Madhubala

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Template:Short description Template:Use Indian English Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox actress 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>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> One of the country's highest-paid stars in the 1950s, Madhubala appeared in over 70 filmsTemplate:Mdashranging from slapstick comedies to historical dramasTemplate:Mdashin 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). She progressed to leading roles in the late 1940s, and earned success with the dramas Neel Kamal (1947) and Amar (1954), the horror film Mahal (1949), and the romantic films Badal (1951) and Tarana (1951). 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), the crime films Howrah Bridge and 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)Template:Mdashthe highest-grossing film in India at the timeTemplate:Mdashearned 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.Template:Sfn She worked sporadically in film in the 1960s, making her final appearance in the drama 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 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
Madhubala was born and brought up in Delhi

Madhubala was born as Mumtaz Jehan Begum Dehlavi in Delhi, British India, on 14 February 1933.Template:Sfnm She was the fifth of eleven children of Ataullah Khan and Aayesha Begum.Template:Sfn At least four of Madhubala's siblings died as infants;Template:Sfn her sisters who survived until adulthood were Kaneez Fatima (b. 1925), Altaf (b. 1930), Chanchal (b. 1934 as Zeb Ataullah) and Zahida (b. 1949).Template:Efn Khan, who belonged to the Yusufzai tribe of Pashtuns from Peshawar valley, originating from Swabi District, North-West Frontier Province<ref name=":14">Template:Cite news</ref> was an employee at the Imperial Tobacco Company.<ref name=":14" />Template:Sfn 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>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="mrandmrs55.com">Template:Cite web</ref>

Madhubala spent most of her childhood in Delhi and grew up without any kind of health issues.Template:Sfn Owing to the orthodox ideas of their Muslim father, neither Madhubala nor any of her sisters except Zahida attended school.Template:Sfn<ref name="sick2" /> Madhubala nevertheless learnt Urdu, Hindi, as well as her native language, Pashto, under her father's guidance.<ref name="News182011">Template:Cite news</ref>Template:Sfn 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.Template:Sfn In spite of her conservative upbringing, she aimed to become a film actorTemplate:Mdashwhich her father strictly disapproved of.Template:Sfn

Khan's decision changed in 1940 after he got fired from his job for misbehaving with a senior officer.Template:Sfnm Madhubala's mother feared ostracism if they allowed their young daughter to work in the entertainment industry, but Khan remained adamant.Template:Sfn Soon Madhubala was employed at the All India Radio station to sing compositions of Khurshid Anwar. The seven-year-old continued working there for months,Template:Sfn<ref name="Dawn">Template:Cite web</ref> and became acquainted with Rai Bahadur Chunnilal, the general manager of the studio Bombay Talkies, situated in Bombay.<ref name="Dawn" />Template:Sfn Chunnilal took an immediate liking towards Madhubala and suggested Khan to visit Bombay for better employment opportunities.Template:Sfn

Acting career

Early work and switch to adult roles (1942–1947)

File:Mumtaz Shanti, Madhubala et Ullhas dans Basant (1942).jpg
Baby Mumtaz (Madhubala) played a minor role in Bombay Talkies' production, 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.Template:Sfn Following an approval from the studio executives, Chunnilal signed Madhubala to a juvenile role in Bombay Talkies' production, Basant (1942), at a salary of Template:INR150.Template:Sfnm Released in July 1942, Basant became a major success commercially,<ref name="Dawn" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> but although Madhubala's work garnered appreciation, the studio dropped her contract as it did not require a child actor at that time.Template:Sfn Disappointed, Khan had to once again return his family to Delhi. He subsequently found low-paid temporary jobs in the city,Template:Sfn but continued to struggle financially.Template:Sfn

In 1944, Bombay Talkies' head Devika Rani sent for Khan to summon Madhubala for role in Jwar Bhata (1944).Template:Sfn Madhubala did not get the role but Khan now decided to settle permanently in Bombay seeing a prospect in films.Template:Sfn 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.Template:Sfnm She was soon signed to a three-year contract with Chandulal Shah's studio Ranjit Movietone, on a monthly payment of Template:INR300.Template:Sfn Her income led to Khan shifting the family to a neighbouring rented house in Malad.Template:Sfnm

