Madhubala (born Mumtaz Jehan Begum Dehlavi; 14 February 1933 – 23 February 1969), was an Indian

film actress who appeared in Hindi films. She was active between 1942 and 1964, and was known for
her beauty, personality, and sensitive portrayals of tragic women.[1][2][3]

Madhubala made her screen debut in a minor role at the age of 9 with the film Basant (1942). However,
her acting career actually began in 1947, when she made her debut with Raj Kapoor at the age of 14
with the film Neel Kamal (1947).[4] During the career span of 22 years, Madhubala was known for her
roles in more than 70 films of variety of genres such as Mahal (1949), Dulari (1949), Beqasoor (1950),
Tarana (1951), Amar (1954), Mr. & Mrs. '55 (1955), Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi (1958), Howrah Bridge (1958)
and Mughal-e-Azam (1960) with actors such as Dilip Kumar, Guru Dutt, Ashok Kumar, Dev Anand,
Kishore Kumar and many more as her co-stars. Out of 73 Hindi films, only fifteen of them were
successful at box office. She received her only nomination for a Filmfare Award for Best Actress for her
performance in Mughal-e-Azam (1960).[5]

In 1951, she also caught the interest of Hollywood when ace photographer James Burke visited India and
photographed her for Life Magazine. In their feature of her, Life, called her "the biggest star" in the
international film industry. She was photographed extensively for this feature by James Burke.[6]
Madhubala had been compared to Marilyn Monroe: the smoldering looks, the short career, the tragic
end. "There was a remarkable similarity in the soft vulnerability of their faces", writes Khatija Akbar in
her biography of Madhubala. "The same abandoned to their laughter, head thrown back, that same
incandescent glow". She was an avid fan of Hollywood, and while visiting Bombay, Frank Capra was keen
in giving her a break in Hollywood but her father refused.

Often drawing comparisons with Marilyn Monroe, Madhubala received wide recognition for her
performances in films such as Mahal (1949), Amar (1954), Mr. & Mrs. '55 (1955), Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi
(1958), Mughal-e-Azam (1960) and Barsaat Ki Raat (1960). Her performance in Mughal-e-Azam
established her as an iconic actress of Hindi Cinema. Her last film Jwala, although shot in the 1950s, was
released in 1971.

Madhubala's private life received much attention. Madhubala had a long relationship with actor Dilip
Kumar, but instead she married her Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi co-star Kishore Kumar in 1960. Together they
had worked in films such as Dhake Ki Malmal (1956), Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi (1958), Jhumroo (1961), Half
Ticket (1962). Madhubala's life and career was cut short when she died on 23 February 1969 from a
prolonged illness at the age of 36. Her film Chalak opposite Raj Kapoor was supposed to be released in
1966 as it needed a short spell of shooting, however, she couldn't even survive that strength and
therefore, the film was left incomplete even after her death.
Contents

1 Early life and education

2 Career

2.1 1942–1949: Early career

2.2 Hollywood interest

2.3 1949–1957: Career setbacks

2.4 1958–1960: Breakthrough years

2.5 Popularity

2.6 Mughal-e-Azam

2.7 1960-1964: Later career

3 Personal life

3.1 1960–1969: Marriage to Kishore Kumar

3.2 Controversies on Madhubala's life

4 Final years and death

5 Legacy and honours

6 Award

7 Filmography

8 In film

9 References

10 Further reading

11 External links

Early life and education

Madhubala was born on February 14, 1933 as Mumtaz Jehan Begum Dehlavi, the fifth of eleven children
in Delhi, British Raj. Her parents were Ataullah Khan and Aayesha Begum. She had ten siblings out of
whom only four survived to adulthood. Her father, Attaullah Khan Pashtun from the old Peshawar
valley, which includes the present-day regions of Mardan and Swabi which are now in Pakistan.[7] Her
father belonged to the Yusufzai tribe of the Pashtuns. He relocated the family to Delhi and then Bombay
after he lost his job at the Imperial Tobacco Company in Peshawar. The family endured many hardships.
Madhubala's three sisters and two brothers died at the ages of five and six. The dock explosion and fire
of 14 April 1944 wiped out their small home. The family survived only because they had gone to see a
film at a local theater.[8]
With his six remaining daughters to provide for, Khan, and the young Madhubala began to pay frequent
visits to Bombay film studios to look for work. At the age of 9, this was Madhubala's introduction to the
movie industry, which would provide financial help to her family.[9] At home, Madhubala was
nicknamed Majhlee Aapa as she was the fifth child of her parents. Madhubala spoke Urdu and Hindi at
home. She couldn't speak a word of English but yearned to learn the language.

