Madhubala

Madhubala, another name of boundless beauty. Several decades have

passed, still today because of her gasp-evoking beauty and unique
performance she remains unforgettable icon of Indian cinema.

Madhubala was born as Mumtaz Begum Jehan Dehlavi on the 14th
February 1933 in New Delhi, India. Her father worked at the Imperial
Tobacco Company but after losing his job, he relocated to Mumbai with
his family where they faced many hardships including the deaths of her
two brothers at ages five and six. Young Mumtaz entered the movie industry at the age of nine in order
to provide help for her family. Actress Devika Rani was impressed by her performances and potential
and advised her to assume the name Madhubala, meaning "a woman of honey". Madhubala appeared
in over 70 films.

FILMOGRAPHY
Basant(1942), Mumtaz Mahal (1944), Dhanna Bhagat (1945) Dhanna Bhagat, Mere Bhagwan,
Khubsoorat Duniya, Chittor Vijay (1947), as a child artist.
Neel Kamal in 1947, as a lead role with Raj Kapoor.
Mahal in 1949, with Ashok Kumar and attained immense popularity.
Hanste Aansoo in 1950 was the first ever Hindi film to get an "A" (Adults
Only) rating from the Central Board of Film Certification.
Tarana (1951), Mr. & Mrs. '55 (1955) showcased her remarkable talents and revealed what this
ethereal beauty was truly capable of.

Sangdil (1952) as the traditional ideal of
Indian womanhood.

Bimal Roy's Biraj Bahu (1954) appeared in more prestigious films
with challenging roles.
In 1956 she had success in historical costume dramas such as Shirin-Farhad and Raj-Hath.
 She turned her career around in 1958,
with a string of hit films: Howrah Bridge
opposite Ashok Kumar , by Phagun
oppositeBharat Bhushan, Kalapani
opposite Dev Anand, the perennial hit
Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi opposite her
would-be-husband, Kishore Kumar and
Barsaat Ki Raat (1960), opposite Bharat Bhushan again.
On 5 August 1960, Mughal-e-Azam released and became the
biggest grossing film at that time, a record that went unbroken
for 15 years until the release of the film Sholay in 1975.

She rarely gave interviews but Madhubala’s relationship with actor Dilip
Kumar was an open secret. However this ended on an unpleasant note when
she walked out of a movie Naya Daur and a court case was filed against her
and Dilip Kumar testified against her. After this, she married Kishore Kumar.

In the early 1950s as Madhubala became one of the most sought-after actresses in India, she also
attracted interest from Hollywood. She appeared in many American magazines such asTheatre Arts. .
Madhubala's father declined and put an emphatic end to her potential Hollywood career.

In the 50s, Madhubala was diagnosed with heart problems. Her health slowly deteriorated and she went
to London for treatment in 1960. But surgery was not seen as an option. She died on 23rd February
1969 when she was thirty six years old.

She was an ethereal and enigmatic beauty whose memory will never fade away.