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">Template:Cite web</ref> playing minor roles in five of Ranjit's films: Mumtaz Mahal (1944), Dhanna Bhagat (1945), Rajputani (1946), Phoolwari (1946) and Pujari (1946); she was credited as "Baby Mumtaz" in all of them.Template:Sfnm Template:Sfn 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>Template:Cite news</ref>

Madhubala's first project in a lead role was Sohrab Modi's Daulat, but it was shelved indefinitely (and would not be revived until the next year).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":4">Template:Cite book</ref> Her debut as a leading lady came in Kidar Sharma's drama Neel Kamal, in which she starred opposite debutante Raj Kapoor and Begum Para.<ref name=":4" />Template:Sfnm She was offered the film after Sharma's first choice, actress Kamla Chatterjee, died.Template:Sfnm Released in March 1947, Neel Kamal was popular with audience and garnered wide public recognition for Madhubala.Template:Sfnm 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" />Template:Sfnm These films were unsuccessful ventures that failed to propel her career ahead.Template:Sfn During this period, she had to charge a relatively lesser amount than her usual fee to attract more offers.Template:Sfn To secure her family financially, Madhubala quickly signed 24 films.Template:Sfn 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.Template:SfnTemplate:Efn

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.Template:Sfn<ref name="iep" /> Baburao Patel described the film as "the first milestone of her maturity in screen acting."Template:Sfn She received further positive reviews for her supporting parts in Parai Aag (1948), Paras and Singaar (both 1949).Template:Sfnm In 1949, Madhubala played a femme fatale in Kamal Amrohi's MahalTemplate:Mdashthe first horror film of Indian cinema.<ref name="Mahal" /> Several actresses including Suraiya were considered for the role but Amrohi insisted on casting Madhubala.Template:Sfnm<ref name="testing">Template:Cite web</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">Template:Cite web</ref> The film, which would be Madhubala's first of many collaborations with actor and brother-in-law Ashok Kumar,Template:Sfn 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">Template:Cite web
Template:Cite web</ref>Template:Sfnm

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Following another box office hit in Dulari (1949),<ref name="bo40" /> Madhubala played 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>Template:Cite web</ref> Also in 1950, she appeared in the comedy-drama Hanste Aansoo, which became the first Indian film to be awarded an Adult certification.Template:Sfn<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The following year, Madhubala starred in the Amiya Chakravarty-directed action 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;Template:Sfnm 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."Template:Sfn She subsequently played the titular part in M. Sadiq's romance Saiyan, which Roger Yue of The Singapore Free Press commented was played "to perfection".<ref name=":9">Template:Cite news</ref> Both Badal and Saiyan proved to be major box-office successes.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Madhubala then collaborated with actor Dilip Kumar twice in a row, on the 1951 comedy Tarana and the 1952 drama Sangdil.Template:Sfnm These films also performed well financially, popularizing the on and offscreen couple among wide audience.Template:Sfn<ref>Template:Cite web</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."Template:Sfn<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Template:Sfnm Madhubala was cast in the costume drama Shahehshah (1953) before Kamini Kaushal replaced her.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In April 1953, Madhubala founded a production company called Madhubala Private Ltd.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The following year, while shooting in Madras for S. S. Vasan's Bahut Din Huwe (1954), she suffered a major health setback due to her heart disease.Template:Sfnm She returned to Bombay after completing the film and took a short-term medical leave from work,Template:Sfnm which led to her replacement (by Nimmi) in Uran Khatola (1955).<ref name="manohar">Template:Cite web</ref> Madhubala later starred in another film of 1954Template:MdashMehboob Khan's Amar, portraying a social worker involved in a love triangle along with Dilip Kumar and Nimmi. Madhubala improvised a scene from the film.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> It was unsuccessful at the box-office.Template:Sfnm<ref>Template:Cite web</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>Template:Cite web</ref> Madhubala's next release was her own production venture, Naata (1955), in which she co-starred with her sister 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.Template:Sfn