I am not a spendthrift for the simple reason that I do not know what to spend money on. I do not have a
passion for jewellery and clothes. I do not travel. I do not go out much. By God's grace I have all
necessities of life and I am happy

— Madhubala

Madhubala learned driving at the age of twelve and liked to drive long sometimes.[10]

Career

1942–1949: Early career

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

Madhubala's first movie Basant (1942), was a box office success. She acted as the daughter to the
character played by actress Mumtaz Shanti and was credited as Baby Mumtaz in the film. Basant
became the highest-grossing Indian film of that's year.[11] A nine year old Madhubala, then a child artist
often tottered around various studios of Bombay in search of work and made several friends there.
Around the same time, another child artist Baby Mahjabeen also visited these studios and was known to
Madhubala. This Baby Mahjabeen later on, became one of the most sought after stars and one of her
contemporaries – Meena Kumari.[12] Madhubala was a fan of Meena Kumari and said: "She has the
most unique voice. No other heroine has it".[13] After starring in the film Basant, Madhubala starred in
director Kidar Sharma's 1945 film Dhanna Bhagat. More films of Baby Mumtaz followed in 1946 and
they were Pujari (1946), Phoolwari (1946) and Rajputani (1946). Phoolwari was the third highest
grossing film of that year and starred Motilal and Khursheed Bano in lead roles.

Actress Devika Rani was impressed by her performance and potential, and advised her to assume the
screen name "Madhubala", literally meaning "honey belle".[14] Her first lead role, at the age of 14, was
with producer Kidar Sharma when he cast her opposite Raj Kapoor in Neel Kamal (1947).[11] This was
the last film in which she was credited as Mumtaz before assuming her screen name "Madhubala". She
achieved stardom and popularity in 1949 when she was cast as the lead in Bombay Talkies's Mahal – a
role intended for well-known star Suraiya. Madhubala, with established actresses, screen-tested for the
role before she was selected by the film's director Kamal Amrohi. The film was the third largest hit at the
1949 Indian box office. Following the success of Mahal, Madhubala appeared in the box office hits Dulari
(1949), Beqasoor (1950), Tarana (1951) and Badal (1951).

Hollywood interest

Madhubala is said to be the first Indian woman in Hollywood. In the early 1950s, as Madhubala became
one of the most sought-after actresses in India, she attracted interest from Hollywood.[15] In 1951,
Madhubala caught the interest of Hollywood when ace photographer James Burke visited India and
photographed her for the Life magazine. In their feature of her, Life called her "the biggest star" in the
international industry. She was photographed extensively for this feature by photographer James Burke.
She appeared in the American magazine Theatre Arts where, in its August 1952 issue, she was featured
in an article with a full page photograph under the title: "The Biggest Star in the World – and she's not in
Beverly Hills". The article described Madhubala's immense popularity in India, and explored her wide
appeal and large fan base. It also speculated on her potential for international success.[8] Academy
Award winner American director Frank Capra, while visiting Bombay for International Film Festival of
India, was keen to give her a break in Hollywood, but her father Ataullah Khan declined this offer.[16]

1949–1957: Career setbacks

Madhubala in Mahal (1949)

Mahal was the film that made Madhubala famous as it was India's first reincarnation thriller film.
Produced by Bombay Talkies studio, this Kamal Amrohi's direction debut launched both playback singer
Lata Mangeshkar and the leading lady Madhubala into super stardom. Its songs, particularly "Aayega
Aanewala", sung by Lata Mangeshkar, are perennial favourites. The film was one of the biggest box
office hits of the year in India and paved way for Indian gothic fiction.

Madhubala in Dulari (1949)

After Mahal, Madhubala's film Dulari was released the same year that stars Madhubala, Geeta Bali,
Shyam, Jayant and Suresh. The song has the hit song "Suhani Raat Dhal Chuki" sung by Mohammed Rafi
and featuring Suresh.[17] Dulari was the year's eighth-highest-grossing and was remade in Telugu as
Sobha (1958).

