouts of [[breathlessness]] and [[hemoptysis]] caused by a [[ventricular septal defect]], ultimately leading to her death at the age of 36, in 1969.

==Early life==
[[File:Old Delhi in 1954 by Rodney Stich (1).jpg|thumb|Madhubala was born and brought up in [[Delhi]]]]
Madhubala was born as Mumtaz Jehan Begum Dehlavi in [[Delhi]], [[Presidencies and provinces of British India|British India]], on 14 February 1933.{{sfnm|1a1=Akbar|1y=1997|1p=39|2a1=Booch|2y=1962|2p=75|3a1=Roy|3y=2019|3p=150|4a1=Lanba|4a2=Patel|4y=2012|4p=115}} She was the fifth of eleven children of Ataullah Khan and Aayesha Begum.{{sfn|Lanba|Patel|2012|p=115}} At least four of Madhubala's siblings died as infants;{{sfn|Jhingana|2010|p=24}} her sisters who survived until adulthood were Kaneez Fatima (b. 1925), Altaf (b. 1930), [[Chanchal (actress)|Chanchal]] (b. 1934 as Zeb Ataullah) and Zahida (b. 1949).{{efn|In 2017, in an interview for ''[[Filmfare]]'', Madhur Bhushan (née Zahida) reported that Kaneez is 92, Altaf is 87 and Chanchal is 83 years old.<ref name="sick" /> Talking to the same magazine on another occasion, she told that she was born when Madhubala was 16 years old i.e. in 1949.<ref name="Dilip saab" />}} Khan, who belonged to the [[Yusufzai|Yusufzai tribe]] of [[Pashtuns]] from [[Valley of Peshawar|Peshawar valley]], originating from [[Swabi District]], [[North-West Frontier Province]]<ref name=":14">{{Cite news |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1157403 |title=Madhubala: From Peshawar with love ... |last=Khan |first=Javed |date=18 January 2015 |work=[[Dawn (newspaper)|Dawn]] |access-date=20 April 2018 |language=en-US |archive-date=20 April 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180420140131/https://www.dawn.com/news/1157403 |url-status=live}}</ref> was an employee at the [[Imperial Brands|Imperial Tobacco Company]].<ref name=":14" />{{sfn|Ekbal|2009|p=17}} Unknown to her family members, Madhubala was born with a [[ventricular septal defect]], a congenital heart disorder which had no treatment at the time.<ref>{{Cite web |date=25 September 2015 |title=The blue baby syndrome |url=https://www.deccanherald.com/living/the-blue-baby-syndrome-483894.html |access-date=4 October 2021 |website=[[Deccan Herald]] |language=en}}</ref><ref name="mrandmrs55.com">{{Cite web |url=https://mrandmrs55.com/2013/02/05/what-killed-madhubala-a-close-look-at-the-death-of-a-bollywood-icon/ |title=What Killed Madhubala: A Close Look at the Death of A Bollywood Icon |date=5 February 2013 |website=Mr. & Mrs. 55 – Classic Bollywood Revisited! |access-date=31 August 2019 |archive-date=12 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190512052653/https://mrandmrs55.com/2013/02/05/what-killed-madhubala-a-close-look-at-the-death-of-a-bollywood-icon/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

Madhubala spent most of her childhood in Delhi and grew up without any kind of health issues.{{sfn|Lanba|Patel|2012|p=115}} Owing to the orthodox ideas of their [[Muslims|Muslim]] father, neither Madhubala nor any of her sisters except Zahida attended school.{{sfn|Deep|1996|p=19}}<ref name="sick2" /> Madhubala nevertheless learnt [[Urdu]], [[Hindi]], as well as her native language, [[Pashto]], under her father's guidance.<ref name="News182011">{{Cite news |url=https://www.news18.com/news/india/top-20-things-you-didnt-know-about-madhubala-414846.html |title=Top 20: Things you didn't know about Madhubala |last=Chatterjee |first=Rituparna |date=1 November 2011 |work=News18 |access-date=31 August 2019 |archive-date=31 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190831155228/https://www.news18.com/news/india/top-20-things-you-didnt-know-about-madhubala-414846.html |url-status=live}}</ref>{{sfn|Booch|1962|p=76}} An avid movie viewer since the beginning, she used to perform her favourite scenes in front of her mother and spend her time dancing and imitating film characters to entertain herself.{{sfn|Lanba|Patel|2012|p=115}} In spite of her conservative upbringing, she aimed to become a film actor{{mdash}}which her father strictly disapproved of.{{sfn|Jhingana|2010|p=24}}

Khan's decision changed in 1940 after he got fired from his job for misbehaving with a senior officer.{{sfnm|1a1=Jhingana|1y=2010|1p=24|2a1=Lanba|2a2=Patel|2y=2012|2p=115}} Madhubala's mother feared [[ostracism]] if they allowed their young daughter to work in the entertainment industry, but Khan remained adamant.{{sfn|Deep|1996|p=19}} Soon Madhubala was employed at the [[All India Radio]] station to sing compositions of [[Khwaja Khurshid Anwar|Khurshid Anwar]]. The seven-year-old continued working there for months,{{sfn|Jhingana|2010|p=24}}<ref name="Dawn">{{Cite web |last=Noorani |first=Asif |author-link=Asif Noorani |date=10 February 2019 |title=Flashback: Fifty Years Without Madhubala |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1462968 |access-date=16 June 2021 |work=Dawn |language=en}}</ref> and became acquainted with Rai Bahadur Chunnilal, the general manager of the studio [[Bombay Talkies]], situated in [[Mumbai|Bombay]].<ref name="Dawn" />{{sfn|Patel|1952|p=13}} Chunnilal took an immediate liking towards Madhubala and suggested Khan to visit Bombay for better employment opportunities.{{sfn|Patel|1952|p=13}}

==Acting career==
===Early work and switch to adult roles (1942–1947)===
[[File:Mumtaz Shanti, Madhubala et Ullhas dans Basant (1942).jpg|thumb|180px|left|Baby Mumtaz (Madhubala) played a minor role in [[Bombay Talkies]]' production, ''[[Basant (film)|Basant]]'' (1942), starring [[Mumtaz Shanti]] (left) and Ulhas (right).]]

In the summer of 1941, Khan along with Madhubala and other family members relocated to Bombay and settled down in a cowshed present in the [[Malad]] suburbs of Bombay.{{sfn|Akbar|1997|p=40}} Following an approval from the studio executives, Chunnilal signed Madhubala to a juvenile role in Bombay Talkies' production, ''[[Basant (film)|Basant]]'' (1942), at a salary of {{INR}}150.{{sfnm|1a1=Patel|1y=1952|1p=13 for salary|2a1=Akbar|2y=1997|2p=40 for work}} Released in July 1942, ''Basant'' became a major success commercially,<ref name="Dawn" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=5 February 2010 |title=Box Office 1942 |url=http://boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=147&catName=MTk0Mg== |url-status=live |access-date=21 November 2021 |publisher=Box Office India |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100205043708/http://boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=147&catName=MTk0Mg== |archive-date=5 February 2010}}</ref> but although Madhubala's work garnered appreciation, the studio dropped her contract as it did not require a child actor at that time.{{sfn|Akbar|1997|pp=40–41}} Disappointed, Khan had to once again return his family to Delhi. He subsequently found low-paid temporary jobs in the city,{{sfn|Deep|1996|p=21}} but continued to struggle financially.{{sfn|Bhatia|1952|p=142 for the family's return to Delhi}}

In 1944, Bombay Talkies' head [[Devika Rani]] sent for Khan to summon Madhubala for role in ''[[Jwar Bhata (1944 film)|Jwar Bhata]]'' (1944).{{sfn|Bhatia|1952|p=142}} Madhubala did not get the role but Khan now decided to settle permanently in Bombay seeing a prospect in films.{{sfn|Bhatia|1952|p=142}} The family again returned to their temporary residence in Malad and Madhubala along with her father began paying frequent visits to film studios throughout the city in search of work.{{sfnm|1a1=Lanba|1a2=Patel|1y=2012|1p=115|2a1=Bhatia|2y=1952|2p=142|3a1=Jhingana|3y=2010|3p=24|4a1=Roy|4y=2019|4p=150}} She was soon signed to a three-year contract with [[Chandulal Shah]]'s studio [[Ranjit Studios|Ranjit Movietone]], on a monthly payment of {{INR}}300.{{sfn|Bhatia|1952|p=142}} Her income led to Khan shifting the family to a neighbouring rented house in Malad.{{sfnm|1a1=Bhatia|1y=1952|1p=142|2a1=Roy|2y=2019|2p=150}}

In April 1944, the rented house was destroyed in a dock explosion; Madhubala and her family survived only because they had gone to a local theatre. After shifting into father's friend's house with her family, Madhubala continued her film career,<ref name="iep">{{Cite web |date=25 July 1997 |title=The Queen of Hearts |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/news-archive/the-queen-of-hearts-2/ |access-date=27 April 2021 |website=[[The Indian Express]] |language=en}}</ref> playing minor roles in five of Ranjit's films: ''[[Mumtaz Mahal (film)|Mumtaz Mahal]]'' (1944), ''Dhanna Bhagat'' (1945), ''Rajputani'' (1946), ''[[Phoolwari]]'' (1946) and ''Pujari'' (1946); she was credited as "Baby Mumtaz" in all of them.{{sfnm|1a1=Akbar|1y=1997|1pp=44 for "Baby Mumtaz", 203–205 for films|2a1=Booch|2y=1962|2p=75}} {{sfn|Akbar|1997|p=41}} Eager to establish a foothold in the industry, in November 1946, Madhubala began shooting for two of Mohan Sinha's directorial ventures, ''[[Chittor Vijay]]'' and ''Mere Bhagwaan'', which were supposed to be her introduction to the silver-screen in adult roles.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Patel |first1=Baburao |author-link1=Baburao Patel |date=1 November 1946 |title=Pictures In Making |work=[[Filmindia]] |publisher=New York: The Museum of Modern Art Library |url=https://archive.org/details/filmindia194814unse/page/n869/mode/1up |access-date=5 October 2021}}</ref>

Madhubala's first project in a lead role was [[Sohrab Modi]]'s ''[[Daulat (1949 film)|Daulat]]'', but it was shelved indefinitely (and would not be revived until the next year).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Blast from the past |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/bengaluru/2021/aug/17/blast-from-the-past-2345604.html |access-date=5 October 2021 |website=The New Indian Express|date=17 August 2021 }}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=h_wpAAAAYAAJ |title=The Women of Punjab |date=1983 |publisher=Chic Publications |pages=54 |language=en}}</ref> Her debut as a leading lady came in [[Kidar Sharma]]'s drama ''[[Neel Kamal (1947 film)|Neel Kamal]]'', in which she starred opposite debutante [[Raj Kapoor]] and [[Begum Para]].<ref name=":4" />{{sfnm|1a1=Akbar|1y=1997|1p=44|2a1=Bhatia|2y=1952|2p=142|3a1=Jhingana|3y=2010|3p=25|4a1=Lanba|4a2=Patel|4y=2012|4pp=114–115}} She was offered the film after Sharma's first choice, actress Kamla Chatterjee, died.{{sfnm|1a1=Akbar|1y=1997|1p=44|2a1=Bhatia|2y=1952|2p=142|3a1=Jhingana|3y=2010|3p=25|4a1=Lanba|4a2=Patel|4y=2012|4pp=114–115}} Released in March 1947, ''Neel Kamal'' was popular with audience and garnered wide public recognition for Madhubala.{{sfnm|1a1=Jhingana|1y=2010|1p=25|2a1=Akbar|2y=1997|2p=45|3a1=Booch|3y=1962|3p=76}} She then 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.<ref name="iep" />{{sfnm|1a1=Bhatia|1y=1952|1p=142|2a1=Booch|2y=1962|2p=76}} These films were unsuccessful ventures that failed to propel her career ahead.{{sfn|Akbar|1997|p=104}} During this period, she had to charge a relatively lesser amount than her usual fee to attract more offers.{{sfn|Deep|1996|pp=39–46}} To secure her family financially, Madhubala quickly signed 24 films.{{sfn|Lanba|Patel|2012|p=115}} Impressed by her work in ''Neel Kamal'', in which Madhubala was credited as "Mumtaz", Devika Rani suggested her to take up "Madhubala" as her professional name.{{sfn|Akbar|1997|p=46}}{{efn|According to actress [[Vidya Sinha]], her grandfather Mohan had given Madhubala her professional name.<ref>{{Cite web |last=N |first=Patcy |date=15 August 2019 |title=I still regret saying no to Raj Kapoor for Satyam Shivam Sundaram |url=https://www.rediff.com/movies/report/i-still-regret-saying-no-to-raj-kapoor-for-satyam-shivam-sundaram/20150113.htm |access-date=30 July 2021 |work=Rediff.com |language=en}}</ref>}}

===Rise to prominence and superstardom (1948–1957)===
Madhubala found her first critical and commercial success in the drama ''[[Lal Dupatta]]'', which ''[[The Indian Express]]'' mentioned as a breakthrough for her.{{sfn|Booch|1962|p=76}}<ref name="iep" /> [[Baburao Patel]] described the film as "the first milestone of her maturity in screen acting."{{sfn|Akbar|1997|p=47}} She received further positive reviews for her supporting parts in ''Parai Aag'' (1948), ''[[Paras (1949 film)|Paras]]'' and ''[[Singaar]]'' (both 1949).{{sfnm|1a1=Akbar|1y=1997|1p=47|2a1=Deep|2y=1996|2pp=39,141,146}} In 1949, Madhubala played a ''[[femme fatale]]'' in [[Kamal Amrohi]]'s ''[[Mahal (1949 film)|Mahal]]''{{mdash}}the first horror film of Indian cinema.<ref name="Mahal" /> Several actresses including [[Suraiya]] were considered for the role but Amrohi insisted on casting Madhubala.{{sfnm|1a1=Akbar|1y=1997|1p=52–53|2a1=Booch|2y=1962|2p=76}}<ref name="testing">{{Cite web |date=6 May 2013 |title=Testing times for Madhubala |url=https://punemirror.indiatimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/testing-times-for-madhubala/articleshow/31369389.cms |access-date=12 July 2021 |website=Pune Mirror |language=en |archive-date=12 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210712043148/https://punemirror.indiatimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/testing-times-for-madhubala/articleshow/31369389.cms |url-status=dead }}</ref> Her character was that of 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, with trade analysts predicting it to be a failure owing to its unconventional subject.<ref name="testing" /> ''Mahal'' was released in October 1949 and proved to be an immensely popular film among audience.<ref name="testing" /> In ''Beyond the Boundaries of Bollywood'', [[Rachel Dwyer]] noted that Madhubala's ignorance among audience added to the mysterious nature of her character.<ref name="Mahal">{{Cite web |last=Dwyer |first=Rachel |date=3 August 2019 |title=70 Years Ago, 'Mahal' Gave Us an Early Glimpse of Gothic in Bombay Cinema |url=https://thewire.in/books/70-years-ago-mahal-gave-us-an-early-glimpse-of-gothic-in-bombay-cinema |access-date=31 October 2021 |website=[[The Wire (India)|The Wire]]}}</ref> The film, which would be Madhubala's first of many collaborations with actor and brother-in-law [[Ashok Kumar]],{{sfn|Akbar|1997|p=42}} emerged as the third biggest box-office success of the year, resulting in her signing a string of starring roles opposite the leading actors of the time.<ref name="bo40">{{Cite web |date=16 October 2013 |title=Box Office 1949 |url=http://www.boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=154&catName=MTk0OQ== |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131016234445/http://www.boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=154&catName=MTk0OQ== |archive-date=16 October 2013 |access-date=27 September 2021 |publisher=Box Office India}}<br />{{cite web |url=http://www.boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=121&catName=MTk0MC0xOTQ5 |title=Box Office Results (1940–49) |publisher=[[Box Office India]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131014094402/http://www.boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=121&catName=MTk0MC0xOTQ5 |access-date=26 September 2021 |archive-date=14 October 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref>{{sfnm|1a1=Akbar|1y=1997|1p=70|2a1=Booch|2y=1962|2p=76|3a1=Bhatia|3y=1952|3p=142|4a1=Jhingana|4y=2010|4p=26|5a1=Lanba|5a2=Patel|5y=2012|5p=116}}