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>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":3">Template:Cite web</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.Template:Sfn 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>Template:Cite web</ref> In mid-1956, a conflict broke out between Madhubala–Khan and director B. R. Chopra over the location shoot of 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 Template:INR30,000 in damages.Template:Sfnm The lawsuit continued for about eight months amidst public scrutiny before Chopra withdrew it after Naya Daur got released.Template:Sfnm

Subsequently in the years 1956–57, Madhubala reduced her workload due to the lawsuit and health issues.Template:Sfn 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>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Madhubala appeared in two period films in 1956, Raj Hath and Shirin Farhad,Template:Sfn both critical and commercial successes.Template:Sfn The following year, she portrayed a runaway heiress in Om Prakash's Gateway of India (1957), which critic Deepa Gahlot believed to be one of the finest performances of her career.<ref name="gahlot">Template:Cite book</ref> Madhubala then starred in the drama Ek Saal (1957), which follows the love story of a terminally-ill ingenue.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn

Mughal-e-Azam and continued commercial success (1958–1962)

Madhubala began the year 1958 with Raj Khosla's Kala Pani, in which she co-starred with Dev Anand and Nalini Jaywant, playing an intrepid journalist investigating a 15-year-old murder.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She was then cast as Edna opposite Ashok Kumar in Howrah Bridge (1958), her first collaboration with director Shakti Samanta. Madhubala waived her fees to play the role of an Anglo-Indian cabaret dancer, which marked a departure from her previous portrayals of sophisticated characters.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Both Howrah Bridge and Kala Pani begot positive reviews for her and became two of the year's top-grossing films.Template:Sfnm<ref name="ffare">Template:Cite web</ref> She followed this success with the box office hit Phagun (1958).<ref name="bo58">Template:Cite web</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 GaadiTemplate:SfnmTemplate:Mdashone of the biggest money-making films of the 1950s.<ref>Template:Cite web</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 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>Template:Cite web</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, also starring Bharat Bhushan.Template:Sfnm 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."Template:Sfn The commercial success of Do Ustad (1959), which saw her reuniting with Raj Kapoor,Template:Sfn was followed by the second film of Madhubala Private Ltd.—the comedy Mehlon Ke Khwab (1960). It fared poorly at the box office.Template:Sfn

Journalist Dinesh Raheja has described K. Asif's Mughal-e-Azam (1960) as the "crowning glory" of Madhubala's career.<ref name="art">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</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 prince Salim (Kumar). Since the mid-1940s, Asif had rejected numerous actresses for the part of Anarkali.Template:Sfnm Madhubala had joined the cast in 1952 with an advance payment of Rs. 1 lakhTemplate:Mdashthe highest for any actor or actress until then.Template:Sfn The filming period proved to be taxing.Template:Sfnm Her relationship with Kumar ended amidst shooting and there were reports of animosity between the actors.Template:Sfnm Madhubala was also troubled by the night schedules and complicated dance sequences, which she had been medically asked to avoid.Template:Sfnm 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.Template:Sfnm 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.Template:Sfn

Mughal-e-Azam was first of Madhubala's two films in colour; it had four reels shot in Technicolor.Template:Sfn The film had the widest release of any Indian film up to that time, and patrons often queued all day for tickets.<ref>Template:Cite web</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.Template:Sfnm<ref name="boi60" /> At the 1961 National Film Awards, Mughal-e-Azam won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and led the 8th Filmfare Awards ceremony with 11 nominations,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> including Best Actress for Madhubala.Template:Sfn 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">Template:Cite news</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>Template:Cite web</ref> She further withdrew from some productions that were already underway, including Bombai Ka Babu, Naughty Boy, Jahan Ara, Yeh Basti Ye Log, Suhana Geet and an untitled film with Kishore Sahu.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> She did, however, have a few more releases, which were completed either by body doubles or by Madhubala herself.Template:Sfn 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">Template:Cite web</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>Template:Cite web</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">Template:Cite web</ref> A critic for The Indian Express found her "enchanting",<ref>Template:Cite web</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>Template:Cite web</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">Template:Cite web</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) and Half Ticket (1962), and the dramas Passport (1961) and Sharabi (1964).Template:Sfn All three of her 1961 releases were among the top-grossing productions of the year.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Half Ticket, her last collaboration with husband Kishore Kumar was a critical and commercial success as well.<ref>Template:Cite web</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>Template:Cite web</ref> Also released in 1962 was Madhubala Private Ltd.'s third and last presentation, Pathan, which turned out to be a box office flop.Template:Sfnm