Portrait of Madhubala in 1949

Madhubala's co-stars Ashok Kumar, Raj Kapoor, Rehman, Pradeep Kumar, Shammi Kapoor, Dilip Kumar,
Sunil Dutt and Dev Anand were the most popular actors of the period. She also appeared with notable
ladies such as Kamini Kaushal, Suraiya, Geeta Bali, Nalini Jaywant, Shyama and Nimmi. The directors she
worked with, Mehboob Khan (Amar), Guru Dutt (Mr. & Mrs. '55), Kamal Amrohi (Mahal) and K. Asif
(Mughal-e-Azam), were amongst the most prolific and respected. Madhubala also became a producer
and produced films like Naata (1955) and Mahlon Ke Khwab (1960) and acted in both the films.[18]

During the 1950s, Madhubala took starring roles in almost every genre of film being made at the time.
Her 1950 film Hanste Aansoo was the first ever Hindi film to get an "A" – adults only – rating from the
Central Board of Film Certification.[19]

1951: Badal starred Madhubala and Premnath in lead roles. The film has the hit song "Do Din Ke Liye"
sung by Lata Mangeshkar. She was the archetypal fair lady in the swashbuckler Badal, and following this,
an uninhibited village beauty in Tarana (1951). Tarana was the first film that started both Dilip Kumar
and Madhubala together. The duet "Seene Mein Sulagte Hain Armaan" became popular and was sung
by Lata Mangeshkar and Talat Mehmood for Dilip Kumar and Madhubala.

1952: Madhubala played the traditional ideal of Indian womanhood in Sangdil (1952). The film stars Dilip
Kumar and Madhubala in lead roles. Sangdil was the adaption of the classic novel of Charlotte Bronte,
Jane Eyre. Sangdil was the seventh highest-grossing film of that year.[20]

1953: Rail Ka Dibba was starring Shammi Kapoor and Madhubala in lead roles. The film failed at the box
office. Armaan was a Bollywood film starring Dev Anand and Madhubala in lead roles and also stars
Shakila and K.N. Singh.

1954: Bahut Din Huwe was directed by S.S. Vasan and was produced by Gemini Studios. The film stars
Madhubala, Savitri and Lalita Pawar. All the songs of the film were sung by Lata Mangeshkar. The
shooting of the film took place in Madras. During the shooting of Bahut Din Huwe, it was discovered that
Madhubala was suffering from a congenital heart defect.[21] Amar was directed and produced by
Mehboob Khan and starred Dilip Kumar, Madhubala, Nimmi and Jayant. Amar was the ninth highest
grossing film of that year but did not performed well at box office. Amar is a psychological drama,
exploring a violent act between the main characters and the crisis of conscience that rocks them. It's the
story of a prosperous lawyer Amar (Dilip Kumar), who is in love and engaged to a young woman Anju
(Madhubala) but rapes a poor local village woman, Sonia (Nimmi). The rest of the story deals with the
aftermath of this tragic event, will all the inevitable undercurrents of guilt, penitence and pervasive
heart break that stem from it

1955: In 1955, she produced a comic performance as the spoilt heiress Anita, in Guru Dutt's satire Mr. &
Mrs. '55. In this film, she played the role of a wealthy heiress, Anita, who met a struggling cartoonist,
Preetam (Guru Dutt) at a tennis match. Mr. & Mrs. '55 has the hit songs "Jaane Kahan Mera Jigar Gaya
Jee", a duet sung by Geeta Dutt and Mohammed Rafi and "Thandi Hawa Kali Ghata" sung by Geeta Dutt.
Mr. & Mrs. 55 was the fifth highest-grossing film of that year.
1956: Madhubala also acted in costume dramas such as Shirin-Farhad (1956), Raj-Hath (1956) (with
Pradeep Kumar in both the films).[22] Dhake Ki Malmal was romantic musical comedy directed by J.K.
Nanda and produced under the Nanda Film banners. The film starred Madhubala and Kishore Kumar in
lead roles. This was the first film to feature them together. Together they acted in several popular
"musical comedies" which included Dhake Ki Malmal, Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi (1958), Jhumroo (1961) and
Half Ticket (1962).