{{CSS image crop|Image=Photo Gallery - The Madhubala.png|bSize =375|cWidth=165|cHeight=240|oTop=505|oLeft =0|Location=right|Description = Madhubala in the 1949 film ''[[Dulari (film)|Dulari]]''}}

Following another box office hit in ''[[Dulari (film)|Dulari]]'' (1949),<ref name="bo40" /> Madhubala played [[Ajit Khan|Ajit]]'s love interest in [[K. Amarnath]]'s social drama ''[[Beqasoor]]'' (1950). The feature received positive reviews and ranked among the year's top-grossing Bollywood productions.<ref>{{Cite web |date=7 February 2009 |title=Box Office 1950 |url=http://boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=155&catName=MTk1MA==&PHPSESSID=5e4fbdfd7321468766f34a3b11062d4a |publisher=Box Office India |access-date=1 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090207075657/http://boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=155&catName=MTk1MA==&PHPSESSID=5e4fbdfd7321468766f34a3b11062d4a |archive-date=7 February 2009}}</ref> Also in 1950, she appeared in the comedy-drama ''[[Hanste Aansoo]]'', which became the first Indian film to be awarded an Adult certification.{{sfn|Akbar|1997|p=101}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=Old and truly gold |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/lifestyle/old-and-truly-gold-565222 |access-date=13 October 2020 |website=The Tribune |language=en}}</ref> The following year, Madhubala starred in the [[Amiya Chakravarty (director)|Amiya Chakravarty]]-directed action film ''[[Baadal (1951 film)|Badal]]'' (1951), a remake of ''[[The Adventures of Robin Hood]]''. Her portrayal of a princess who ignorantly falls in love with [[Prem Nath]]'s character received mixed reviews;{{sfnm|1a1=Akbar|1y=1997|1p=115–116|2a1=Lanba|2a2=Patel|2y=2012|2p=116|3a1=Jhingana|3y=2010|3p=27–28}} a critic praised her looks but advised her to "learn to speak her dialogue slowly, distinctly and effectively instead of rattling through her lines in a monotone."{{sfn|Akbar|1997|p=115}} She subsequently played the titular part in M. Sadiq's romance ''[[Saiyan (film)|Saiyan]]'', which Roger Yue of ''[[The Singapore Free Press]]'' commented was played "to perfection".<ref name=":9">{{Cite news |last=Yue |first=Roger |date=27 October 1951 |title=India's ''Duel in the Sun'' a success |publisher=[[The Singapore Free Press]] |url=http://hindi-movies-songs.com/joomla/index.php/hindi-films/articles/1640-musing-620-roberto-103-saiyan-in-singapore |access-date=26 April 2021}}</ref> Both ''Badal'' and ''Saiyan'' proved to be major box-office successes.<ref>{{cite web |title=Box Office 1951 |url=http://boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=156&catName=MTk1MQ== |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100102005532/http://boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=156&catName=MTk1MQ== |url-status=live |archive-date=2 January 2010 |publisher=Box Office India |access-date=26 April 2021}}</ref> Madhubala then collaborated with actor [[Dilip Kumar]] twice in a row, on the 1951 comedy ''[[Tarana (1951 film)|Tarana]]'' and the 1952 drama ''[[Sangdil]]''.{{sfnm|1a1=Akbar|1y=1997|1p=111|2a1=Khdair|2y=2020|2p=52|3a1=Lanba|3a2=Patel|3y=2012|3p=117}} These films also performed well financially, popularizing the on and offscreen couple among wide audience.{{sfn|Akbar|1997|p=107}}<ref>{{Cite web |date=22 September 2012 |title=Box Office 1952 |url=http://boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=158&catName=MTk1Mg== |url-status=live |access-date=13 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120922022116/http://boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=158&catName=MTk1Mg== |archive-date=22 September 2012 |publisher=Box Office India}}</ref> Baburao Patel's ''[[filmindia]]'' review of ''Tarana'' read, "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."{{sfn|Akbar|1997|pp=108–109}}<ref>{{Cite web |date=29 June 2015 |title=Filmindia in photos |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/photos/brunch/filmindia-in-photos/photo-kxLZoXYIKHw81ln3LOYjrK.html |access-date=31 October 2021 |website=Hindustan Times |language=en}}</ref>

{{sfnm|1a1=Jhingana|1y=2010|1p=26|2a1=Lanba|2a2=Patel|2y=2012|2p=116}} Madhubala was cast in the costume drama ''[[Shahenshah (1953 film)|Shahehshah]]'' (1953) before [[Kamini Kaushal]] replaced her.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bali |first=Karan |date=20 June 2019 |title=Kamini Kaushal |url=https://upperstall.com/profile/kamini-kaushal/ |access-date=8 November 2021 |website=Upperstall.com}}</ref> In April 1953, Madhubala founded a production company called Madhubala Private Ltd.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Madhubala Private LTD Information |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/company/ |access-date=25 April 2021 |website=The Economic Times |archive-date=8 May 2019 |archive-url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20190508200151/https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/company/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> The following year, while shooting in [[Chennai|Madras]] for [[S. S. Vasan]]'s ''[[Bahut Din Huwe]]'' (1954), she suffered a major health setback due to her heart disease.{{sfnm|1a1=Akbar|1y=1997|1p=72|2a1=Lanba|2a2=Patel|2y=2012|2p=125}} She returned to Bombay after completing the film and took a short-term medical leave from work,{{sfnm|1a1=Akbar|1y=1997|1p=72|2a1=Jhingana|2y=2010|2p=28}} which led to her replacement (by [[Nimmi]]) in ''[[Uran Khatola (film)|Uran Khatola]]'' (1955).<ref name="manohar">{{cite web |last=Subrahmanyam |first=Manohar |title=The unknown side of Madhubala |url=http://activeindiatv.com/entertainment/27981-the-unknown-side-of-madhubala |website=ActiveIndiaTV.com |date=5 January 2015 |access-date=1 April 2020 |archive-date=21 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170821051759/http://activeindiatv.com/entertainment/27981-the-unknown-side-of-madhubala |url-status=live}}</ref> Madhubala later starred in another film of 1954{{mdash}}[[Mehboob Khan]]'s ''[[Amar (1954 film)|Amar]]'', portraying a social worker involved in a love triangle along with Dilip Kumar and Nimmi. Madhubala improvised a scene from the film.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Bharatan |first=Raju |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mg09BAAAQBAJ&pg=PT132 |title=Naushadnama: The Life and Music of Naushad |date=14 April 2014 |publisher=Hay House, Inc |isbn=978-93-81398-63-0 |language=en}}</ref> It was unsuccessful at the box-office.{{sfnm|1a1=Akbar|1y=1997|1p=112|2a1=Jhingana|2y=2010|2p=26|3a1=Lanba|3a2=Patel|3y=2012|3p=116}}<ref>{{Cite web |date=30 October 2013 |title=Box Office 1954 |url=http://www.boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=160&catName=MTk1NA== |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131030025327/http://www.boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=160&catName=MTk1NA== |archive-date=30 October 2013 |access-date=25 April 2021}}</ref> Nevertheless, Rachit Gupta of ''[[Filmfare]]'' stated that Madhubala overshadowed her co-stars and "floored her role with a nuanced performance."<ref name="ffare" /> Writing for [[Rediff.com]] in 2002, [[Dinesh Raheja]] described ''Amar'' as "arguably Madhubala's first truly mature performance" and particularly praised a dramatic scene featuring her and Dilip.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Raheja |first=Dinesh |title=Madhubala: a sweet seduction |date=18 October 2002 |url=https://m.rediff.com/movies/2002/oct/18dinesh.htm |access-date=27 October 2021 |work=Rediff.com}}</ref> Madhubala's next release was her own production venture, ''[[Naata (film)|Naata]]'' (1955), in which she co-starred with her sister [[Chanchal (actress)|Chanchal]]. The film met with a tepid response and lost a lot of money, compelling Madhubala to sell her bungalow ''Kismet'' to recover the loss.{{sfn|Akbar|1997|p=61}}

Madhubala made a comeback in 1955 with [[Guru Dutt]]'s comedy ''[[Mr. & Mrs. '55]]'', which emerged as one of the year's highest-grossing films in India and her biggest success at that point of time.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=161&catName=MTk1NQ== |title=Box Office 1955 |publisher=Box Office India |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131030022739/http://www.boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=161&catName=MTk1NQ== |access-date=26 September 2021 |archive-date=30 October 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |date=14 February 2021 |title=Birth Anniversary Special: 5 iconic Madhubala movies too good to miss |url=https://www.deccanherald.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/birth-anniversary-special-5-iconic-madhubala-movies-too-good-to-miss-951062.html |access-date=16 February 2021 |website=Deccan Herald |language=en}}</ref> The film saw her playing Anita Verma, a naive heiress who is forced by her aunt into a sham marriage with Dutt's character.{{sfn|Akbar|1997|pp=117–118}} Harneet Singh of ''[[The Indian Express]]'' called ''Mr. & Mrs. '55'' "a great ride" and acknowledged Madhubala's "impish charm and breezy comic timing" as one of its prime assets.<ref>{{Cite web |date=19 July 2015 |title=Let Me Make You Mine |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/let-me-make-you-mine/ |access-date=29 June 2021 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}</ref> In mid-1956, a conflict broke out between Madhubala–Khan and director [[B. R. Chopra]] over the location shoot of ''[[Naya Daur (1957 film)|Naya Daur]]'', in which Madhubala was cast to play the female protagonist. Citing her as uncooperative and unprofessional, Chopra replaced Madhubala with [[Vyjayanthimala]] and further sued the former for {{INR}}30,000 in damages.{{sfnm|1a1=Akbar|1y=1997|1pp=87–92|2a1=Jhingana|2y=2010|2p=29|3a1=Lanba|3a2=Patel|3y=2012|3p=121|4a1=Pandhye|4y=2020|4pp=155–156|5a1=Wani|5y=2016|5p=158|6a1=Reuben|6y=1993|6pp=165–172}} The lawsuit continued for about eight months amidst public scrutiny before Chopra withdrew it after ''Naya Daur'' got released.{{sfnm|1a1=Roy|1y=2019|1p=151, 208|2a1=Jhingana|2y=2010|2p=29}}

Subsequently in the years 1956–57, Madhubala reduced her workload due to the lawsuit and health issues.{{sfn|Akbar|1997|p=72–73}} She and [[Nargis]] were approached by Guru Dutt to play either of the two female leads (an unfaithful girlfriend or a hooker with a heart of gold) in his production, ''[[Pyaasa]]'' (1957). Unable to choose between the two leading roles, the actresses passed over the film to the newcomers [[Mala Sinha]] and [[Waheeda Rehman]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Raheja |first=Dinesh |date=23 June 2003 |title=Pyaasa: Guru Dutt's masterpiece |url=https://www.rediff.com/movies/2003/jun/23dinesh.htm |access-date=8 November 2021 |work=Rediff.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Bali |first=Karan |date=11 November 2016 |title=Mala Sinha |url=https://upperstall.com/profile/mala-sinha/ |access-date=8 November 2021 |website=Upperstall.com}}</ref> Madhubala appeared in two period films in 1956, ''[[Raj Hath]]'' and ''[[Shirin Farhad (1956 film)|Shirin Farhad]]'',{{sfn|Lanba|Patel|2012|p=117}} both critical and commercial successes.{{sfn|Deep|1996|p=90}} The following year, she portrayed a runaway heiress in [[Om Prakash]]'s ''[[Gateway of India (1957 film)|Gateway of India]]'' (1957), which critic [[Deepa Gahlot]] believed to be one of the finest performances of her career.<ref name="gahlot">{{Cite book |last=Gahlot |first=Deepa |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JEqwDAAAQBAJ&pg=PT150 |title=Take-2: 50 Films That Deserve a New Audience |date=1 October 2015 |publisher=Hay House, Inc |isbn=978-93-84544-85-0 |language=en}}</ref> Madhubala then starred in the drama ''[[Ek Saal]]'' (1957), which follows the love story of a terminally-ill ingenue.{{sfn|Deep|1996|p=89}}{{sfn|Lanba|Patel|2012|p=117}}

===''Mughal-e-Azam'' and continued commercial success (1958–1962)===
Madhubala began the year 1958 with [[Raj Khosla]]'s ''[[Kala Pani (1958 film)|Kala Pani]]'', in which she co-starred with [[Dev Anand]] and [[Nalini Jaywant]], playing an intrepid journalist investigating a 15-year-old murder.<ref>{{Cite web |date=14 February 2018 |title=Madhubala's 85th birth anniversary: Beyond her arresting beauty, a look at her life's tragedies |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/bollywood/happy-birthday-madhubala-beyond-her-arresting-beauty-a-look-at-her-life-s-tragedies/story-LFF77gysIELbj7GNLrVBiK.html |access-date=29 November 2021 |website=Hindustan Times |language=en}}</ref> She was then cast as Edna opposite Ashok Kumar in ''[[Howrah Bridge (1958 film)|Howrah Bridge]]'' (1958), her first collaboration with director [[Shakti Samanta]]. Madhubala waived her fees to play the role of an [[Anglo-Indian]] [[cabaret dancer]], which marked a departure from her previous portrayals of sophisticated characters.<ref>{{Cite book |last=U |first=Saiam Z. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JSVCCwAAQBAJ&pg=PT145 |title=Houseful The Golden Years of Hindi Cinema |date=2012 |publisher=Om Books International |isbn=978-93-80070-25-4 |pages=145 |language=en}}</ref> Both ''Howrah Bridge'' and ''Kala Pani'' begot positive reviews for her and became two of the year's top-grossing films.{{sfnm|1a1=Akbar|1y=1997|1p=179|2a1=Lanba|2a2=Patel|2y=2012|2p=117}}<ref name="ffare">{{Cite web |title=Remembering Madhubala's best roles |url=https://www.filmfare.com/features/remembering-madhubalas-best-roles-32527.html |access-date=25 April 2021 |publisher=Filmfare |language=en}}</ref> She followed this success with the box office hit ''[[Phagun (1958 film)|Phagun]]'' (1958).<ref name="bo58">{{Cite web |date=22 September 2012 |title=Box Office 1958 |url=http://boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=164&catName=MTk1OA== |url-status=live |access-date=28 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120922022104/http://boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=164&catName=MTk1OA== |archive-date=22 September 2012}}</ref> 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]]''{{sfnm|1a1=Bose|1y=2006|1p=258|2a1=Lanba|2a2=Patel|2y=2012|2p=117|3a1=Roy|3y=2019|3p=211–212}}{{mdash}}one of the biggest money-making films of the 1950s.<ref>{{Cite web |date=5 February 2010 |title=Box Office Results (1950{{mdash}}59) |url=http://boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=122&catName=MTk1MC0xOTU5 |url-status=live |access-date=29 November 2021 |publisher=Box Office India |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100205040745/http://boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=122&catName=MTk1MC0xOTU5 |archive-date=5 February 2010}}</ref> [[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."<ref name=":5" /> Writing for the same portral in 2012, columnist [[Rinki Bhattacharya|Rinki Roy]] mentioned Madhubala's character in ''Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi'' as "a top favourite": "Her breezy performance stands out as that rare example of an independent, urban woman. [...] For me, Madhubala is the face of the original celluloid diva."<ref name=":8" />

Her second collaboration with Samanta, ''[[Insan Jaag Utha]]'' (1959) opposite [[Sunil Dutt]], was a social drama film in which the protagonists work on the construction of a dam.<ref name=":6" /> The film was moderate success but critically praised.<ref name=":3" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Chatterji |first=Shoma A. |date=9 April 2016 |title=Shakti Samanta |url=https://upperstall.com/profile/shakti-samanta/ |access-date=20 November 2021 |website=Upperstall.com}}</ref> 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.<ref name=":3" /><ref name="ffare" /> Further in 1959, she received praise for playing dual roles in ''[[Kal Hamara Hai (film)|Kal Hamara Hai]]'', also starring [[Bharat Bhushan]].{{sfnm|1a1=Lanba|1a2=Patel|1y=2012|1p=117|2a1=Akbar|2y=1997|2p=103}} 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."{{sfn|Akbar|1997|p=103}} The commercial success of ''[[Do Ustad (1959 film)|Do Ustad]]'' (1959), which saw her reuniting with Raj Kapoor,{{sfn|Akbar|1997|p=104}} was followed by the second film of Madhubala Private Ltd.—the comedy ''[[Mehlon Ke Khwab]]'' (1960). It fared poorly at the box office.{{sfn|Deep|1996|p=94}}