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.Template:Sfnm Baburao Patel, writing for Mother India, praised Madhubala's performance for "reviv[ing] the old heartache".<ref>Template:Cite book</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>Template:Cite web</ref>

Two years after Madhubala's death, one of her incomplete works, 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.Template:Sfnm

Personal life

Born in an orthodox Muslim family, Madhubala was deeply religious and practiced Islam since her childhood.Template:Sfn 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.Template:Sfn She learned driving at the age of 12 and by adulthood was the owner of five cars: Buick, Chevrolet, Station wagon, Hillman, and Town & Country (which was owned by only two people in India at that time, the other one being the Maharaja of Gwalior).<ref name="valentine">Template:Cite web</ref> As a native speaker of three Hindustani languages, she began learning English in 1950 from former actress Sushila Rani Patel and grew fluent in the language in three months.Template:Sfn She also kept eighteen Alsatian dogs as pets at Arabian Villa.Template:Sfn<ref>Template:Cite web</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.Template:Sfnm

Philanthropy

She performed actively in charity, which led editor Baburao Patel to call her the "queen of charity".Template:Sfn<ref name="donation">Template:Cite book</ref> In 1950, she donated Template:INR5,000 each to children suffering from polio myelitis and to the Jammu and Kashmir relief fund, and Template:INR50,000 for the refugees from East Bengal.Template:Sfn<ref>Template:Cite book</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" />Template:Sfnm 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.Template:Sfn She also gifted a camera crane to the Film and Television Institute of India in 1962, which is operational even today.<ref>Template:Cite news</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>Template:Cite book</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.<ref>Template:Cite book</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.Template:Sfn Sarla Bhushan, the wife of Bharat Bhushan, with whom Madhubala had a special bond, died of labour complications in 1957, much to her distress.Template:Sfn Madhubala was also close to three of her earliest directorsTemplate:MdashKidar Sharma, Mohan Sinha, and Kamal AmrohiTemplate:Mdashand while there have been rumours regarding her being emotionally involved with them, her younger sister Madhur Bhushan has refuted such claims.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On the sets of Mughal-e-Azam (1960), Madhubala often ate lunch with Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, a Pakistani barrister who later served as the country's Prime Minister. He used to visit the sets especially for Madhubala,Template:Sfn 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.Template:Sfn 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.Template:Sfnm Also in 1951, Madhubala began a romance with actor Dilip Kumar, whom she had earlier met working on Jwar Bhata (1944).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Their affair went on to receive wide media attention throughout the decade.Template:Sfnm It had a positive impact on Madhubala and her friends have recalled the following few years as the happiest of her life.Template:Sfn

As their relationship progressed, Madhubala and Dilip got engaged but could not marry as Khan had some objections.<ref>Template:Cite news</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.Template:Sfnm She parted ways with him in 1957 amidst the court case over the production of Naya Daur (1957).Template:Sfnm Dilip testified against her and Khan in court, which left Madhubala devastated.Template:SfnmTemplate:Efn In the meantime, Madhubala was proposed marriage by three of her co-stars: Bharat Bhushan, a widower, Pradeep Kumar and Kishore Kumar, both of whom had previously been married.Template:Sfn

On the sets of Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi (1958), Madhubala rekindled a friendship with Kishore Kumar,<ref name=":5" /> who was a childhood acquaintance.Template:Sfnm 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.Template:SfnmTemplate:Efn The union was disliked by her father, as well as her in-laws who had not expected their son to marry a Muslim.Template:Sfn Madhubala and Kishore also came to be considered a mismatch in the industry due to their contrasting personalities.Template:Sfnm