1958–1960: Breakthrough years

Howrah Bridge

In the film, Howrah Bridge, she starred with her future brother-in-law Ashok Kumar and played the role
of an Anglo-Indian Cabaret singer involved in Calcutta's Chinatown underworld. In the song "Aaiye
Meherebaan" from this film, she lip-synced a torch song dubbed by Asha Bhosle which has remained
popular to this day. Howrah Bridge performed above average at box office. Its name is a reference to
Howrah Bridge, which connects Howrah to Kolkata over the Hooghly River. It features the well known
Hindi song Mera Naam Chin Chin Chu sung by Geeta Dutt which was re-used in the film Salaam Bombay!
.

Kala Pani

In the super hit 1958 film Kala Pani, Madhubala starred opposite Dev Anand. The film was produced by
Dev Anand for Navketan Films and was directed by Raj Khosla. The film was the remake of the 1955
Bengali film Sabar Uparey and which itself was based on A.J. Cronin's 1953 novel Beyond This Place. The
film has the hit song "Accha Jee Main Hari Chalo" sung by Mohammed Rafi and Asha Bhosle.

Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi

Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi features Madhubala and her future husband Kishore Kumar in lead roles and
Kumar's two brothers Anoop Kumar and Ashok Kumar. Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi was the second highest
grossing film of the year. The film has hit songs such as "Babu Samjho Ishaare", "Ek Ladki Bheegi Bhagi
Si", "Haal Kaisa Hai Janab Ka" and "Main Sitaaron Ka Taraana". The film Phagun was directed by Bibhuti
Mitra and was the sixth-highest-grossing film of that year. The film stars Madhubala and Bharat Bhushan
in lead roles and has the song "Ek Pardesi Mera Dil Le Gaya" sung by Mohammed Rafi and Asha Bhosle.

1959: Insaan Jaag Utha was produced and directed by Shakti Samanta. The film stars Madhubala and
Sunil Dutt in lead roles and has the noted duet "Jaanu Jaanu Ri" by Asha Bhosle and Geeta Dutt. The film
didn't performed well at box office. Do Ustad stars Raj Kapoor and Madhubala in lead roles. The film
also stars Raj Kapoor's eldest son Randhir Kapoor who was very young at that time.

1960: Barsaat Ki Raat stars Bharat Bhushan and Madhubala and became particularly popular for its
qawwali songs and was one of the biggest hits at the box office of 1960. The same year, in 1960, she
appeared in the magnum opus of K. Asif Mughal-e-Azam. Mughal-e-Azam was the last film that stars
both Dilip Kumar and Madhubala together.
Popularity

Madhubala acted in as many as 70 films from 1947 to 1964, but only 15 were box office successes. Many
senior actors praised her acting skills. She was even compared with the Hollywood actress and sex
symbol Marilyn Monroe with whom she had some passing similarities and was also called "Marilyn
Monroe of Bollywood".[22] Dilip Kumar regrets that "had she lived, and had she selected her films with
more care, she would have been far superior to her contemporaries..."[23] Kumar also points out that
"actresses those days faced a lot of difficulties and constraints in their career. Unable to assert
themselves too much, they fell back on their families who became their caretakers and defined
everything for them."[24]

Mughal-e-Azam

Main article: Mughal-e-Azam

It was the film Mughal-e-Azam that marked what many consider to be Madhubala's greatest and
definitive characterization, as the doomed courtesan Anarkali. Although the film took nine years to
complete, it was not until 1953 that Madhubala was finally chosen for the role. Bunny Reuben in his
book Dilip Kumar: Star Legend of Indian Cinema claimed that Dilip Kumar's role was instrumental behind
this selection.[25] Mughal-e-Azam gave Madhubala the opportunity of fulfilling herself totally as an
actress, for it was a role that all actresses dreamt of playing, as Nimmi acknowledges that "as an actress,
one gets a lot of roles, there is no shortage of them, but there isn’t always good scope for acting. With
Mughal-e-Azam, Madhubala showed the world just what she could do."[26]

However, by the late 1950s, her health was deteriorating rapidly, and director K. Asif, probably unaware
of the extent of Madhubala's illness, required long shooting schedules that made physical demands on
her, whether it was posing as a veiled statue in suffocating make-up for hours under the studio lights or
being shackled with heavy chains. It was also a time when Madhubala's relationship with Dilip Kumar
was fading out, and the lives of Madhubala and her screen character were consistently seen as
overlapping because of the overwhelming sense of loss and tragedy and the unrelenting diktat of
destiny that clung to both and which neither could escape".[27]

Mughal-e-Azam was released on 5 August 1960, and broke box office records in India and became the
highest-grossing film at that time, a record that went unbroken for 15 years until the release of the
Sholay in 1975. Madhubhala was nominated for a Filmfare Award for her performance in Mughal-e-
Azam.