Journalist [[Dinesh Raheja]] has described [[K. Asif]]'s ''[[Mughal-e-Azam]]'' (1960) as the "crowning glory" of Madhubala's career.<ref name="art">{{Cite web |last=Raheja, Dinesh |date=15 February 2003 |title=''Mughal-e-Azam'': A work of art |url=http://www.rediff.com/movies/2003/feb/15dinesh.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121017123138/http://www.rediff.com/movies/2003/feb/15dinesh.htm |archive-date=17 October 2012 |access-date=10 June 2012 |work=Rediff.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Bali |first=Karan |title=The 'Mughal-e-Azam' that was never made, starring Nargis |url=https://scroll.in/reel/834577/the-mughal-e-azam-that-was-never-made-starring-nargis |access-date=29 November 2021 |website=Scroll.in |date=16 April 2017 |language=en-US}}</ref> Co-starring Dilip Kumar and [[Prithviraj Kapoor]], the film revolves around a 16th-century court dancer, [[Anarkali]] (Madhubala), and her affair with the [[Mughal Empire|Mughal]] prince [[Jahangir|Salim]] (Kumar). Since the mid-1940s, Asif had rejected numerous actresses for the part of Anarkali.{{sfnm|1a1=Akbar|1y=1997|1p=130|2a1=Pandhye|2y=2020|2p=130}} Madhubala had joined the cast in 1952 with an advance payment of Rs. 1 lakh{{mdash}}the highest for any actor or actress until then.{{sfn|Deep|1996|p=65}} The filming period proved to be taxing.{{sfnm|1a1=Jhingana|1y=2010|1p=41-43; 45|2a1=Pandhye|2y=2020|2pp=162–164}} Her relationship with Kumar ended amidst shooting and there were reports of animosity between the actors.{{sfnm|1a1=Pandhye|1y=2020|1p=157, 159|2a1=Akbar|2y=1997|2pp=154–155|3a1=Jhingana|3y=2010|3p=41|4a1=Lanba|4a2=Patel|4y=2012|4p=123}} Madhubala was also troubled by the night schedules and complicated dance sequences, which she had been medically asked to avoid.{{sfnm|1a1=Akbar|1y=1997|1pp=130–136; 138; 143–151; 153–160|2a1=Roy|2y=2019|2pp=151–152; 304|3a1=Lanba|3a2=Patel|3y=2012|3p=125}} She fell under the weight of iron chains, extinguished candles with her palm, starved herself for days to depict anguishness in particular scenes and had continuous water flung at her face and whole body painted.{{sfnm|1a1=Akbar|1y=1997|1pp=130–136; 138; 143–151; 153–160|2a1=Roy|2y=2019|2pp=151–152; 304|3a1=Lanba|3a2=Patel|3y=2012|3p=125}} The decade-long principal photography for ''Mughal-e-Azam'' came to an end in May 1959 and left her exhausted, both physically and mentally, to a point that she began considering a retirement.{{sfn|Pandhye|2020|p=164}}

''Mughal-e-Azam'' was first of Madhubala's two [[Color photography|films in colour]]; it had four reels shot in [[Technicolor]].{{sfn|Akbar|1997|p=121}} The film had the widest release of any Indian film up to that time, and patrons often queued all day for tickets.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Patsy N |date=10 November 2004 |title=The making of ''Mughal-e-Azam'' |url=http://www.rediff.com/movies/2004/nov/10seth.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120125105208/http://www.rediff.com/movies/2004/nov/10seth.htm |archive-date=25 January 2012 |access-date=29 November 2021 |work=Rediff.com}}</ref> Released on 5 August 1960, it broke box office records in India and became the highest-grossing Indian film of all time, a distinction it would hold for 15 years.{{sfnm|1a1=Roy|1y=2019|1p=12, 151|2a1=Lanba|2a2=Patel|2y=2012|2p=117}}<ref name="boi60" /> At the [[National Film Awards|1961 National Film Awards]], ''Mughal-e-Azam'' won the [[National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=8th National Film Awards |url=http://iffi.nic.in/Dff2011/Frm8thNFAAward.aspx?PdfName=46NFA.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928071859/http://iffi.nic.in/Dff2011/Frm8thNFAAward.aspx?PdfName=46NFA.pdf |archive-date=28 September 2011 |access-date=29 November 2021 |website=International Film Festival of India}}</ref> and led the [[8th Filmfare Awards]] ceremony with 11 nominations,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Filmfare Award Winners 1961 – 8th (Eighth) Filmfare Popular Awards |url=http://www.awardsandshows.com/features/filmfare-awards-1961-163.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120730231654/http://www.awardsandshows.com/features/filmfare-awards-1961-163.html |archive-date=30 July 2012 |access-date=29 November 2021 |website=Awardsandshows.com}}</ref> including [[Filmfare Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]] for Madhubala.{{sfn|Lanba|Patel|2012|p=118}} A reviewer for ''[[The Indian Express]]'' commented, "Scene after scene bears testimony to 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."<ref name="IEPaper">{{Cite news |date=12 August 1960 |title=Mughal-E-Azam |page=3 |work=The Indian Express |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=P9oYG7HA76QC&dat=19600812&printsec=frontpage&hl=en |access-date=28 October 2017}}</ref>

The success of ''Mughal-e-Azam'' resulted in a string of offers in major roles, but Madhubala had to refuse them owing to her heart condition.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bali |first=Karan |date=17 October 2017 |title=Incomplete Films: Chalaak |url=https://upperstall.com/features/incomplete-films-chalaak/ |access-date=20 November 2021 |website=Upperstall.com}}</ref> She further withdrew from some productions that were already underway, including ''[[Bombai Ka Babu]]'', ''[[Naughty Boy (film)|Naughty Boy]]'', ''[[Jahan Ara (film)|Jahan Ara]]'', ''Yeh Basti Ye Log'', ''Suhana Geet'' and an untitled film with [[Kishore Sahu]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bali |first=Karan |date=14 February 2000 |title=Madhubala |url=https://upperstall.com/profile/luminary/madhubala/ |access-date=20 November 2021 |website=Upperstall.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Gurunathan |first=S. K. |date=24 August 1963 |title=Not all old is Gold! |work=Sports and Pastime |location=Madras |url=http://archive.org/details/dli.bengal.10689.12015 |access-date=24 December 2021}}</ref> She did, however, have a few more releases, which were completed either by body doubles or by Madhubala herself.{{sfn|Akbar|1997|p=105–106}} In late 1960, Madhubala was seen in Shakti Samanta's crime film ''[[Jaali Note]]'', based on the theme of counterfeit money; it was successful financially.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |title=Great Gambler |url=http://www.screenindia.com/old/fullstory.php?content_id=9854 |access-date=15 February 2021 |website=Screen |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090215152817/http://www.screenindia.com/old/fullstory.php?content_id=9854 |archive-date=15 February 2009 |language=en}}</ref> However, Karan Bali of Upperstall.com mentioned her role as "sketchy" and found the romance between her and Dev Anand's characters unconvincing.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bali |first=Karan |date=18 June 2019 |title=Jaali Note |url=https://upperstall.com/film/jaali-note/ |access-date=20 November 2021 |website=Upperstall.com}}</ref> Madhubala's starring role in the musical ''[[Barsaat Ki Raat]]'' (1960) was better received.<ref name="ffare" /> The feature was the year's second-highest-grossing film, trailing only ''Mughal-e-Azam''.<ref name="boi60">{{Cite web |title=Box Office 1960 |url=http://boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=166&catName=MTk2MA== |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120922021750/http://boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=166&catName=MTk2MA== |archive-date=22 September 2012 |publisher=Box Office India}}</ref> A critic for ''The Indian Express'' found her "enchanting",<ref>{{Cite web |date=30 December 1960 |title=Barsaat Ki Raat |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=P9oYG7HA76QC&dat=19601230&printsec=frontpage&hl=en |access-date=24 May 2021 |work=The Indian Express}}</ref> while Venkat Parsa of ''[[The Siasat Daily]]'' noted the rebellious nature of her character, Shabnam, who elopes with her lover (played by Bharat Bhushan) after her parents object to the relationship.<ref>{{Cite web |date=29 September 2020 |title=Barsaat Ki Raat: Greatest-Ever Musical |url=https://www.siasat.com/barsaat-ki-raat-greatest-ever-musical-1986603/ |access-date=1 December 2020 |website=The Siasat Daily |language=en-GB}}</ref>

The back-to-back blockbuster successes of ''Mughal-e-Azam'' and ''Barsaat Ki Raat'' established Madhubala as the most successful leading lady of 1960.<ref name="top">{{Cite web |date=15 January 2013 |title=Top Actress |url=http://boxofficeindia.com/cpages.php?pageName=top_actress |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130115031434/http://boxofficeindia.com/cpages.php?pageName=top_actress |archive-date=15 January 2013 |access-date=27 April 2021 |publisher=Box Office India}}</ref> She subsequently discontinued her career and only preferred starring as love interests in a few films, including the comedies ''[[Jhumroo]]'' (1961), ''[[Boy Friend (1961 film)|Boy Friend]]'' (1961) and ''[[Half Ticket (1962 film)|Half Ticket]]'' (1962), and the dramas ''[[Passport (1961 film)|Passport]]'' (1961) and ''[[Sharabi (1964 film)|Sharabi]]'' (1964).{{sfn|Lanba|Patel|2012|p=125}} All three of her 1961 releases were among the top-grossing productions of the year.<ref>{{Cite web |date=5 February 2010 |title=Box Office 1961 |url=http://boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=167&catName=MTk2MQ== |url-status=live |access-date=21 November 2021 |publisher=Box Office India |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100205044648/http://boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=167&catName=MTk2MQ== |archive-date=5 February 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Gupta |first=Rachit |title=The timeless beauty: Madhubala |url=https://www.filmfare.com/features/the-timeless-beauty-madhubala-4626.html |date=11 November 2013 |access-date=21 November 2021 |publisher=Filmfare |language=en}}</ref> ''Half Ticket'', her last collaboration with husband Kishore Kumar was a critical and commercial success as well.<ref>{{Cite web |date=5 February 2010 |title=Box Office 1962 |url=http://boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=168&catName=MTk2Mg== |url-status=live |access-date=21 November 2021 |publisher=Box Office India |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100205044728/http://boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=168&catName=MTk2Mg== |archive-date=5 February 2010}}</ref> Sukanya Verma called the film one of her most favourite comedies of all time, praising the "palpably fond chemistry" between Madhubala and Kishore.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Verma |first=Sukanya |title=Classic revisited: Kishore Kumar's return ticket to childhood |url=https://www.rediff.com/movies/special/kishore-kumars-return-ticket-to-childhood/20190802.htm |access-date=22 November 2021 |work=Rediff.com |language=en}}</ref> Also released in 1962 was Madhubala Private Ltd.'s third and last presentation, ''Pathan'', which turned out to be a box office flop.{{sfnm|1a1=Akbar|1y=1997|1p=39|2a1=Deep|2y=1996|2pp=94–95}}

===Sabbaticals and final work (1964–1969)===
Following a sabbatical of two years, Madhubala completed ''Sharabi'' in 1964; the film would go on to become her final release in her lifetime.{{sfnm|1a1=Lanba|1a2=Patel|1y=2012|1p=120|2a1=Akbar|2y=1997|2p=107}} Baburao Patel, writing for ''[[Mother India (magazine)|Mother India]]'', praised Madhubala's performance for "reviv[ing] the old heartache".<ref>{{Cite book |last=Patel |first=Baburao |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CBMIAQAAMAAJ |title=Mother India |date=1963 |publisher=Sumati |language=en}}</ref> An editor for Rediff.com called ''Sharabi'' a "fitting finale to a luminous career, showing the actress at her most beautiful and her most effective, a heroine destined not to age in any of our eyes."<ref>{{Cite web |title=When movie greats made their final film appearance |url=https://www.rediff.com/movies/slide-show/slide-show-1-when-movie-greats-made-their-last-film-appearance/20111109.htm |access-date=20 November 2021 |work=Rediff.com |language=en}}</ref>

Two years after Madhubala's death, one of her incomplete works, ''[[Jwala (1971 film)|Jwala]]'' (1971) was released. Co-starring [[Sunil Dutt]] and [[Sohrab Modi]], the film was mainly completed with the help of body doubles. It marked Madhubala's final screen role.{{sfnm|1a1=Akbar|1y=1997|1p=121|2a1=Roy|2y=2019|2p=154}}

==Personal life==
Born in an orthodox Muslim family, Madhubala was deeply religious and practiced [[Islam]] since her childhood.{{sfn|Ekbal|2009|p=17}} 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.{{sfn|Jhingana|2010|p=26}} She learned driving at the age of 12 and by adulthood was the owner of five cars: [[Buick]], [[Chevrolet]], [[Station wagon]], [[Hillman Avenger|Hillman]], and [[Chrysler Town & Country (1941–1988)|Town & Country]] (which was owned by only two people in India at that time, the other one being the [[Maharaja of Gwalior]]).<ref name="valentine">{{Cite web |date=12 February 2010 |title=The Valentine girl |url=https://bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com/entertainment/lounge/the-valentine-girl/articleshow/21927456.cms |access-date=24 July 2021 |website=Bangalore Mirror |language=en}}</ref> As a native speaker of three [[Hindustani language]]s, she began learning English in 1950 from former actress [[Sushila Rani Patel]] and grew fluent in the language in three months.{{sfn|Akbar|1997|p=59}} She also kept eighteen [[German Shepherd|Alsatian dogs]] as pets at Arabian Villa.{{sfn|Reuben|1993|p=178}}<ref>{{Cite web |date=14 February 2020 |title=Madhubala Birth Anniversary: A Look at Some of Lesser Known Facts of the Bollywood Diva's Life |url=https://www.news18.com/news/movies/madhubala-birth-anniversary-a-look-at-some-of-lesser-known-facts-of-the-bollywood-divas-life-2500697.html |access-date=16 October 2021 |website=News 18 |language=en}}</ref>

In 1950, Madhubala was diagnosed with an incurable [[ventricular septal defect]] in her heart (hole in the heart); the diagnosis was not made public as it could jeopardize her career.{{sfnm|1a1=Jhingana|1y=2010|1p=43|2a1=Ekbal|2y=2009|2p=17}}

===Philanthropy===
She performed actively in charity, which led editor Baburao Patel to call her the "queen of charity".{{sfn|Akbar|1997|p=167}}<ref name="donation">{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7UcUAAAAIAAJ |title=Films in Review |date=1951 |publisher=National Board of Review of Motion Pictures |pages=32 |language=en}}</ref> In 1950, she donated {{INR}}5,000 each to children suffering from [[Polio|polio myelitis]] and to the [[Jammu and Kashmir (union territory)|Jammu and Kashmir]] relief fund, and {{INR}}50,000 for the refugees from [[East Bengal]].{{sfn|Akbar|1997|p=70, 83}}<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hARFAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA5 |title=Rs. 50,000 for relief of refugees |publisher=The Indian Express |location=Bombay |publication-date=19 August 1950 |pages=5 |language=en}}</ref> Madhubala's donation sparked off a major controversy due to her religious beliefs and received wide coverage in the media at that time.<ref name="donation" />{{sfnm|1a1=Akbar|1y=1997|1pp=70, 83|2a1=Deep|2y=1996|2pp=46–47}} Subsequently, she kept her charity work guarded and donated anonymously.<ref name="donation" /> In 1954, it was revealed that Madhubala had been regularly giving monthly bonuses to the lower staff of her studios.{{sfn|Akbar|1997|p=167}} She also gifted a camera crane to the [[Film and Television Institute of India]] in 1962, which is operational even today.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Kher video tweets Madhubala's gift to FTII |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/marathi/kher-video-tweets-madhubalas-gift-to-ftii/articleshow/61503151.cms |access-date=24 July 2021 |website=The Times of India |language=en |last1=Phadnis |first1=Mayuri }}</ref>