Health deterioration and final years

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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.Template:Sfn In London, doctors refused to operate on her, fearing complications, and instead advised Madhubala to avoid any kind of stress and anxiety.Template:Sfnm She was dissuaded from having any children and given a life expectancy of two years.Template:Sfnm Madhubala and Kishore subsequently returned to Bombay and she shifted to Kishore's homeTemplate:Sfn in Bandra.Template:Sfnm Her health continued declining and she now frequently quarrelled with her husband.Template:Sfn 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>Template:Cite web</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" />Template:Sfn 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.Template:Sfnm For the rest of her life, he visited her occasionally,Template:Sfn 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">Template:Cite web</ref> In late June 1966,Template:Sfn 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.Template:Sfn Her comeback was welcomed by the media, but Madhubala immediately fainted as the shoot began; the film was thus never completed.Template:Sfn 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 hypnotics on Ashok's suggestion, but it further exacerbated her problems.Template:Sfn

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 home projector.<ref name="sick2" /> She grew very reclusive, meeting only Geeta Dutt and Waheeda Rehman from the film industry in those days.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> She had to undergo exchange transfusion almost every week.<ref name="sick2" />Template:Sfn Her body began producing excess blood that would spill out of her nose and mouth;Template:Sfn 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.<ref name="sick" /><ref name="sick2">Template:Cite web</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">Template:Cite web</ref> Madhubala suffered a heart attack in the midnight of 22 February.Template:Sfn 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">Template:Cite web</ref> aged 36.Template:Sfn Madhubala was buried at Juhu Muslim Cemetery in Santacruz, Bombay along with her personal diary.Template:Sfn<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Her tomb was built with marbles and inscriptions include aayats from Quran and verse dedications.Template:Sfn

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.Template:Sfn The Indian Express recalled her as "the most sought-after Hindi film actress" of her times,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> while Filmfare characterized her as "a Cinderella whose clock had struck twelve too soon".Template:Sfn A number of her co-workers including Premnath (who wrote a poem dedicated to her),Template:Sfn B. K. Karanjia and Shakti Samanta expressed their grief over her premature death.Template:Sfn 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 MadhubalaTemplate:Mdashloveliest of the shining stars."Template:Sfn

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.Template:Sfn<ref>Template:Cite web</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">Template:Cite web</ref> In 1951, James Cobb Burke photographed her for a feature in the American magazine Life, which described her as the biggest star in the Indian film industry at that time.Template:Sfn<ref>Template:Cite news</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 worldTemplate:Mdashand she's not in the Beverley Hills."Template:Sfnm<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">Template:Cite web</ref>

Dilip Kumar described Madhubala as "the only star for whom people thronged outside the gates."Template:Sfn Her fame was acknowledged by Time magazine also, which went on to call her a "cash and curry star" in its January 1959 issue.<ref name=":7">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</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>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":16" /> For Mahal (1949), her first film under a major production company, Madhubala was paid a sum of Template:INR7,000.Template:Sfn The film's success established her career as a leading lady,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> and she subsequently became one of the highest-paid Indian stars of the upcoming decade.<ref name=":9" />Template:Sfnm In 1951, filmmaker and editor Aurbindo Mukhopadhyay reported that Madhubala charges Template:INR1.5 lakh per film.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> She received an unprecedented amount of Template:INR3 lakh for her decade-long work in Mughal-e-Azam (1960).Template:Sfn 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 of Indian cinema" and "The Beauty with Tragedy".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 1951, Clare Mendonca of The Illustrated Weekly of India called her "the number one beauty of the Indian screen".<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Several of her co-workers cited her as the most beautiful woman they ever saw.<ref name="justice">Template:Cite web</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>Template:Cite news</ref> Due to her perceived appeal, Madhubala became one of the brand ambassadors of beauty products by Lux and Godrej.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> However, she stated that happiness matters more to her than physical beauty.<ref name="story of india">Template:Cite web</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.Template:Sfnm 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."Template:Sfn In a two decade-long career, Madhubala was seen at the premieres of only two filmsTemplate:MdashBahut Din Huwe (1954) and Insaniyat (1955)Template:Mdashboth for personal reasons.Template:SfnmTemplate:Efn Her regular photographer, Ram Aurangbadakar complained that she "lacked warmth" and "was very detached",<ref name="my life">Template:Cite book</ref> which is also reflected in Ashokamitran's statement describing her as an inarticulate and pitiful person.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Gulshan Ewing, one of Madhubala's closest associates, however, differed and stated that her friend "was none of these."Template:Sfn Nadira added that Madhubala "had not a strain of pettiness, of anything small. That girl did not know anything about hate,"<ref>Template:Cite web</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."Template:Sfn