1960-1964: Later career

In 1960, Madhubala was at the peak of her career and popularity with the release of Mughal-e-Azam
and Barsaat Ki Raat. She did have intermittent releases in the early 1960s. Some of these, such as
Jhumroo (1961), Half Ticket (1962) and Sharabi (1964), performed above average at the box office.
1961: Jhumroo is a romantic comedy film starring Madhubala and Kishore Kumar. The film is about
Jhumroo, a tribal, who falls in love with Anjana, a wealthy woman whose father disapproves of the
match. It turns out that Jhumroo's foster mother is Anjana's real mother, and her real father is her
father's best friend.

1962: Half Ticket is a musical comedy film again starring Madhubala and Kishore Kumar. The film is
based on the Hollywood film You're Never Too Young. The film has hit songs such as "Chand Raat Tum Jo
Saath" and "Aake Seedhi Lagi". Vijay (Kishore Kumar) is the good-for-nothing son of a rich industrialist,
who becomes bored of his father's constant railing and the efforts to marry him off. Vijay leaves for
Bombay to start life afresh. However, he doesn't have enough money for a ticket, so he decides to pass
himself off as a child in order to get the eponymous half ticket. Now disguised as Munna, Vijay is used as
a mule for a diamond smuggler (Pran) without his knowledge. On the train, Vijay also meets Rajnidevi
(Madhubala) and falls in love with her.

Most of her other films released during this time were marred by her absence due to illness during
filming and subsequent lack of completion. These films suffer from compromised editing, and in some
cases the use of "doubles" in an attempt to patch-in scenes that Madhubala was unable to shoot.[28]
Her last released film Jwala, although filmed in the late 1950s, was not released until 1971. It was
released two years after her death.

Personal life

1960–1969: Marriage to Kishore Kumar

Madhubala met Kishore Kumar during the shooting of Dhake Ki Malmal (1956). In 1960, Madhubala
married him when she was 27 years old. When Madhubala was ill in the late 1950s with the congenital
heart disease, Kishore Kumar proposed to her and she decided to marry him after realizing that Dilip
Kumar was not going to marry her. Kishore Kumar's family never accepted her in their family because
Kishore Kumar married Madhubala as per his own wish. The couple had a Hindu ceremony to please
Kumar's family but Madhubala was never truly accepted as his wife. Reportedly, Kishore Kumar
converted himself into Islam and changed his legal name to "Karim Abdul" to marry her.[29] However, in
an interview given to Filmfare, he said that neither he nor Madhubala ever changed their religion to
marry each other. They went to London soon after their marriage for their honeymoon where the
doctor told her that she had only two years to live. According to Madhubala's sister, Madhur Bhushan,
after returning India, Kishore Kumar bought a flat for Madhubala at Quarter Deck, Carter's Road,
Bandra, where they stayed for a while and then, he left her there with a nurse and a driver.[30] He
would visit Madhubala once in two months and said he couldn't look after her. But he never abused her
as was reported and bore her medical expenses. She added "Often Kishore bhaiya's phone was
disconnected. He'd visit her once in two to three months.He'd say, 'If I come, you'll cry and it'll not be
good for your heart. You'll go into depression. You should rest'. She was young and jealousy was natural.
Perhaps, a feeling of being abandoned killed her". Their marriage lasted for nine years. After Madhubala
died in 1969 at the age of 36, Kishore Kumar married actress Yogeeta Bali in 1975.[31]
Controversies on Madhubala's life