===Friendships===
While working as a child artist in the mid-1940s, Madhubala befriended Baby Mahjabeen, another child actor of that time, who later grew up as actress [[Meena Kumari]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Mehta |first=Vinod |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=af4vAAAAMAAJ |title=Meena Kumari |publisher=Jaico Publishing House |year=1972 |pages=16 |language=en}}</ref> Despite 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 (Indian actress)|Nadira]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Akbar |first=Katijia |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=r9ZABAAAQBAJ&pg=PT20 |title=I Want to Live: The Story of Madhubala |date=1 April 2011 |publisher=Hay House, Inc |isbn=978-93-81398-21-0 |language=en}}</ref> In 1951, following a major conflict with the press, Madhubala established a friendship with journalist [[B. K. Karanjia]], who became one of the few people of his profession to be allowed inside Arabian Villa.{{sfn|Akbar|1997|p=81}} Sarla Bhushan, the wife of Bharat Bhushan, with whom Madhubala had a special bond, died of labour complications in 1957, much to her distress.{{sfn|Akbar|1997|p=103}} Madhubala was also close to three of her earliest directors{{mdash}}[[Kidar Sharma]], Mohan Sinha, and [[Kamal Amrohi]]{{mdash}}and while there have been rumours regarding her being emotionally involved with them, her younger sister Madhur Bhushan has refuted such claims.<ref>{{Cite web |date=14 February 2019 |title=Madhubala: A screen goddess who was unlucky in matters of the heart |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/bollywood/madhubala-a-screen-goddess-who-was-unlucky-in-matters-of-the-heart/story-SvuqR30Tg7kmjhEJ9JePcP.html |access-date=17 November 2021 |website=Hindustan Times |language=en}}</ref> On the sets of ''Mughal-e-Azam'' (1960), Madhubala often ate lunch with [[Zulfikar Ali Bhutto|Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto]], a Pakistani barrister who later served as the country's [[Prime Minister]]. He used to visit the sets especially for Madhubala,{{sfn|Akbar|1997|p=140–141}} and according to Sushila Kumari was Madhubala's one-sided lover.<ref name=":11" />

===Relationships and marriage===
Madhubala's first relationship was with her ''Badal'' co-star [[Prem Nath]], in early 1951.{{sfn|Akbar|1997|pp=115–116}} They dated for six months before differences figured out due to religion—Nath was a [[Hindu]].<ref name="sick2" /> Although the relationship fizzled out soon, Nath nevertheless remained close to Madhubala and her father Ataullah Khan for the rest of their lives.{{sfnm|1a1=Akbar|1y=1997|1p=115|2a1=Jhingana|2y=2010|2p=28}} Also in 1951, Madhubala began a romance with actor [[Dilip Kumar]], whom she had earlier met working on ''Jwar Bhata'' (1944).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mistress of beauty, stardom and tragedy |url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/entertainment/bollywood/140218/madhubalas-85th-birthday.html |access-date=28 November 2021 |website=Deccan Chronicle|date=14 February 2018 }}</ref> Their affair went on to receive wide media attention throughout the decade.{{sfnm|1a1=Akbar|1y=1997|1p=108|2a1=Pandhye|2y=2020|2p=141}} It had a positive impact on Madhubala and her friends have recalled the following few years as the happiest of her life.{{sfn|Lanba|Patel|2012|p=122}}

As their relationship progressed, Madhubala and Dilip got engaged but could not marry as Khan had some objections.<ref>{{Cite news |title=The women Dilip Kumar really loved |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/photo-features/the-women-dilip-kumar-really-loved/photostory/27185728.cms |access-date=17 November 2021 |website=The Times of India}}</ref> Khan wanted Dilip to act in his production house's films, which the actor refused. Also, Dilip specified to Madhubala that if they were to marry, she will have to sever all ties with her family.{{sfnm|1a1=Akbar|1y=1997|1p=108, 115|2a1=Lanba|2a2=Patel|2y=2012|2p=121–122, 124|3a1=Wani|3y=2016|3pp=144–150, 156, 158|4a1=Bose|4y=2006|4p=322}} She parted ways with him in 1957 amidst the court case over the production of ''Naya Daur'' (1957).{{sfnm|1a1=Akbar|1y=1997|1pp=61, 91–92|2a1=Lanba|2a2=Patel|2y=2012|2p=121|3a1=Roy|3y=2019|3p=151|4a1=Jhingana|4y=2010|4p=29|5a1=Wani|5y=2016|5p=150|6a1=Reuben|6y=1993|6p=172|7a1=Pandhye|7y=2020|7pp=155–156}} Dilip testified against her and Khan in court, which left Madhubala devastated.{{sfnm|1a1=Akbar|1y=1997|1pp=63, 87–92|2a1=Jhingana|2y=2010|2p=29|3a1=Lanba|3a2=Patel|3y=2012|3p=121|4a1=Pandhye|4y=2020|4pp=155–156|5a1=Wani|5y=2016|5p=158|6a1=Reuben|6y=1993|6pp=165–172}}{{efn|News regarding the civil affair also reported Dilip's indelicate behaviour towards Madhubala and her father;<ref>{{cite news |title=Film Stars Tyranny: Letter to F. F. I. chief cited in Madhubala case |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9WFlAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA9 |access-date=28 November 2021 |work=The Indian Express |date=5 May 1957 |language=en }}</ref> the actor, on the other hand, denied this in court and also added that he never proposed marriage to her.<ref>{{cite news |title=Case against Madhubala; more evidence by Dilip Kumar |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oZFlAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA2 |access-date=28 November 2021 |work=The Indian Express |date=28 April 1957 |language=en }}</ref> However, actor [[Om Prakash]] recalled a similar incident from 1957 in which Dilip pressurized Madhubala to marry him and break up with her family.{{sfn|Lanba|Patel|2012|p=124}}}} In the meantime, Madhubala was proposed marriage by three of her co-stars: [[Bharat Bhushan]], a widower, [[Pradeep Kumar (actor)|Pradeep Kumar]] and [[Kishore Kumar]], both of whom had previously been married.{{sfn|Lanba|Patel|2012|p=125}}

On the sets of ''Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi'' (1958), Madhubala rekindled a friendship with Kishore Kumar,<ref name=":5" /> who was a childhood acquaintance.{{sfnm|1a1=Akbar|1y=1997|1p=189|2a1=Lanba|2a2=Patel|2y=2012|2p=125}} They went on to date for two years and had a court marriage on 16 October 1960. There are reports suggesting that Kumar, a Hindu, had converted to Islam to marry her, but these claims have been refuted by her sister.{{sfnm|1a1=Akbar|1y=1997|1p=189|2a1=Deep|2y=1996|2p=102}}{{efn|Biographer Kanana Jhingana cites the marriage date as 16 November 1960.{{sfn|Jhingana|2010|p=30}} According to Piyush Roy and Mohan Deep, Kishore, a Hindu, had converted to [[Islam]] and changed his name to "Karim Abdul" to marry Madhubala.{{sfnm|1a1=Roy|1y=2019|1p=212|2a1=Deep|2y=1996|2p=99}} However, in Akbar's book, [[Leena Chandavarkar]] (Kishore's fourth wife) denied these claims,{{sfn|Akbar|1997|p=189}} and so did Madhur Bhushan, in a 2022 interview.<ref>{{Cite web |date=3 July 2022 |title='Where is Madhubala's Bharat Ratna or any other recognition?' asks the evergreen star's sister Madhur Bhushan — #BigInterview|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/we-want-to-celebrate-madhubalas-life-we-dont-want-to-hurt-anyones-sentiments-reveals-sister-madhur-bhushan-biginterview/articleshow/92628250.cms|access-date=4 July 2022 |website=[[The Times of India]]}}</ref>}} The union was disliked by her father, as well as her in-laws who had not expected their son to marry a Muslim.{{sfn|Jhingana|2010|p=31}} Madhubala and Kishore also came to be considered a mismatch in the industry due to their contrasting personalities.{{sfnm|1a1=Jhingana|1y=2010|1p=30|2a1=Roy|2y=2019|2p=152|3a1=Akbar|3y=1997|3p=185}}

===Health deterioration and final years===
{{quote box
| quote = "[I] brought her home as my wife, even though I knew she was dying from a congenital heart problem. For 9 long years, I nursed her. I watched her die before my own eyes. You can never understand what this means until you live through this yourself. She was such a beautiful woman and she died so painfully. She would rave and rant and scream in frustration. How can such an active person spend 9 long years bed-ridden? And I had to humour her all the time. That's what the doctor asked me to. That's what I did till her very last breath. I would laugh with her. I would cry with her."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nandy |first=Pritish |author-link=Pritish Nandy |date=2018-08-04 |title=When Kishore Kumar spoke to Pritish Nandy about Bombay, Hitchcock and his many wives |url=https://theprint.in/features/when-kishore-kumar-spoke-to-pritish-nandy-about-bombay-hitchcock-and-his-many-wives/93307/ |access-date=2021-10-11 |website=The Print |language=en}}</ref>
| source = {{mdash}} Kishore Kumar on his relationship with Madhubala
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Soon after their marriage in 1960, Madhubala and Kishore Kumar traveled to [[London]] along with her doctor [[Rustom Jal Vakil]], combining their honeymoon with the specialised treatment of Madhubala's heart disease, which was aggravating rapidly.{{sfn|Akbar|1997|p=185}} In London, doctors refused to operate on her, fearing complications, and instead advised Madhubala to avoid any kind of stress and anxiety.{{sfnm|Akbar|1997|p=185}} She was dissuaded from having any children and given a life expectancy of two years.{{sfnm|1a1=Jhingana|1y=2010|1p=30|2a1=Lanba|2a2=Patel|2y=2012|2p=125}}
Madhubala and Kishore subsequently returned to Bombay and she shifted to Kishore's home{{sfn|Deep|1996|pp=100–101}} in [[Bandra]].{{sfnm|1a1=Akbar|1y=1997|1p=185|2a1=Jhingana|2y=2010|2p=31}} Her health continued declining and she now frequently quarrelled with her husband.{{sfn|Jhingana|2010|p=31}} Ashok Kumar (Kishore's elder brother) recalled that her sickness turned her into a "bad-tempered" person and she spent most of her time in her father's house.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Singh |first=Arpita |date=4 August 2018 |title=Kishore Kumar's 89th birth anniversary: Few unknown facts about the legendary singer |url=https://www.indiatvnews.com/entertainment/celebrities-kishore-kumars-89th-birth-anniversary-few-unknown-facts-about-the-legendary-singer-456349 |access-date=13 July 2021 |website=India TV News |language=en}}</ref> To escape the bitterness of her in-laws due to religious differences, Madhubala later moved into Kishore's newly bought flat at Quarter Deck in Bandra.<ref name="sick" />{{sfn|Jhingana|2010|p=31}} However, Kishore stayed in the flat only for a short period and then left her with a nurse and a driver.<ref name="sick" /> Although he was bearing all her medical expenses, Madhubala felt abandoned and returned to her own house in less than two months of her marriage.{{sfnm|1a1=Jhingana|1y=2010|1p=31|2a1=Roy|2y=2019|2p=212}} For the rest of her life, he visited her occasionally,{{sfn|Jhingana|2010|pp=31–34}} which Madhubala's sister Madhur Bhushan thought was possibly to "detach himself from her so that the final separation wouldn't hurt."<ref name="sick">{{Cite web |title=Madhubala's sister, Madhur Bhushan, reveals the most shocking details about the late actor's life |url=https://www.filmfare.com/news/bollywood/madhubalas-sister-madhur-bhushan-reveals-the-most-shocking-details-about-the-late-actors-life-25267.html |access-date=12 July 2021 |publisher=Filmfare |language=en}}</ref>
In late June 1966,{{sfn|Deep|1996|p=16}} Madhubala seemed to have partly 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.{{sfn|Akbar|1997|p=104}} Her comeback was welcomed by the media, but Madhubala immediately fainted as the shoot began; the film was thus never completed.{{sfn|Akbar|1997|p=92, 104}} She was subsequently hospitalized in the [[Breach Candy Hospital]], where she met her former boyfriend Dilip Kumar and returned home after being discharged.<ref name="sick2" /> To alleviate her [[insomnia]], Madhubala used [[hypnotic]]s on Ashok's suggestion, but it further exacerbated her problems.{{sfn|Deep|1996|p=101}}

Madhubala spent her final years bedridden and lost a lot of weight. Her particular fascination was Urdu poetry and she regularly watched her films (particularly ''Mughal-e-Azam'') on a [[Projector|home projector]].<ref name="sick2" /> She grew very reclusive, meeting only [[Geeta Dutt]] and [[Waheeda Rehman]] from the film industry in those days.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Madhur Bhushan: I won't give up on my dream of making a biopic on Madhubala |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/madhur-bhushan-i-wont-give-up-on-my-dream-of-making-a-biopic-on-madhubala/articleshow/74441663.cms |access-date=3 January 2022 |website=The Times of India |language=en |last1=Maheshwri |first1=Neha }}</ref> She had to undergo [[exchange transfusion]] almost every week.<ref name="sick2" />{{sfn|Deep|1996|p=106}} Her body began producing excess blood that would spill out of her nose and mouth;{{sfn|Jhingana|2010|p=32}} Vakil had to thus extract the blood to prevent complications, and an oxygen cylinder had to be kept by her side as she often suffered from [[Hypoxia (medical)|hypoxia]].<ref name="sick" /><ref name="sick2">{{Cite web |title=Madhubala was sad when Dilip Kumar got married |url=https://www.filmfare.com/interviews/madhubala-was-sad-when-dilip-kumar-got-married--madhur-bhushan-3309.html |access-date=12 July 2021 |publisher=Filmfare |language=en}}</ref> After the ''Chalaak'' incident, Madhubala turned her attention to film direction and began preparing for her directorial debut, titled ''Farz aur Ishq'', in February 1969.<ref name="mrandmrs55.com"/>

==Death==
By early 1969, Madhubala's health was in serious and major decline: she had just contracted [[jaundice]] and on [[urinalysis]] was diagnosed as having [[hematuria]].<ref name="Recollections 2016">{{cite web |title=Her Sister's Recollections |website=Cineplot |date=16 April 2016 |url=http://cineplot.com/legends-madhubala/madhubala-memories/ |access-date=19 August 2016 |archive-date=17 September 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160917034953/http://cineplot.com/legends-madhubala/madhubala-memories/ |url-status=dead}}</ref> Madhubala suffered a [[heart attack]] in the midnight of 22 February.{{sfn|Jhingana|2010|p=33}} After struggling for few hours amongst her family members and Kishore, she died at 9:30 a.m. of 23 February,<ref name="Dilip saab">{{Cite web |title=She could never forget Dilip saab |url=https://www.filmfare.com/magazine/june-2020/she-could-never-forget-dilip-saab-madhur-bhushan-on-sister-madhubala-41757.html |access-date=21 September 2021 |publisher=Filmfare |language=en}}</ref> aged 36.{{sfn|Jhingana|2010|p=34}} Madhubala was buried at [[Juhu]] Muslim Cemetery in [[Santacruz, Mumbai|Santacruz]], Bombay along with her personal diary.{{sfn|Akbar|1997|p=191}}<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ganguli |first=Aakriti |date=14 February 2018 |title=Madhubala's 85th birth anniversary: Ethereal beauty of yesteryear actress captured in 15 pictures |url=https://www.indiatvnews.com/photos/entertainment-madhubala-s-85th-birth-anniversary-ethereal-beauty-of-yesteryear-actress-captured-in-15-pictures-427779 |access-date=21 September 2021 |publisher=India TV |language=en}}</ref> Her tomb was built with marbles and inscriptions include [[Āyah|aayats]] from [[Quran]] and verse dedications.{{sfn|Akbar|1997|p=191}}