Madhubala's refusal to grant interviews or to interact with the press drew in extreme reactions from its members.Template:Sfn By early 1950, Khan had begun asserting in her film contracts that no journalists would be allowed to meet her without his permission.Template:SfnTemplate:Efn 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.Template:Sfn For self-protection, Madhubala was given the permission to carry a revolver and move around under armed protection by the state government, until Khan and other journalists ultimately made a settlement.Template:Sfn 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">Template:Cite news</ref>Template:Sfn 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."Template:Sfn

Regardless of all these dissensions, Madhubala was known in the media as a disciplined and professional performer,Template:Sfn 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."Template:Sfn Anand said in a 1958 interview, "When Madhubala is on the set, one often goes much ahead in the schedule."Template:Sfn Except for the filming of Gateway of India (1957) and Mughal-e-Azam (1960), Khan never allowed Madhubala to work in nights.Template:Sfnm 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.Template:Sfnm<ref>Template:Cite web</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.Template:Sfn<ref>Template:Cite news</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."Template:Sfn Baburao Patel, writing for Filmindia, called her "easily our most talented, most versatile and best-looking artiste."Template:Sfn A number of her directors including Sharma, Shakti Samanta and Raj Khosla spoke highly of her acting talents on different occasions.Template:Sfn Ashok Kumar described her as the finest actress he ever worked with,Template:Sfn 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>Template:Cite web</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>Template:Cite web</ref> Madhubala was acknowledged in the media for her unconventional roles,<ref name=":0">Template:Cite news</ref> such as a flirtatious cabaret dancer in Howrah Bridge (1958)Template:Mdashwhich led Filmfare to compare her with Rita Hayworth and Ava Gardner<ref name="ffare" />Template:Mdasha rebellious and independent woman in Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi (1958),<ref name=":8">Template:Cite web</ref> and a fearless court dancer in Mughal-e-Azam (1960).Template:Sfnm Her roles in Amar (1954),Template:Sfn Gateway of India (1957),<ref name="gahlot" /> and Barsaat Ki Raat (1960)<ref name="bkr">Template:Cite web</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">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="six fashion">Template:Cite web</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">Template:Cite web</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 over 70 films.<ref name=":17">Template:Cite web</ref> Her screen time in leading roles was always equal to her male co-starsTemplate:Mdashwhich has otherwise been a rarityTemplate:Mdashand 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 global standards.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Moreover, with Bahut Din Huwe (1954), Madhubala became the first Hindi actress to have a career in south Indian cinema.Template:Sfnm 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>Template:Cite book</ref> and publications including Rediff.com and Hindustan Times mentioned her among the topmost sex symbols of Bollywood.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</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>Template:Cite web</ref>Template:Efn

Although Madhubala appeared in almost all film genres during her career, her most notable films included comedies.Template:Sfn She gained recognition for her comic timing after her performance in Mr. & Mrs. '55 (1955),<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> which Iqbal Masud of India Today call "a marvellous piece of sexy-comic acting."<ref name=":10">Template:Cite news</ref> However, despite her success and fame, she neither received any acting award nor critical acclaim.Template:Sfn Several critics have stated that her perceived beauty was an impediment to her craft to be taken seriously.Template:Sfn<ref name=":13">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Madhubala wished to play more dramatic and author-backed roles, but was often discouraged.Template:Sfnm According to Dilip Kumar, audience "missed out on a lot of her other attributes."Template:Sfn Biographer Sushila Kumari said that "people were so mesmerised by her beauty that they never cared for the actress",<ref name=":11">Template:Cite news</ref> and Shammi Kapoor thought of her as "a highly underrated actress in spite of performing consistently well in her films."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Madhubala's talents were first acknowledged after the release of Mughal-e-Azam (1960),<ref name="mint">Template:Cite web</ref> but it turned out to be one of her final films.Template:Sfn Her dramatic portrayal of AnarkaliTemplate:Mdashranked amongst Bollywood's finest female performances by Upperstall.com<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and by Filmfare in general<ref name="iconic" />Template:Mdashestablished her as an enduring figure in Indian cinema.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> One of the romantic scenes from the film, in which Dilip Kumar brushes Madhubala's face with a plume, was declared the most erotic scene in Bollywood's history by Outlook in 2008,<ref name="Outlook: Fallen Veil">Template:Cite journal</ref> and by Hindustan Times in 2011.<ref name="let">Template:Cite news</ref> Her critical reception improved in the 21st century,Template:Sfn<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".Template:Sfn In 1999, M. L. Dhawan of 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>Template:Cite web</ref> Priya Ramani of 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>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Legacy