In their 1962 book Self-Portrait, Harish Booch and Karing Doyle commented that "Unlike other stars,
Madhubala prefers a veiled secrecy around her and is seldom seen in social gatherings or public
functions." (p. 76), and went on to say that "Contrary to general belief, Madhubala is rather simple and
unassuming" (p. 78).[14][32] This is echoed in her sister's interview with Filmfare: "(Madhubala) became
a craze because she was never seen in public. She wasn't allowed to attend any function, any premiere.
She had no friends. But she never resisted, she was obedient. Being protective, my father earned the
reputation of being domineering".[33] Dilip Kumar added: "She was extremely popular... and I think the
only star for whom people thronged outside the gates. Very often when shooting was over, there’d be a
vast crowd standing at the gates just to have a look at Madhu... It wasn’t so for anyone else. That was
her personal effect on fans. Her personality was vivacious."[34] But, "She was aware of her beauty,"
reminisces B. K. Karanjia, former Filmfare editor and a close friend of both Madhubala and her father,
"and because there were so many in love with her, she used to play one against the other. But it was out
of innocence rather than shrewd calculation."[35] Dev Anand recalled in a similar way: "She liked to flirt
innocently and was great fun."[36][37] However, with Dilip Kumar she had a long association.

Dilip Kumar and Madhubala first met on the set of Jwar Bhata (1944 film) when she was 11 years of age,
and worked together again on the film Har Singaar (1949), which was shelved. Their relationship began
two years later during the filming of Tarana (1951). But she had to give the courtship with Dilip due to
her father's opposition to him. They became a romantic pair appearing in a total of four films together.
Actor Shammi Kapoor recalled that "Dilip Kumar would drive down from Bombay to meet Madhubala...
he even flew to Bombay to spend Eid with her, taking time off from his shooting stint..."[38][33] But,
Madhubala's father Ataullah Khan initially did not give them permission to marry.[39] Dilip Kumar said:
"She was a very, very obedient daughter",[40] and who, in spite of the success, fame and wealth,
submitted to the domination of her father and more often than not paid for his mistakes.[41] "This
inability to leave her family was her greatest drawback", believed Shammi Kapoor, "for it had to be done
at some time."[42]

Kumar later revealed that her father eventually gave them permission to marry and was "glad to have
two stars under the same roof." However, her father, who owned his own production company, wanted
to make "a business venture out of their proposed marriage" according to Kumar, which he did not
approve of, after which the relationship began turning sour.[43] The Naya Daur (1957 film) court case
happened in 1956 when Dilip Kumar testified against Madhubala and her father in favor of director B.R.
Chopra in open court. This struck a fatal blow to the Dilip-Madhubala relationship as it ended any
chance of reconciliation between Dilip Kumar and Madhubala's father.[44] Reflecting on this, while Dilip
Kumar said he was "trapped",[45] Shammi Kapoor felt "this was something which went beyond him
(Dilip) and he couldn’t control the whole situation..." [46]

Madhubala met Kishore Kumar during the making of 1956 film Dhake Ki Malmal. In 1958, Kumar's
marriage with his first wife ended, after which he and Madhubala began a relationship. Madhubala
married Kishore Kumar in 1960.[47] According to Leena Chandavarkar (Kishore's fourth wife): "When
she realized Dilip was not going to marry her, on the rebound and just to prove to him that she could get
whomsoever she wanted, she went and married a man she did not even know properly."[48] B. K.
Karanjia assumed that "Madhubala may have felt that perhaps this was her best chance" because by this
time she became seriously ill, and was about to stop working completely; however, he added that "it
was a most unlikely union, and not a happy one either." [49]

Madhubala's illness was known to Kishore, but like all the others, he did not realize its gravity; Ataullah
Khan did not approve of his son-in-law at all, but he had lost the courage to disapprove.[50] Ashok
Kumar reminisced in a Filmfare interview: "She suffered a lot and her illness made her very bad-
tempered. She often fought with Kishore, and would take off to her father's house where she spent
most of her time."[51]

However, Madhubala's love-life continued to be the subject of media speculation. Mohan Deep wrote
an unofficial biography of Madhubala titled Mystery and Mystique of Madhubala, published in 1996,
where he claims that Kishore Kumar regularly whipped Madhubala, who would show her lashes to
Shakti Samanta. He also claimed that the versions about Madhubala's sickness and death provided by
her family members did not match with those provided by Kishore Kumar's family members and the fact
that Madhubala was forced to wear heavy shackles and whipped mercilessly in real life in the secret
version of Mughal-e-Azam is proved by the fact that only a minor part of the total number of reels shot
were released for public. However, the secret version of the film earned Kishore Kumar a lot of moolah
that he earned forcing Madhubala to work as a sex slave in the secret version of the movie.[52] Mohan
Deep also questions whether Madhubala was really ill or whether her ailing was a fiction.[53] The book
was heavily criticized on its release by industry veterans such as Shammi Kapoor, Shakti Samanta and
Paidi Jairaj.[35]