Due to Madhubala's absence from the social scene for almost a decade, her death was perceived as unexpected and found wide coverage in the Indian press.{{sfn|Akbar|1997|pp=191–196}} ''The Indian Express'' recalled her as "the most sought-after Hindi film actress" of her times,<ref>{{Cite news |date=24 February 1969 |title=Madhubala dead |page=1 |work=The Indian Express |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=P9oYG7HA76QC&dat=19690224&printsec=frontpage&hl=en |access-date=7 August 2021}}</ref> while ''Filmfare'' characterized her as "a [[Cinderella]] whose clock had struck twelve too soon".{{sfn|Akbar|1997|p=196}} A number of her co-workers including Premnath (who wrote a poem dedicated to her),{{sfn|Akbar|1997|p=195}} B. K. Karanjia and Shakti Samanta expressed their grief over her premature death.{{sfn|Roy|2019|p=153}} Gossip columnist [[Gulshan Ewing]] commented in a personal farewell 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, all life was love, all love was life. That was Madhubala{{mdash}}loveliest of the shining stars."{{sfn|Akbar|1997|p=196}}

In 2010, Madhubala's tomb along with those of other industry stalwarts, including [[Mohammed Rafi]] and [[Sahir Ludhianvi]], was demolished to make room for new interments. Her remains were placed at an unknown location.{{sfn|Roy|2019|p=142}}<ref>{{Cite web |date=11 February 2020 |first=Bella |last=Jaisinghani |title=Rafi, Madhubala don't rest in peace here |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/rafi-madhubala-dont-rest-in-peace-here/articleshow/5558345.cms |access-date=17 June 2021 |website=[[The Times of India]] |language=en}}</ref>

==Public image==
Madhubala was one of the most celebrated and versatile film stars in India from the late 1940s to early 1960s.<ref name="top" /><ref name="britannica">{{Cite web |title=Madhubala {{!}} Biography, Films, & Facts |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Madhubala |access-date=16 October 2021 |website=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]] |language=en}}</ref> In 1951, [[James Cobb Burke]] photographed her for a feature in the American magazine ''[[Life (magazine)|Life]]'', which described her as the biggest star in the Indian film industry at that time.{{sfn|Roy|2019|p=149}}<ref>{{Cite news |title=Madhubala: Google pays tribute to Madhubala on 86th birth anniversary with doodle |work=The Economic Times |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/panache/google-pays-tribute-to-madhubala-on-86th-birth-anniversary-with-doodle/articleshow/67986137.cms?from=mdr |access-date=16 October 2021}}</ref> Her fame reached beyond India as well: director [[Frank Capra]] offered her a break in Hollywood (which her father declined)<ref name="britannica" /> and in August 1952, [[David Cort]] of ''[[Theatre Arts Magazine]]'' wrote of her as "the biggest star in the world{{mdash}}and she's not in the [[Beverly Hills, California|Beverley Hills]]."{{sfnm|1a1=Akbar|1y=1997|1p=75|2a1=Lanba|2a2=Patel|2y=2012|2p=119}}<ref name="story of india" /> Cort estimated Madhubala's Indian and Pakistani fan base 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.<ref name="theatre arts" /> Along with [[Nargis]], she also had large fan following in Greece.<ref name="greece">{{Cite web |date=14 February 2018 |title=When Greece fell in love with Madhubala |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/madhubala-5063241/ |access-date=24 July 2021 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}</ref>

Dilip Kumar described Madhubala as "the only star for whom people thronged outside the gates."{{sfn|Akbar|1997|page=78}} Her fame was acknowledged by ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine also, which went on to call her a "cash and curry star" in its January 1959 issue.<ref name=":7">{{Cite news |date=5 January 1959 |title=MOVIES ABROAD: The New Maharajahs |language=en-US |magazine=Time |url=https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,810822,00.html |access-date=20 November 2021 |issn=0040-781X}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Govil |first=Nitin |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EvzPBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA11 |title=Orienting Hollywood: A Century of Film Culture Between Los Angeles and Bombay |date=27 March 2015 |publisher=NYU Press |isbn=978-0-8147-8934-6 |language=en}}</ref> In films, she was often billed before the leading man, and web portal [[Rediff.com]] mentioned her as a more powerful celebrity than her male contemporaries.<ref>{{Cite web |date=17 March 2021 |title=Why is Indian Actress Madhubala still Relevant? |url=https://www.desiblitz.com/content/why-is-indian-actress-madhubala-still-relevant |access-date=19 March 2021 |website=DESIblitz |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":16" /> For ''Mahal'' (1949), her first film under a major production company, Madhubala was paid a sum of {{INR}}7,000.{{sfn|Lanba|Patel|2012|p=116}} The film's success established her career as a leading lady,<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Memon |first1=Ayaz |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6_1tAAAAMAAJ |title=India 50: The Making of a Nation |last2=Banerji |first2=Ranjona |date=1997 |publisher=Ayaz Memon and Book Quest Publishers |isbn=978-81-86025-06-2 |language=en}}</ref> and she subsequently became one of the highest-paid Indian stars of the upcoming decade.<ref name=":9" />{{sfnm|1a1=Akbar|1y=1997|1p=70|2a1=Booch|2y=1962|2p=76|3a1=Bhatia|3y=1952|3p=142|4a1=Jhingana|4y=2010|4p=26}} In 1951, filmmaker and editor [[Arabinda Mukhopadhyay|Aurbindo Mukhopadhyay]] reported that Madhubala charges {{INR}}1.5 lakh per film.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Gooptu |first=Sharmistha |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lWEuEAAAQBAJ&pg=PT166 |title=Bengali Cinema: An Other Nation |date=31 May 2018 |publisher=Roli Books Private Limited |isbn=978-81-937049-5-0 |language=en}}</ref> She received an unprecedented amount of {{INR}}3 lakh for her decade-long work in ''Mughal-e-Azam'' (1960).{{sfn|Deep|1996|pp=65–67}} Madhubala was placed seven times on [[Box Office India]]'s list of top actresses from 1949 to 1951, and from 1958 to 1961.<ref name="top" />
Madhubala's beauty and physical attractiveness were widely acknowledged, and led the media to refer to her as "The [[Venus (mythology)|Venus]] of [[Cinema of India|Indian cinema]]" and "The Beauty with Tragedy".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Madhubala Birth Anniversary: A Look at Some of Lesser Known Facts of the Bollywood Diva's Life |url=https://www.news18.com/news/movies/madhubala-birth-anniversary-a-look-at-some-of-lesser-known-facts-of-the-bollywood-divas-life-2500697.html |access-date=21 October 2021 |website=News 18 |date=14 February 2020 |language=en}}</ref> In 1951, Clare Mendonca of ''[[The Illustrated Weekly of India]]'' called her "the number one beauty of the Indian screen".<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Mendonca |first=Clare |date=24 June 1951 |title=Mehboob's Colour Film: 'Aan' |url=https://archive.org/details/dli.bengal.10689.12088/page/n410/mode/2up? |journal=[[The Illustrated Weekly of India]] |volume=72 |pages=42 |via=Archive.org}}</ref> Several of her co-workers cited her as the most beautiful woman they ever saw.<ref name="justice">{{Cite web |title='No photos did justice to Madhubala's beauty' |url=https://www.rediff.com/movies/slide-show/slide-show-1-excerpts-from-madhubala-biography/20110531.htm |access-date=24 July 2021 |work=Rediff.com |language=en}}</ref> [[Nirupa Roy]] said that "there never was and never will be anyone with her looks" while [[Nimmi]] (co-star in the 1954 film ''Amar'') admitted passing a sleepless night after her first meeting with Madhubala.<ref name="justice" /> In 2011, [[Shammi Kapoor]] confessed to falling in love with her during the shoot of the 1953 film ''Rail Ka Dibba'': "Even today ... I can swear that I have never seen a more beautiful woman. Add to that her sharp intellect, maturity, poise and sensitivity ... When I think of her even now, after six decades, my heart misses a beat. My God, what beauty, what presence."<ref>{{Cite news |date=27 February 2016 |title=The rock 'n' roll Romeo |language=en-IN |work=[[The Hindu]] |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/mumbai/entertainment/The-rock-%E2%80%99n%E2%80%99-roll-Romeo/article15616929.ece |access-date=24 July 2021 |issn=0971-751X}}</ref> Due to her perceived appeal, Madhubala became one of the brand ambassadors of beauty products by [[Lux (soap)|Lux]] and [[Godrej Group|Godrej]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Salam |first=Ziya Us |date=1 February 2015 |title=The soap opera continues |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/the-soap-opera-continues/article6845302.ece |access-date=1 October 2021 |issn=0971-751X}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=30 September 2021 |title=Beauty x Bollywood: How Indian stars are supporting and promoting beauty brands |url=https://www.lifestyleasia.com/ind/beauty-grooming/makeup/bollywood-stars-indian-beauty-brands-collaborations-bhumi-pednekar-taapsee-pannu/ |access-date=1 October 2021 |website=Lifestyle Asia India |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Chandna |first=Himani |date=28 April 2019 |title=Godrej Vatni was India's foremost Swadeshi soap, and it didn't remind you of Partition |url=https://theprint.in/features/brandma/godrej-vatni-was-indias-foremost-swadeshi-soap-and-it-didnt-remind-you-of-partition/228216/ |access-date=1 December 2021 |website=The Print |language=en-US}}</ref> However, she stated that happiness matters more to her than physical beauty.<ref name="story of india">{{Cite web |last=Sirur |first=Simrin |date=23 February 2019 |title=Remembering Madhubala, film screen legend who was 'story of India' and wanted 'to live' |url=https://theprint.in/theprint-profile/remembering-madhubala-film-screen-legend-who-was-story-of-india-and-wanted-to-live/195495/ |access-date=12 July 2021 |website=[[The Print]] |language=en-US}}</ref>

From the beginning of her career, Madhubala gained a reputation for avoiding parties and refusing interviews, leading her to be labeled recluse and arrogant.{{sfnm|1a1=Akbar|1y=1997|1pp=69–76|2a1=Booch|2y=1962|2p=78}} On an unusual instance in 1958, her father even wrote an apology letter to then-Prime Minister of India, [[Jawaharlal Nehru]], for disallowing Madhubala to attend Nehru's private function where she was invited.<ref name="valentine"/> Having been a part of the film industry since childhood, Madhubala saw the social scene as 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."{{sfn|Akbar|1997|p=70}} In a two decade-long career, Madhubala was seen at the premieres of only two films{{mdash}}''Bahut Din Huwe'' (1954) and ''[[Insaniyat (1955 film)|Insaniyat]]'' (1955){{mdash}}both for personal reasons.{{sfnm|1a1=Lanba|1a2=Patel|1y=2012|1p=122 for attending ''Insaniyat''{{'s}} premier|2a1=Akbar|2y=1997|2p=72|3a1=Roy|3y=2019|3pp=150–151}}{{efn|Madhubala was escorted by her then-boyfriend Dilip Kumar at the premiere of ''Insaniyat''.{{sfn|Lanba|Patel|2012|p=122}} Besides that, she had also attended the special screening of ''[[Gateway of India (1957 film)|Gateway of India]]'' in 1957, held by director [[Om Prakash]], along with actress [[Meena Kumari]] and director Kamal Amrohi.{{sfn|Akbar|1997|p=102}}}} Her regular photographer, Ram Aurangbadakar complained that she "lacked warmth" and "was very detached",<ref name="my life">{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bMa5zwEACAAJ |title=My Life : Madhubala |date=2 July 2014 |publisher=General Press |isbn=978-93-80914-96-1 |pages=48 |language=en }}</ref> which is also reflected in Ashokamitran's statement describing her as an inarticulate and pitiful person.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ashokamitran |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LCCaCwAAQBAJ&pg=PT34 |title=Fourteen Years with Boss |date=1 March 2016 |publisher=Penguin UK |isbn=978-93-85890-84-0 |pages=34 |language=en}}</ref> Gulshan Ewing, one of Madhubala's closest associates, however, differed and stated that her friend "was none of these."{{sfn|Akbar|1997|page=30}} [[Nadira (Indian actress)|Nadira]] added that Madhubala "had not a strain of pettiness, of anything small. That girl did not know anything about hate,"<ref>{{Cite web |title=Khatija Akbar on Madhubala's tragic affair with Dilip Kumar |url=https://m.rediff.com/movies/apr/04madhu1.htm |access-date=10 August 2021 |work=Rediff.com}}</ref> and Dev Anand recalled her as a "self-assured [and] cultured [person], very independent in her thinking and particular about her way of life and her position in the film industry."{{sfn|Akbar|1997|p=64}}

Madhubala's refusal to grant interviews or to interact with the press drew in extreme reactions from its members.{{sfn|Akbar|1997|p=84}} By early 1950, Khan had begun asserting in her film contracts that no journalists would be allowed to meet her without his permission.{{sfn|Akbar|1997|p=84}}{{efn|According to Madhubala's youngest sister, Madhur Bhushan, the contemporary media reports that documented Madhubala's early life presented Khan in a negative light for letting his teenager daughter to work instead of himself, which led to him banning a majority of journalists from interviewing or even meeting Madhubala.<ref name="outlook">{{Cite web |title=Madhubala's Younger Sister Madhur Brij Bhushan: She Was A Courageous Girl Who Never Gave Up On Life |url=https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/entertainment-news-madhubalas-younger-sister-madhur-brij-bhushan-she-was-a-courageous-girl-who-never-gave-up-on-life/347274 |access-date=5 June 2021 |website=Outlook|date=14 February 2020 }}</ref>}} When shortly after Madhubala declined to entertain a set of visiting journalists on set, they started vilifying her and her family and further placed a bounty to behead and kill her.{{sfn|Akbar|1997|pp=81–82}} For self-protection, Madhubala was given the permission to carry a revolver and move around under armed protection by the [[State governments of India|state government]], until Khan and other journalists ultimately made a settlement.{{sfn|Akbar|1997|p=84}} Her relationship with the press remained bitter, nevertheless, and she was regularly pointed out by it for her religious beliefs and perceived arrogance.<ref name="theatre arts">{{cite news |last1=Cort |first1=David |author-link1=David Cort |date=4 August 1952 |title=The Biggest Star in the World{{mdash}}and she's not in the Beverley Hills |language=en-US |pages=23–26 |work=[[Theatre Arts Magazine]] |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=40FNAAAAYAAJ |access-date=29 September 2021}}</ref>{{sfn|Booch|1962|p=78}} Another major controversy she faced during her career was the ''Naya Daur'' civil war fought against B. R. Chopra, which Bunny Reuben mentions in his memoir as "the most sensational court case ever to be fought in the annals of Indian cinema."{{sfn|Reuben|1993|p=165}}

Regardless of all these dissensions, Madhubala was known in the media as a disciplined and professional performer,{{sfn|Akbar|1997|p=18}} with Kidar Sharma (director of the 1947 film ''Neel Kamal'') recalling her early days in the industry, "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."{{sfn|Akbar|1997|p=44}} Anand said in a 1958 interview, "When Madhubala is on the set, one often goes much ahead in the schedule."{{sfn|Akbar|1997|p=79}} Except for the filming of ''Gateway of India'' (1957) and ''Mughal-e-Azam'' (1960), Khan never allowed Madhubala to work in nights.{{sfnm|1a1=Akbar|1y=1997|1p=102|2a1=Bose|2y=2006|2p=203}} Despite medical precautions, she performed even exhausting scenes by herself, such as doing complicated dances, wearing iron chains twice of her body weight and getting wet in water.{{sfnm|1a1=Akbar|1y=1997|1pp=143–151|2a1=Jhingana|2y=2010|2p=41|3a1=Pandhye|3y=2020|3p=162}}<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kohli |first=Suresh |date=19 March 2011 |title=Timeless appeal |url=https://www.deccanherald.com/content/147125/timeless-appeal.html |access-date=18 October 2021 |website=Deccan Herald |language=en}}</ref>