File:Madhubala 2008 stamp of India.jpg
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 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 dresses, which are widely followed by many celebrities.<ref name="six fashion" /> In accordance with her enduring popularity, News 18 wrote, "the cult of Madhubala is a difficult thing to match up to."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Several modern-day celebrities, including Aamir Khan, Hrithik Roshan,<ref name=":12">Template:Cite web</ref> Shah Rukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Rishi Kapoor<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Naseeruddin Shah rank Madhubala among their favorite artistes of Indian cinema.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Research analyst Rohit Sharma has studied narratives about Madhubala and surmised the reason behind her continued relevancy among new generation: Template:Blockquote 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>Template:Cite web</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">Template:Cite news</ref> and her reputation has endured.<ref name="mill">Template:Cite web</ref> Also in polls and surveys, she is described as one of India's finest and most beautiful actresses of all-time.Template:Efn Khatija Akbar,<ref name=":12" /> Mohan Deep and Sushila Kumari have also written books about her.<ref name=":10" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":11" />

Works and accolades

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

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>Template:Cite web</ref> Digitally-colorized versions of two of Madhubala's filmsTemplate:MdashMughal-e-Azam (in 2004) and Half Ticket (in 2012)Template:Mdashhave been released theatrically.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In March 2008, Indian Post issued a commemorative postage stamp featuring Madhubala, that was launched by her surviving family members and co-stars;<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> the only other Indian actress that was honoured in this manner was Nargis, at that point of time.<ref>Template:Cite web</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">Template:Cite journal</ref> Her introduction scene in Mughal-e-Azam was included by Sukanya Verma in Rediff.comTemplate:'s list of "20 scenes that took our breath away".<ref>Template:Cite web</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">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In August 2017, the New Delhi center of Madame Tussauds unveiled a statue of Madhubala inspired by her look in the film as a tribute to her.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2018, The New York Times published a belated obituary for Madhubala, comparing her life to that of Marilyn Monroe.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite news</ref> On 14 February 2019, her 86th birth anniversary, search engine Google commemorated her with a doodle;<ref name="Madhubala on Google Doodle">Template:Cite web</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, MadhubalaTemplate:Mdashwho would have turned 86 todayTemplate:Mdashwas called "The Biggest Star in the World" in 1952 by Theatre Arts Magazine."<ref name="Madhubala's Google Doodle">Template:Cite web</ref>

Biographies

In music

In film

In July 2018, Madhubala's sister Madhur Bhushan, announced that she was planning to make a biopic on her sister.<ref name="Biopic">Template:Cite web</ref> Bhushan wants Kareena Kapoor to play Madhubala, but as of 2018, the project remains in its initial stages.<ref name="Biopic" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In November 2019, filmmaker Imtiaz Ali was considering a biopic of Madhubala, but later dropped the idea after her family denied permission.<ref name=":15">Template:Cite web</ref> Actresses including Kriti Sanon,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Kangana Ranaut,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Kiara Advani,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Janhvi Kapoor,<ref name="Janhvi Kapoor as Madhubala">Template:Cite web</ref> and Yami Gautam have expressed their wish to play Madhubala in a biopic.<ref>Template:Cite web</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>Template:Cite news</ref>

Footnotes

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References

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Bibliography

Further reading

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