Final years and death

Madhubala had a ventricular septal defect (a hole in her heart) which was detected while she was
shooting for Bahut Din Huwe in Madras in 1954.[54] By 1960, her condition had aggravated, and her
sister explains that "Due to her ailment, her body would produce extra blood, so it would spill out from
the nose and mouth. The doctor would come home and extract bottles of blood. She also suffered from
pulmonary pressure of the lungs. She coughed all the time. Every four to five hours she had to be given
oxygen or else would get breathless. She was confined to bed for nine years and was reduced to just
bones and skin".

In 1966, with a slight improvement in her health, she made a valiant attempt to complete her work in
Chalak opposite Raj Kapoor, which needed only a short spell of shooting, but she could not even survive
that strain.[55] When acting was no longer an option, Madhubala turned her attention to film direction.
In 1969, she was set to make her directorial debut with the film Farz aur Ishq. However, the film was
never made, as during pre-production, she died on 23 February 1969, shortly after her 36th birthday.
The cause of death was determined to be the prolonged lung and heart illness.[56][57] Madhubala's
funeral was not attended by Dilip Kumar and it is not known if he was invited. Madhubala was buried at
Juhu Muslim Cemetery in Santacruz, Mumbai. Her tomb was built with marbles and inscriptions include
aayats from Qur'an and verse dedications. In 2010, Madhubala's tomb along with those of Mohammed
Rafi, Parveen Babi, Talat Mahmood, Naushad Ali and Sahir Ludhianvi, was demolished to make way for
newer graves. Her remains were placed at an unknown location.[58][59]

Legacy and honours

Madhubala's Strong presence in the public memory has been evidenced by all recent polls about top
actresses or beauties of the Indian cinema.[60][61] Every year, on her birthday, numerous articles are
printed and television programmes aired to commemorate her birthday, to the present day. Her posters
are still in demand and sold alongside contemporary actresses such as Meena Kumari, Nargis, Waheeda
Rehman and Nutan. Modern magazines continue to publish stories on her personal life and career, often
promoting her name heavily on the covers to attract sales. In Rediff.com's International Women's Day
2007 special, Madhubala was ranked second in its top ten list of "Bollywood's best actresses".[62] Many
believe, however, that Madhubala remains one of the most underrated actresses as "Her beauty
attracted more attention than her talent."[63]

In 2004, a digitally-colorized version of the original Mughal-e-Azam was released, 35 years after her
death.

Madhubala on 2008 stamp of India

On 18 March 2008, a commemorative postage stamp featuring Madhubala was issued.[64][65]The

stamp was produced by India Post in a limited edition presentation pack. It was launched by veteran
actors Nimmi and Manoj Kumar in a ceremony attended by colleagues, friends and surviving members
of Madhubala's family. The only other Indian film actress that was honoured in this manner was Nargis
Dutt, at that point of time.[66]

In 2012, her 1962 release Half Ticket was also remastered, digitally coloured and re-released after 50
years of its original release.

On 10 August 2017, the New Delhi center of Madame Tussauds unveiled a statue of Madhubala, as the
famous courtesan Anarkali (of Mughal-E-Azam fame) as a tribute to the legendary actress. The Madame
Tussauds opened in New Delhi on 1 December 2017.[67][68]
In 2018 the New York Times published a belated obituary for her.[69]

On 14 February 2019, search engine Google commemorated Madhubala with a Doodle on her 86th birth
anniversary.[70] Google commented: "While her breathtaking appearance earned comparisons to
Venus, Madhubala was a gifted actor with an understated style well suited for comedies, dramas, and
romantic roles alike. Appearing in over 70 films over the course of a tragically brief career, Madhubala—
who would have turned 86 today—was called “The Biggest Star in the World” in 1952 by Theatre Arts
Magazine."[71]

Award

Despite the fact that she was a very popular Actress, Madhubala never received any award unlike her
contemporaries, Meena Kumari, Nutan, Waheeda Rehman, Suraiya, Vyjanthimala and Nargis.

Madhubala was nominated for Filmfare Award for Best Actress in 1961 for her performance in Mughal-
e-Azam (1960). However, the award went to actress Bina Rai who won it for her performance in
Ghunghat.[72]