==Artistry and legacy==
===Acting style and reception===
In a 22-year-long career, Madhubala acted in almost every film genre, ranging from romantic musicals to slapstick comedies, and crime thrillers to historical dramas.{{sfn|Khdair|2020|p=52}}<ref>{{Cite news |title=Muslim female icons of Bollywood |work=The Nation |url=https://www.nation.com.pk/17-Jun-2016/muslim-female-icons-of-bollywood |url-status=live |access-date=26 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221219234730/https://www.nation.com.pk/17-Jun-2016/muslim-female-icons-of-bollywood |archive-date=19 December 2022}}</ref> The author of ''Celebrities: A Comprehensive Biographical Thesaurus of Important Men and Women in India'' (1952), Jagdish Bhatia noted that Madhubala turned her disadvantages into advantage and despite her non-filmy background "rose to be one of the most talented female stars of the industry."{{sfn|Bhatia|1952|p=142}} Baburao Patel, writing for ''[[Filmindia]]'', called her "easily our most talented, most versatile and best-looking artiste."{{sfn|Akbar|1997|p=26}} A number of her directors including Sharma, Shakti Samanta and [[Raj Khosla]] spoke highly of her acting talents on different occasions.{{sfn|Akbar|1997|p=45, 80, 106}} Ashok Kumar described her as the finest actress he ever worked with,{{sfn|Akbar|1997|p=100}} while Dilip Kumar wrote in his autobiography that she was "a vivacious artiste ... so instantaneous in her responses that the scenes became riveting even when they were being filmed ... she was an artiste who could keep pace and meet the level of involvement demanded by the script."<ref>{{Cite web |date=8 July 2021 |title=When Dilip Kumar revealed his feelings for Madhubala in his autobiography: 'Must admit I was attracted to her' |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/when-dilip-kumar-revealed-his-feelings-for-madhubala-in-his-autobiography-must-admit-i-was-attracted-to-her-101625724981161.html |access-date=18 October 2021 |website=Hindustan Times |language=en}}</ref>

Writing retrospectively for ''[[The New York Times]]'', Aisha Khan characterised Madhubala's acting style as "natural" and "understated", noting that she often portrayed roles of "modern young women testing the limits of traditions".<ref name=":1" /> Film critic [[Sukanya Verma]] felt that actresses like Madhubala "should be applauded for doing more than just looking good and crying buckets."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Verma |first=Sukanya |date=2 December 2004 |title=What do Sridevi, Kajol and Preity have in common? |url=https://www.rediff.com/movies/2004/dec/02corner.htm |access-date=16 November 2021 |work=Rediff.com |language=en}}</ref> Madhubala was acknowledged in the media for her unconventional roles,<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |date=14 February 2019 |title=Madhubala, the enigmatic icon who shone as a rebel in her films |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/bollywood/madhubala-the-enigmatic-icon-who-shone-as-a-rebel-in-her-films/story-SYbKAa0Fc4de6wVxLkdgpN.html |last=Kaushal |first=Sweta |access-date=11 May 2021 |work=Hindustan Times |language=en}}</ref> such as a flirtatious cabaret dancer in ''Howrah Bridge'' (1958){{mdash}}which led ''Filmfare'' to compare her with [[Rita Hayworth]] and [[Ava Gardner]]<ref name="ffare" />{{mdash}}a rebellious and independent woman in ''Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi'' (1958),<ref name=":8">{{Cite web |last=Roy |first=Rinki |date=17 September 2012 |title=Give the Bollywood woman some respect! |url=https://www.rediff.com/movies/report/give-the-bollywood-woman-some-respect/20120917.htm |access-date=28 April 2021 |work=Rediff.com |language=en}}</ref> and a fearless court dancer in ''Mughal-e-Azam'' (1960).{{sfnm|1a1=Khdair|1y=2020|1p=49, 52|2a1=Lanba|2a2=Patel|2y=2012|2p=117}} Her roles in ''Amar'' (1954),{{sfn|Sarkar|2009|p=77}} ''Gateway of India'' (1957),<ref name="gahlot" /> and ''Barsaat Ki Raat'' (1960)<ref name="bkr">{{Cite web |date=29 September 2020 |last=Parsa |first=Venkat |title=Barsaat ki Raat: Greatest-Ever Musical |url=https://www.siasat.com/barsaat-ki-raat-greatest-ever-musical-1986603/ |access-date=1 December 2020 |work=[[The Siasat Daily]] |language=en-GB}}</ref> have also been noted by modern-day critics for being offbeat and significantly different from the usual portrayals of female characters in Indian cinema. Madhubala has also been credited for introducing several modern styles, such as trousers (for females) and strapless dresses in [[Bollywood]].<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |date=14 February 2019 |last=Jha |first=Srishti |title=Madhubala and the eternity of style and beauty |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/fashion-and-trends/madhubala-and-the-eternity-of-style-and-beauty/story-kc6pk9rxwUKu1Yxx7UOm7K.html |access-date=25 July 2021 |website=Hindustan Times |language=en}}</ref><ref name="six fashion">{{cite web |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/fashion/celeb-style/6-iconic-fashion-statements-we-owe-to-madhubala/articleshow/67992822.cms |title=6 Iconic fashion statements we owe to Madhubala! |website=The Times of India |date=14 February 2019 |access-date=15 February 2019 |archive-date=15 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190215012316/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/fashion/celeb-style/6-iconic-fashion-statements-we-owe-to-madhubala/articleshow/67992822.cms |url-status=live}}</ref> Her distinctive wavy hairstyle was referred to as "the out-of-the-bed look" and further established her screen persona as a liberated and independent woman.<ref name="hair">{{Cite web |title=PIX: Bollywood's ICONIC hairstyles, over the years |url=https://www.rediff.com/movies/slide-show/slide-show-1-pix-changing-hairstyles-in-bollywood-over-the-years/20130319.htm |access-date=18 October 2021 |work=Rediff.com |language=en}}</ref><ref name="six fashion" /> David Cort summarized her as "the ideal of the free Indian woman or what India hopes the free Indian woman will be."<ref name="theatre arts" />

Madhubala had the shortest career among her contemporaries, but by the time she quit acting, she had already successfully featured in [[Madhubala filmography|over 70 films]].<ref name=":17">{{Cite web |date=21 May 2011 |title=Indian cinema's greatest beauty Madhubala{{mdash}}victim of a despotic father |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/leisure/story/20110523-chandan-mitra-reviews-khatija-akbar-book-i-want-to-live-the-story-of-madhubala-746072-2011-05-13 |access-date=13 December 2021 |website=India Today |language=en}}</ref> Her screen time in leading roles was always equal to her male co-stars{{mdash}}which has otherwise been a rarity{{mdash}}and she has also been credited for being one of the earliest personalities who, in the era of [[mass communication]], took the position of Indian cinema to [[World cinema|global standards]].<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Saha |first1=Nibedita |date=28 April 2018 |title=Madhu Bala: Indian cinema's first international superstar |url=https://www.sundayguardianlive.com/culture/madhu-bala-indian-cinemas-first-international-superstar |access-date=13 December 2021 |website=[[The Sunday Guardian|The Sunday Guardian Live]] |language=en-US}}</ref> Moreover, with ''Bahut Din Huwe'' (1954), Madhubala became the first Hindi actress to have a career in [[Cinema of South India|south Indian cinema]].{{sfnm|1a1=Akbar|1y=1997|1p=72|2a1=Jhingana|2y=2010|2p=28}} [[Jerry Pinto]] has cited Madhubala as one of the earliest Bollywood actresses who created a 'distinct [[sex symbol]]' by "merg[ing]" "the vamp and the virgin",<ref>{{Cite book |last=Garga |first=B. D. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ITAnAgAAQBAJ&pg=PT207 |title=Art Of Cinema |date=1 December 2005 |publisher=Penguin UK |isbn=978-81-8475-431-5 |language=en}}</ref> and publications including Rediff.com and ''[[Hindustan Times]]'' mentioned her among the topmost sex symbols of Bollywood.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sexiest Bollywood stars of all times |url=https://www.rediff.com/movies/slide-show/slide-show-1-sexiest-bollywood-stars-of-all-times/20100511.htm |access-date=27 November 2021 |work=Rediff.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=15 September 2011 |title=Thinking man's sex symbol |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/photos/entertainment/thinking-man-s-sex-symbol/photo-ktBtYJCdPomR11VoG7UCFO.html |access-date=27 November 2021 |website=Hindustan Times |language=en}}</ref> A 2011 poll conducted by Rediff.com saw Madhubala receiving the third highest number of votes among "the hottest women who've ever scorched our screens"; the portal's writer commented, "In the end, I guess, it's about beauty. And there weren't many who could match up to the ethereal Madhubala."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Readers Choice: The Sexiest Actresses of All Time |url=https://www.rediff.com/movies/slide-show/slide-show-1-readers-choice-the-sexiest-actresses-of-all-time/20110711.htm |access-date=27 November 2021 |work=Rediff.com |language=en}}</ref>{{Efn|Although Madhubala became primarily known for her sex appeal and attractiveness, she was reluctant to be cited as a sex symbol and underappreciated frequent comparisons with [[Marilyn Monroe]].{{sfn|Akbar|1997|p=78}}}}

Although Madhubala appeared in almost all [[film genre]]s during her career, her most notable films included comedies.{{sfn|Akbar|1997|p=25}} She gained recognition for her [[comic timing]] after her performance in ''Mr. & Mrs. '55'' (1955),<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Saran |first1=Sathya |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JVD7dajMt3YC&pg=PA40 |title=Ten Years with Guru Dutt: Abrar Alvi's Journey |last2=Alvi |first2=Abrar |date=2008 |publisher=Penguin Books India |isbn=978-0-670-08221-6 |pages=40 |language=en}}</ref> which Iqbal Masud of ''[[India Today]]'' call "a marvellous piece of sexy-comic acting."<ref name=":10">{{cite news |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/society-the-arts/books/story/19970228-book-review-of-khatija-akbar-madhubala-her-life-her-films-830193-1997-02-28 |title=Trivial tale |date=28 February 1997 |work=[[India Today]] |last=Masud |first=Iqbal |access-date=31 July 2021 |archive-date=28 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210728142314/https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/society-the-arts/books/story/19970228-book-review-of-khatija-akbar-madhubala-her-life-her-films-830193-1997-02-28 |url-status=live}}</ref> However, despite her success and fame, she neither received any acting award nor critical acclaim.{{sfn|Akbar|1997|p=159}} Several critics have stated that her perceived beauty was an impediment to her craft to be taken seriously.{{sfn|Akbar|1997|p=159}}<ref name=":13">{{Cite web |last=Haasan |first=Mehndi |date=5 June 2011 |title=The legend of Madhubala |url=https://www.dawn.com/2011/06/05/non-fiction-on-screen-off-the-legend-of-madhubala/ |access-date=17 December 2021 |website=[[Dawn (newspaper)|Dawn]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Subhash |first=K. Jha |date=14 February 2018 |title=Madhubala was so beautiful they ignored her versatility |url=https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/news/bollywood/madhubala-beautiful-ignored-versatility/ |access-date=22 December 2021 |website=[[Bollywood Hungama]] |language=en}}</ref> Madhubala wished to play more dramatic and author-backed roles, but was often discouraged.{{sfnm|1a1=Akbar|1y=1997|1p=135|2a1=Lanba|2a2=Patel|2y=2012|2p=118}} According to Dilip Kumar, audience "missed out on a lot of her other attributes."{{sfn|Akbar|1997|p=114}} Biographer Sushila Kumari said that "people were so mesmerised by her beauty that they never cared for the actress",<ref name=":11">{{Cite news |last=Kumar |first=Anuj |date=6 January 2010 |title=Capturing Madhubala's pain |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/capturing-madhubalarsquos-pain/article16836222.ece1 |access-date=13 December 2021 |issn=0971-751X}}</ref> and Shammi Kapoor thought of her as "a highly underrated actress in spite of performing consistently well in her films."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rauf |first=Ahmed |date=3 February 2016 |title=When Shammi Kapoor fell for Madhubala |url=https://m.rediff.com/movies/special/when-shammi-kapoor-fell-for-madhubala/20160203.htm |access-date=6 July 2021 |work=Rediff.com}}</ref>

Madhubala's talents were first acknowledged after the release of ''Mughal-e-Azam'' (1960),<ref name="mint">{{Cite web |last=Ramani |first=Priya |date=30 April 2011 |title=Madhubala and that almost-forgotten age |url=https://www.livemint.com/Opinion/tZ2yrJWnpcuzymTYWJdVGO/Madhubala-and-that-almostforgotten-age.html |access-date=13 December 2021 |website=[[Mint (newspaper)|Mint]] |language=en}}</ref> but it turned out to be one of her final films.{{sfn|Akbar|1997|p=159}} Her dramatic portrayal of Anarkali{{mdash}}ranked amongst Bollywood's finest female performances by ''Upperstall.com''<ref>{{Cite web |date=1 February 2009 |title=Dus Numbri - Incredible Female Performances |url=https://upperstall.com/features/dus-numbri-1-incredible-female-performances/ |access-date=13 December 2021 |website=Upperstall.com}}</ref> and by ''Filmfare'' in general<ref name="iconic" />{{mdash}}established her as an enduring figure in Indian cinema.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pothukuchi |first=Madhavi |date=16 February 2020 |title=Madhubala and K Asif's grandeur is what makes Mughal-e-Azam an epic |url=https://theprint.in/features/reel-take/madhubala-and-k-asifs-grandeur-is-what-makes-mughal-e-azam-an-epic/365623/ |access-date=29 April 2021 |website=The Print |language=en-US}}</ref> One of the romantic scenes from the film, in which Dilip Kumar brushes Madhubala's face with a [[Plume (feather)|plume]], was declared the most erotic scene in Bollywood's history by ''[[Outlook (Indian magazine)|Outlook]]'' in 2008,<ref name="Outlook: Fallen Veil">{{Cite journal |last=Patel |first=Bhaichand |date=19 May 2008 |title=The Fallen Veil |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XDEEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA62 |journal=Outlook |volume=48 |issue=20 |page=54}}</ref> and by ''[[Hindustan Times]]'' in 2011.<ref name="let">{{Cite news |last=Sharma |first=Rohit |date=13 February 2011 |title=Still our Valentine |work=Hindustan Times |url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/ColumnsOthers/Still-our-Valentine/Article1-662007.aspx |url-status=dead |access-date=14 December 2021 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130125125107/http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/ColumnsOthers/Still-our-Valentine/Article1-662007.aspx |archive-date=25 January 2013}}</ref> Her critical reception improved in the 21st century,{{sfn|Lanba|Patel|2012|pp=118–123}}<ref name=":13" /> with Khatija Akbar noting that Madhubala's "brand of acting had an underplayed and spontaneous quality. Anyone looking for heavy histrionics and laboured 'acting' missed the point".{{sfn|Akbar|1997|page=159}} In 1999, M. L. Dhawan of ''[[The Tribune (Chandigarh)|The Tribune]]'' stated that Madhubala "could communicate more with her delicately raised eyebrows than most performers could with a raised voice" and "knew the knack of conveying her character's inner-most feelings."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dhawan |first=M. L. |date=25 July 1999 |title=The Immortal Magic of Madhubala |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/1999/99aug01/sunday/head8.htm |access-date=17 June 2021 |website=[[The Tribune]]}}</ref> [[Priya Ramani]] of ''[[Mint (newspaper)|Mint]]'' added: "You only had to slip her into a wet sari, ask her to lean invitingly into the camera or hand her co-star a feather, and you could comfortably forecast that the cinematic sigh would resonate for at least a hundred years."<ref name="mint" /> Journalist Rauf Ahmed added Madhubala on his "Biggest stars in Hindi filmdom" list and noted: "Madhubala symbolised ultimate beauty. Which in a way undermined her merit as an actress. She imparted a lot of sizzle and impishness to her performances in films like ''Chalti Ka Naam Gadi'' and ''Mughal-e-Azam''."<ref>{{Cite news |title=The editor on the biggest stars in Hindi filmdom |work=Rediff.com |url=https://m.rediff.com/millenni/rauf.htm |url-status=live |access-date=30 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201128234730/https://m.rediff.com/millenni/rauf.htm |archive-date=28 November 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Chary |first1=Manish Telikicherla |title=India Nation on the Move: An Overview of India's People, Culture, History, Economy, IT Industry, & More |date=2009 |publisher= iUniverse|isbn=978-1440116353 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6WE8SwINOKMC&dq=suraiya+actress&pg=PA63 |language=English}}</ref>

===Legacy===
[[File:Madhubala 2008 stamp of India.jpg|thumb|Madhubala on the 2008 stamp of India]]
In recent years, Madhubala's legacy has maintained fans of all different ages, both younger and older. She is recognized even by those who are unfamiliar with vintage cinema and has dozens of [[Fansite|fan sites]] dedicated to her on the [[social media]].<ref name="mill" /> Modern magazines continue to publish stories on her personal life and career, often promoting her name heavily on the covers to attract sales.<ref name="mill" /> Her legacy has extended to fashion also: she has been acknowledged as the creator of many iconic fashion styles, such as wavy hairstyle and [[strapless dress]]es, which are widely followed by many celebrities.<ref name="six fashion" /> In accordance with her enduring popularity, [[Network18 Group|News 18]] wrote, "the cult of Madhubala is a difficult thing to match up to."<ref>{{Cite web |date=6 March 2013 |title=100 Years of Indian Cinema: The ethereal Madhubala |url=https://www.news18.com/news/india/100-years-of-indian-cinema-the-ethereal-madhubala-594790.html |access-date=6 July 2021 |website=News 18 |language=en}}</ref> Several modern-day celebrities, including [[Aamir Khan]], [[Hrithik Roshan]],<ref name=":12">{{Cite web |last=Bhagat |first=Rasheeda |date=31 May 2011 |title=Madhubala's timeless beauty |url=https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/opinion/columns/rasheeda-bhagat/madhubalas-timeless-beauty/article22993218.ece |access-date=17 December 2021 |website=[[Business Line]] |language=en}}</ref> [[Shah Rukh Khan]], [[Madhuri Dixit]],<ref>{{Cite web |date=14 February 2019 |title=Madhuri Dixit remembers Madhubala on her birth anniversary. See pic |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/bollywood/madhuri-dixit-re-creates-one-of-madhubala-s-iconic-looks-on-her-birth-anniversary-see-pic/story-UKDkAOJ5SC1oN6huwxO2qJ.html |access-date=13 December 2021 |website=Hindustan Times |language=en}}</ref> [[Rishi Kapoor]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=Arora |first=Rumani |date=14 June 2016 |title=Rishi Kapoor reveals his FANTASY about Madhubala! |url=https://www.indiatvnews.com/entertainment/bollywood-rishi-kapoor-fantasy-madhubala-romance-song-334453 |access-date=13 December 2021 |website=India TV News |language=en}}</ref> and [[Naseeruddin Shah]] rank Madhubala among their favorite artistes of Indian cinema.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Akbar |first=Katijia |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=r9ZABAAAQBAJ |title=I Want to Live: The Story of Madhubala |date=1 April 2011 |publisher=Hay House, Inc |isbn=978-93-81398-21-0 |language=en}}</ref> Research analyst Rohit Sharma has studied narratives about Madhubala and surmised the reason behind her continued relevancy among new generation:
{{blockquote|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{{mdash}}one who will never be matched by the here-today-gone-tomorrow Bollywood heroines.<ref name="mill" /> |source=}}
On the occasion of her eighty-fifth birthday, Nivedita Mishra of ''Hindustan Times'' described Madhubala as "by far, the most iconic silver screen goddess India has produced."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mishra |first=Nivedita |date=14 February 2018 |title=Madhubala's 85th birth anniversary: Beyond her arresting beauty, a look at her life's tragedies |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/bollywood/happy-birthday-madhubala-beyond-her-arresting-beauty-a-look-at-her-life-s-tragedies/story-LFF77gysIELbj7GNLrVBiK.html |access-date=13 December 2021 |website=Hindustan Times |language=en}}</ref> In the decades following her death, she has emerged as one of the most celebrated personalities in the Indian cinematic field,<ref name="story of india" /><ref name="m3">{{Cite news |title=Remembering Madhubala, the 'Marilyn Monroe of Bollywood' |work=[[India Today]] |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/gk-current-affairs/story/madhubala-310060-2016-02-23 |url-status=live |access-date=31 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190426100644/https://www.indiatoday.in/amp/education-today/gk-current-affairs/story/madhubala-310060-2016-02-23 |archive-date=26 April 2019}}</ref> and her reputation has endured.<ref name="mill">{{Cite web |last=Mohamed |first=Khalid |date=16 December 2017 |title=Here's Why Madhubala Has a Huge Millennial Fan Following |url=https://www.thequint.com/entertainment/flashback/madhubala-fan-following-among-millennials |access-date=27 July 2021 |website=[[The Quint]] |language=en}}</ref> Also in polls and surveys, she is described as one of India's finest and most beautiful actresses of all-time.{{efn|In 1990, a poll was conducted by the magazine ''Movie'' in which Madhubala polled 58 per cent as the most famous Indian actress ever.{{sfn|Lanba|Patel|2012|p=126}} She yet again won a similar poll conducted by ''[[Outlook (Indian magazine)|Outlook]]'' in 2008.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XDEEAAAAMBAJ |title=Outlook |date=13 May 2008 |publisher=Outlook Publishing |language=en}}</ref> In [[Rediff.com]]'s [[International Women's Day]] 2007 special, Madhubala was ranked second in its top ten list of "Bollywood's best actresses".<ref name=":16">{{cite web |url=http://specials.rediff.com/women07/2007/mar/06wslid10.htm |title=Bollywood's best actresses. Ever. (Wet, wild and on the run, honey) |work=[[Rediff.com]] |access-date=2 June 2012 |archive-date=24 May 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120524033323/http://specials.rediff.com/women07/2007/mar/06wslid10.htm |url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2012, ''[[India Today]]'' named her one of the top heroines of Bollywood,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Top heroines of Bollywood |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/cinema/100-years-of-indian-cinema/photo/top-actresses-of-bollywood-ever-367543-2012-05-01 |access-date=9 July 2021 |website=India Today |date=May 2012 |language=en}}</ref> and in 2015 ''[[Time Out (magazine)|Time Out]]'' placed her at the first position in the list of The Ten Best Bollywood Actresses.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The ten best Bollywood actresses |url=https://www.timeout.com/london/film/the-ten-best-bollywood-actresses |access-date=9 July 2021 |website=Time Out London |language=en}}</ref> In a [[United Kingdom|UK]] poll celebrating 100 years of Indian cinema in 2013, Madhubala was at the sixth position among the greatest Indian actresses of all-time.<ref name="eastern">{{Cite web |date=27 July 2013 |title=Amitabh Bachchan crowned greatest Bollywood star in UK poll |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/celebrities/story/amitabh-bachchan-crowned-greatest-bollywood-star-in-uk-poll-171783-2013-07-27 |access-date=9 July 2021 |website=India Today |language=en}}</ref> She has also placed in the top ten in polls by [[NDTV]] (2012),<ref>{{Cite web |date=16 June 2012 |title=Most popular actresses of all time Photos {{!}} Pictures – Yahoo! Movies India |url=http://in.movies.yahoo.com/photos/most-popular-actresses-of-all-time-slideshow/most-popular-actresses-of-all-time-photo-1339488686.html |access-date=9 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120616023801/http://in.movies.yahoo.com/photos/most-popular-actresses-of-all-time-slideshow/most-popular-actresses-of-all-time-photo-1339488686.html |archive-date=16 June 2012}}</ref> [[Rediff.com]] (2013),<ref>{{Cite web |title=Readers' Pick: Top 10 Bollywood Actresses OF ALL TIME! |url=https://www.rediff.com/movies/slide-show/slide-show-1-reader-s-pick-top-ten-actresses-in-bollywood-of-all-time-100-years/20130503.htm |access-date=9 July 2021 |website=Rediff |language=en}}</ref> [[News18]] (2013)<ref>{{Cite web |date=7 March 2013 |title=IBNLive Poll: Sridevi voted the greatest Indian actress in 100 years |url=https://www.news18.com/news/india/ibnlive-poll-sridevi-voted-the-greatest-indian-actress-in-100-years-595098.html |access-date=9 July 2021 |website=[[News18]] |language=en}}</ref> and [[Yahoo!|Yahoo.com]] (2020).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Vote now! Who are India's 10 greatest actresses of all time? |url=https://in.news.yahoo.com/vote-india-greatest-actresses-of-all-time-yahoo-110217332.html |access-date=9 July 2021 |publisher=Yahoo! News |language=en-IN}}</ref> ''[[The Economic Times]]'' featured her in the list of "33 women who made India proud" in 2010.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshowpics/5661380.cms |website=The Times of India |title=Day in Pics |access-date=22 September 2021}}</ref>}} Khatija Akbar,<ref name=":12" /> [[Mohan Deep]] and Sushila Kumari have also written books about her.<ref name=":10" /><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?201688 |title=Indiscreet Liaisons |publisher=Outlook India |access-date=14 December 2021 |archive-date=12 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131112181342/http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?201688 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":11" />

==Works and accolades==
{{Main|Madhubala filmography}}
Madhubala appeared in 72 films between 1942 and 1964, including ''[[Basant (film)|Basant]]'' (1942), ''[[Neel Kamal (1947 film)|Neel Kamal]]'' (1947), ''[[Mahal (1949 film)|Mahal]]'' (1949), ''[[Baadal (1951 film)|Badal]]'' (1951), ''[[Tarana (1951 film)|Tarana]]'' (1951), ''[[Amar (1954 film)|Amar]]'' (1954), ''[[Mr. & Mrs. '55]]'' (1955), ''[[Kala Pani (1958 film)|Kala Pani]]'' (1958), ''[[Howrah Bridge (1958 film)|Howrah Bridge]]'' (1958), ''[[Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi]]'' (1958), ''[[Mughal-e-Azam]]'' (1960), ''[[Barsaat Ki Raat]]'' (1960), ''[[Half Ticket (1962 film)|Half Ticket]]'' (1962) and ''[[Sharabi (1964 film)|Sharabi]]'' (1964). Her seventy-third and last film was the posthumously released ''[[Jwala (1971 film)|Jwala]]'' (1971). She was credited as a producer in ''[[Naata (film)|Naata]]'' (1955), ''[[Mehlon Ke Khwab]]'' (1960) and ''Pathan'' (1962).{{sfn|Deep|1996|p=15}} For her work in ''Mughal-e-Azam'', Madhubala was nominated for [[Filmfare Award for Best Actress]]; it was the only nomination she ever received.{{sfn|Lanba|Patel|2012|p=118}}

==Tributes and honours==
As a tribute to Madhubala, ''Mandoubala'', a Greek song dedicated to her, was performed at the closing ceremony of the 2004 Athens Olympics.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nag |first=Uthathya |date=11 March 2022 |title=Madhubala at Athens 2004: Greece's love letter to India's Marilyn Monroe |url=https://olympics.com/en/news/madhubala-song-greece-athens-2004-olympics-closing-ceremony-india-bollywood |access-date=3 May 2022 |website=Olympics.com}}</ref> Digitally-colorized versions of two of Madhubala's films{{mdash}}''Mughal-e-Azam'' (in 2004) and ''Half Ticket'' (in 2012){{mdash}}have been released theatrically.<ref>{{Cite web |date=19 July 2004 |first=Sandeep |last=Unnithan |title=Epic movie Mughale-Azam returns in colour cinemascope, digital sound |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/society-the-arts/films/story/20040719-epic-movie-mughale-azam-returns-in-colour-digital-sound-789831-2004-07-19 |access-date=16 June 2021 |website=India Today |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=29 May 2013 |title='Chori Chori', 'Half Ticket' – black and white classics now in colour |work=Business Standard India |url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/chori-chori-half-ticket-black-and-white-classics-now-in-colour-113052900880_1.html |access-date=16 June 2021}}</ref> In March 2008, [[India Post|Indian Post]] issued a commemorative postage stamp featuring Madhubala, that was launched by her surviving family members and co-stars;<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/postal-stamp-released-on-the-legendary-madhubala/311221/ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130122165214/http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/postal-stamp-released-on-the-legendary-madhubala/311221/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=22 January 2013 |title=Postal stamp released on the legendary Madhubala |author=Bhagria, Anupam |date=18 May 2008 |work=[[The Indian Express]] |access-date=2 June 2012}}</ref> the only other Indian actress that was honoured in this manner was Nargis, at that point of time.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ibnlive.in.com/news/postal-dept-stamps-yesteryear-star-madhubala/61526-8.html |title=Postal Dept. stamps yesteryear star Madhubala |date=19 March 2008 |author=Mihir, Trivedi |publisher=[[IBN Live]] |access-date=2 June 2012 |archive-date=17 May 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120517151706/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/postal-dept-stamps-yesteryear-star-madhubala/61526-8.html |url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 2010, ''[[Filmfare]]'' included Madhubala's performance as Anarkali in ''Mughal-e-Azam'' in its list of Bollywood's "80 Iconic Performances".<ref name="iconic">{{cite journal |url=https://tanqeed.com/filmfare-top-80-iconic-performances-old-article-2010/ |title=80 Iconic Performances |journal=Filmfare Via Tanqeed.com |date=4 June 2010 |access-date=12 January 2012}}</ref> Her introduction scene in ''Mughal-e-Azam'' was included by Sukanya Verma in ''[[Rediff.com]]''{{'}}s list of "20 scenes that took our breath away".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Verma |first=Sukanya |date=28 May 2019 |title=20 scenes that took our breath away! |url=https://www.rediff.com/movies/special/-20-scenes-that-took-our-breath-away-/20190528.htm |access-date=22 November 2021 |work=Rediff.com |language=en}}</ref> The film itself has been considered one of the greatest films ever made in polls by ''[[British Film Institute]]'' and ''[[News18]]''.<ref name="bfipoll">{{Cite web |year=2002 |title=Top 10 Indian Films |url=http://www.bfi.org.uk/features/imagineasia/guide/poll/india |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110515101729/http://www.bfi.org.uk/features/imagineasia/guide/poll/india/ |archive-date=15 May 2011 |access-date=29 April 2021 |website=British Film Institute}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=17 April 2013 |title=100 Years of Indian Cinema: The 100 greatest Indian films of all time |url=http://www.news18.com/photogallery/movies/100-years-of-indian-cinema-the-100-greatest-indian-films-of-all-time-903065.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130425234818/http://ibnlive.in.com/photogallery/13200-56.html |archive-date=25 April 2013 |access-date=29 April 2021 |website=[[News18]] |page=36}}</ref> In August 2017, the [[Madame Tussauds Delhi|New Delhi center of Madame Tussauds]] unveiled a statue of Madhubala inspired by her look in the film as a tribute to her.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.ndtv.com/entertainment/madhubala-as-anarkali-unveiled-in-madame-tussauds-delhi-1736150 |title=Madhubala, As Anarkali, Unveiled in Madame Tussauds Delhi |work=NDTV |access-date=31 August 2019 |archive-date=31 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190831155231/https://www.ndtv.com/entertainment/madhubala-as-anarkali-unveiled-in-madame-tussauds-delhi-1736150 |url-status=live}}</ref> In 2018, ''[[The New York Times]]'' published a belated obituary for Madhubala, comparing her life to that of [[Marilyn Monroe]].<ref name=":1">{{cite news |last1=Khan |first1=Aisha |date=8 March 2018 |title=Madhubala, a Bollywood Legend Whose Tragic Life Mirrored Marilyn Monroe's |website=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/obituaries/overlooked-madhubala.html |url-status=live |access-date=9 March 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180308215255/https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/obituaries/overlooked-madhubala.html |archive-date=8 March 2018}}</ref> On 14 February 2019, her 86th birth anniversary, search engine [[Google]] commemorated her with a [[Doodle4Google|doodle]];<ref name="Madhubala on Google Doodle">{{cite web |title=Google doodle pays a beautiful tribute to Madhubala on her 86th birth anniversary |website=[[Times Now]] |date=14 February 2019 |url=https://www.timesnownews.com/entertainment/news/bollywood-news/article/google-doodle-pays-a-beautiful-tribute-to-madhubala-on-her-86th-birth-anniversary/365552 |access-date=14 February 2019 |archive-date=14 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190214024204/https://www.timesnownews.com/entertainment/news/bollywood-news/article/google-doodle-pays-a-beautiful-tribute-to-madhubala-on-her-86th-birth-anniversary/365552 |url-status=live}}</ref> 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{{mdash}}who would have turned 86 today{{mdash}}was called "The Biggest Star in the World" in 1952 by ''Theatre Arts Magazine''."<ref name="Madhubala's Google Doodle">{{cite web |title=Madhubala's 86th Birthday |date=14 February 2019 |url=https://doodles.google/doodle/madhubalas-86th-birthday/ |access-date=14 February 2019 |archive-date=14 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190214014038/https://www.google.com/doodles/madhubalas-86th-birthday |url-status=live}}</ref>

==Popular culture references==
===Biographies===
* In 1996, [[Mohan Deep]] wrote the first biography of Madhubala, titled ''The Mystery and Mystique of Madhubala''.{{sfn|Deep|1996}}
* In 1997, Khatija Akbar wrote another biography, titled ''[[Madhubala: Her Life, Her Films]]''.{{sfnm|1a1=Akbar|1y=1997}}
*Sushila Kumari published a biography titled ''Madhubala – Dard Ka Safar'' in 2010.<ref name=":11" />

===In music===
*In the 1970s, Greek singer [[Stelios Kazantzidis]] produced the song "Mandoubala" as a tribute to Madhubala.<ref name="greece" />
*In the 2011 film ''[[Mere Brother Ki Dulhan]]'', the song "[[Mere Brother Ki Dulhan (soundtrack)|Madhubala]]", written by [[Irshad Kamil]] and picturized on [[Katrina Kaif]], pays tribute to Madhubala.<ref>{{Cite news |last=IANS |date=2012-04-14 |title=Ali Zafar mesmerises fans in true Bollywood style |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/bollywood/ali-zafar-mesmerises-fans-in-true-bollywood-style/story-sL6lZxqhOhIOJbpzbfqAHO.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160927160341/http://www.hindustantimes.com/bollywood/ali-zafar-mesmerises-fans-in-true-bollywood-style/story-sL6lZxqhOhIOJbpzbfqAHO.html |archive-date=27 September 2016 |access-date=2025-01-15 |work=[[Hindustan Times]] |language=en |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2011-05-06 |title=Katrina's tribute to Madhubala |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/katrinas-tribute-to-madhubala/articleshow/8166462.cms|access-date=2025-02-21 |work=Times of India |language=en}}</ref>

===In film===
*The 1950 film ''[[Madhubala (1950 film)|Madhubala]]'' was named after the actress as a tribute to her stardom.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sands Of Time: Part 6 {{!}} The Biggest Star In The World Who Turned Down Frank Capra |url=https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/india-news-sands-of-time-part-6-the-biggest-star-in-the-world-who-turned-down-frank-capra/407772 |access-date=3 January 2022 |website=[[Outlook India]]|date=January 2022 }}</ref>
*In the 1958 film ''[[Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi]]'', Manmohan (Kishore Kumar), on seeing Renu (Madhubala) in his garage, excitedly says, "Hum samjha koi bhoot-woot hoga" ("Oh I thought it was a ghost"). The dialogue was a reference to Madhubala's portrayal of a ghostly woman in ''Mahal'' (1949).<ref>{{Cite book |last=Anjaria |first=Ulka |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XHwSEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA22 |title=Understanding Bollywood: The Grammar of Hindi Cinema |date=4 March 2021 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-000-34729-6 |page=22 |language=en}}</ref>
*Actress [[Nishi (actress)|Nishi]] parodied Madhubala in the 1960 film ''[[Parakh (1960 film)|Parakh]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Verma |first=Sukanya |title=Classic Revisited: Bimal Roy's satirical gem, Parakh |url=https://www.rediff.com/movies/report/classic-revisited-bimal-roys-satirical-gem-parakh/20140925.htm |access-date=14 November 2021 |work=Rediff.com |language=en}}</ref>
*In the 1990 film ''[[Jeevan Ek Sanghursh]]'', the characters of [[Madhuri Dixit]] and [[Anil Kapoor]] imitated a dance sequence featuring Madhubala and Kishore Kumar from ''Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi'' (1958).<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last=Raheja |first=Dinesh |title=Classics Revisited: Why Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi is nonstop fun |url=https://m.rediff.com/movies/2003/jan/08dinesh.htm |date=8 January 2003 |access-date=18 October 2021 |work=Rediff.com}}</ref>
*Madhuri Dixit parodied Madhubala in the 1990 film ''[[Kishen Kanhaiya]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The BIGGEST fans, in the movies! |url=https://www.rediff.com/movies/report/the-biggest-fans-in-the-movies/20160414.htm |date=14 April 2016 |access-date=20 November 2021 |work=Rediff.com |language=en}}</ref>
*In the opening credits of the 1995 film ''[[Rangeela (1995 film)|Rangeela]]'', a tribute to the [[Bollywood|Hindi film industry]], each name is accompanied with an image of a vintage film star, including Madhubala, Dev Anand and [[Amitabh Bachchan]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=5 September 2020 |title=25 years, 25 reasons to love 'Rangeela' |url=https://lifestyle.livemint.com//how-to-lounge/art-culture/25-years-25-reasons-to-love-rangeela-111634488601009.html |access-date=16 November 2021 |website=Mintlounge |language=en}}</ref>
*Madhubala's Anarkali look has inspired Madhuri Dixit in ''[[Lajja (film)|Lajja]]'' (2001) and [[Mallika Sherawat]] in ''[[Maan Gaye Mughal-e-Azam]]'' (2008).<ref>{{Cite book |last=Bose |first=Nandana |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DpiMDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA90 |title=Madhuri Dixit |date=4 April 2019 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing |isbn=978-1-911239-16-1 |pages=90 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Gupshup |first=Gullu |title=Mallika to do a Mughal-e-Azam |url=https://www.rediff.com/movies/report/look/20080102.htm |access-date=14 November 2021 |work=Rediff.com |language=en}}</ref>
*[[Priyanka Chopra]] parodied Madhubala, [[Meena Kumari]] and Nargis in the 2007 film ''[[Salaam-e-Ishq]]''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Salaam-E-Ishq: Stars shine in mediocre film |url=http://www.rediff.com/movies/2007/jan/26salaam.htm |author=Verma, Sukanya |work=Rediff.com |date=26 January 2007 |access-date=28 November 2021 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131005091022/http://www.rediff.com/movies/2007/jan/26salaam.htm |archive-date=5 October 2013}}</ref>
*In 2017, actress [[Mouni Roy]] dressed herself as Madhubala's Anarkali for a dance performance.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Mouni Roy replicates legendary star Madhubala, slays in her retro avatar |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tv/news/hindi/mouni-roy-replicates-legendary-star-madhubala-slays-in-her-retro-avatar/articleshow/62240916.cms |access-date=14 November 2021 |website=The Times of India |date=25 December 2017 |language=en}}</ref>
* Madhubala has served as the inspiration behind the characters of actresses [[Soha Ali Khan]], [[Kangana Ranaut]] and [[Deepika Padukone]] in ''[[Khoya Khoya Chand]]'' (2007),<ref>{{Cite web |title=Is Madhubala the Marilyn Monroe of Indian cinema? |url=http://www.firstpost.com/entertainment/is-madhubala-the-marilyn-monroe-of-indian-cinema-625810.html |access-date=7 September 2021 |website=[[Firstpost]] |date=14 February 2013}}</ref> ''[[Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai]]'' (2010),<ref>{{cite news |title='My character is a mix of Madhubala and Haji Mastan's wife' |url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/news-feed/archived-stories/my-character-is-a-mix-of-madhubala-and-haji-mastan-s-wife/article1-560917.aspx |access-date=7 September 2021 |work=Hindustan Times |date=21 June 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140320113034/http://www.hindustantimes.com/news-feed/archived-stories/my-character-is-a-mix-of-madhubala-and-haji-mastan-s-wife/article1-560917.aspx |archive-date=20 March 2014}}</ref> and ''[[Bajirao Mastani]]'' (2015),<ref name="Deepika">{{Cite web |last=Jha |first=Subhash K. |date=1 October 2015 |title=Deepika Padukone, modern-day Madhubala? |url=http://www.rediff.com/movies/report/deepika-padukone-modern-day-madhubala/20151001.htm |access-date=7 September 2021 |work=Rediff.com}}</ref> respectively.

In July 2018, Madhubala's sister Madhur Bhushan, announced that she was planning to make a biopic on her sister.<ref name="Biopic">{{cite web |title=Madhubala's Sister To Make A Biopic on Actress. Details Here |publisher=[[NDTV]] |date=8 July 2018 |url=https://www.ndtv.com/entertainment/madhubalas-sister-to-make-a-biopic-on-actress-details-here-1880148 |access-date=10 July 2018 |archive-date=9 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180709083727/https://www.ndtv.com/entertainment/madhubalas-sister-to-make-a-biopic-on-actress-details-here-1880148 |url-status=live}}</ref> Bhushan wants [[Kareena Kapoor]] to play Madhubala, but as of 2018, the project remains in its initial stages.<ref name="Biopic" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=11 August 2017 |title=Madhubala's sister Madhur Brij says she wants Kareena Kapoor Khan to play the late actor |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/madhubala-sister-madhur-brij-kareena-late-actor-in-biopic-4792172/ |access-date=7 September 2021 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}</ref> In November 2019, filmmaker [[Imtiaz Ali (director)|Imtiaz Ali]] was considering a biopic of Madhubala, but later dropped the idea after her family denied permission.<ref name=":15">{{Cite web |date=14 February 2020 |title=''Love Aaj Kal'' director Imtiaz Ali is no longer making the much-awaited Madhubala biopic? |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/love-aaj-kal-director-imtiaz-ali-is-no-longer-making-the-much-awaited-madhubala-biopic/articleshow/74129452.cms |access-date=27 December 2021 |website=[[The Times of India]] |language=en}}</ref> Actresses including [[Kriti Sanon]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kriti Sanon wants to play the lead in biopics on Madhubala and Meena Kumari |url=https://www.filmfare.com/news/bollywood/kriti-sanon-wants-to-play-the-lead-in-biopics-on-madhubala-and-meena-kumari-50482.html |access-date=13 December 2021 |website=Filmfare |language=en}}</ref> [[Kangana Ranaut]],<ref>{{Cite news |title=Kangana Ranaut wants to play Madhubala |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/kangana-ranaut-wants-to-play-madhubala/articleshow/74890408.cms |access-date=13 December 2021 |website=The Times of India |language=en}}</ref> [[Kiara Advani]],<ref>{{Cite web |date=17 June 2021 |title=Kiara Advani Wants to Do a Madhubala Biopic |url=https://www.news18.com/news/movies/kiara-advani-wants-to-do-a-madhubala-biopic-3857435.html |access-date=13 December 2021 |website=News 18 |language=en}}</ref> and [[Janhvi Kapoor]],<ref name="Janhvi Kapoor as Madhubala">{{cite web |title=Janhvi Kapoor would love to play Meena Kumari or Madhubala |website=The Indian Express |date=14 July 2018 |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/janhvi-kapoor-meena-kumari-madhubala-dhadak-ishaan-khatter-5258968/ |access-date=14 July 2018 |archive-date=14 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180714053819/https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/janhvi-kapoor-meena-kumari-madhubala-dhadak-ishaan-khatter-5258968/ |url-status=live}}</ref> and [[Yami Gautam]] have expressed their wish to play Madhubala in a biopic.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-02-09 |title=Yami Gautam wants to play Madhubala: 'She remains an icon' |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/playing-madhubala-warrior-princess-among-roles-on-yami-gautams-wish-list-8434305/ |access-date=2023-03-17 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}</ref>

In March 2024, Sony Pictures International announced their collaboration with Brewing Thoughts and Madhubala Ventures (the vehicle of her sister, Madhur Bhushan) to produce a biopic on Madhubala. It will be directed by Jasmeet Reen.<ref>{{Cite news |date=March 15, 2024 |title=A Biopic Chronicling the Legacy of Iconic Actress Madhubala |url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/entertainment/bollywood/sony-pictures-unveils-a-momentous-project-madhubala-biopic-885339 |access-date=March 24, 2024 |work=Deccan Chronicle}}</ref>

==Footnotes==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Bibliography==
* {{Cite book |last=Akbar |first=Khatija |title=Madhubala: Her Life, Her Films |title-link=Madhubala: Her Life, Her Films |date=1997 |publisher=[[Hay House]] |isbn=978-93-80480-81-7}}
* {{cite book |last=Bhatia |first=Jagdish |title=Celebrities: A Comprehensive Biographical Thesaurus of Important Men and Women in India |publisher=Aeon Publishers |year=1952 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VqY5AQAAIAAJ}}
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* {{Cite book |last=Deep |first=Mohan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DCVlAAAAMAAJ |title=The Mystery and Mystique of Madhubala |publisher=Magna Books |year=1996 |isbn=1906574219 |location=[[New Delhi]] |language=en |author-link=Mohan Deep}}
* {{cite book |last=Ekbal |first=Nikhat |title=Great Muslims of undivided India |publisher=Gyan Publishing House |year=2009 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zjWqXCOTehMC |isbn=9788178357560}}
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* {{cite book |last=Patel |first=Baburao |title=Stars of the Indian Screen |publisher=Parker & Sons |year=1952}}
* {{cite book |last1=Reuben |first1=Bunny |title=Follywood Flashback : A Collection of Movie Memories |date=1993 |publisher=Indus |location=New Delhi |isbn=9788172231064 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YrwaAQAAIAAJ |language=English |oclc=651858921}}
* {{cite book |last=Roy |first=Piyush |title=Bollywood FAQ: All That's Left to Know About the Greatest Film Story Never Told |publisher=Applause Theatre Book Publishers |year=2019 |isbn=9781495082306 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MlCwDwAAQBAJ}}
* {{cite book |last=Sarkar |first=Bhaskar |title=Mourning the Nation: Indian Cinema in the Wake of Partition |publisher=Duke University Press |year=2009 |isbn=9780822392217 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wghFNlpM3PIC}}
* {{cite book |last=Wani |first=Aarti |title=Fantasy of Modernity |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=2016 |isbn=9781107117211 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=A6kwCwAAQBAJ}}

==Further reading==
* {{Cite news |last=Bajaj |first=Rajiv K. |author-link=Rajiv Bajaj |date=26 May 1996 |title='The Mystery and Mystique of Madhubala'{{mdash}}Review |work=The Daily}}
* {{Cite news |last=Kamath |first=M. V. |author-link=M. V. Kamath |title=Madhubala |date=1 June 1996 |work=The Daily}}
* {{Cite news |last=Clifford |first=Sawhney |title=Madhubala |date=1 June 1996 |work=[[Debonair (magazine)|Debonair]]}}
* {{Cite news |last=Singh |first=Khushwant |author-link=Khushwant Singh |title=Madhubala |date=23 June 1996 |work=[[The Observer|Sunday Observer]]}}
* {{Cite news |last=Akbar |first=M. J. |author-link=M. J. Akbar |date=5 August 1996 |title=Madhubala and ''Mughal-e-Azam'' |work=The Sunday Magazine}}
* {{Cite news |last=Karanjia |first=B. K. |author-link=B. K. Karanjia |date=17 December 2006 |title=Dates with Diva |work=[[Deccan Chronicle]]}}
* {{Cite news |last=Joshi |first=Meera |author-link=Meera Joshi |date=14 May 2008 |title=Madhubala: Tears in Heaven |publisher=[[Filmfare]]}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb name|0534870}}

{{Subject bar
|commons =
|d = yes
|q =
|portal1 = Biography
|portal2 = Bollywood
|portal3 = India
}}
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[[Category:1933 births]]
[[Category:1969 deaths]]
[[Category:Indian film actresses]]
[[Category:Actresses in Hindi cinema]]
[[Category:Actresses from Delhi]]
[[Category:Pashtun actresses]]
[[Category: Indian Muslims]]
[[Category:Indian people of Pashtun descent]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian actresses]]
[[Category:People with congenital heart defects]]
[[Category:Kishore Kumar]]

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Madhubala