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Meet late iconic B-town actress, highest-paid in 1950s, 9-year romance with Dilip Kumar raised eyebrows, married actor-singer and passed away at 36
Her presence in Bollywood remains unmissable as an actress with 70 films in her career before the age of 36. Know who it is below.
Indian actress Madhubala is incomparable. Born on February 14, 1933, Mumtaz Jehan Begum Dehlavi came to be known by her stage name Madhubala ever since she stepped into the industry and took over the scene in the 1940s, 50s, and 60s.
Madhubala’s life before Bollywood
Being born in pre-Independence Delhi, she is said to have moved to Mumbai (formerly known as Bombay) at the age of 8 years old. One of eleven children in the family, she learned Hindi, Urdu, and her native language, Pashto. While many may think that she started out as a successful actor, the truth is far from it. Her entry into the world of acting came from a necessity to earn for her family following the unemployment of her father. She initially started singing and then ventured into acting. It was her acquaintance with the general manager of the Bombay Talkies studio, Rai Bahadur Chunnilal, that led her to the world of cinema.
Madhubala’s acting career
Called the Venus of Indian cinema thanks to her beauty and being cast into multiple successful films, Madhubala’s career began with child-actor roles starting from Basant (1942). While the film earned success, she did not get her breakthrough and briefly returned to Delhi with her family until Devika Rani from the production house called, which piqued her father’s interest and got her back into the entertainment business of Bombay.
She signed with Ranjit Studios in 1944, which resulted in more child acting roles in films like the ones in Mumtaz Mahal (1944) and Phoolwari (1946), leading her to be called Baby Mumtaz. Her role in Neel Kamal, with debutant Raj Kapoor, faced financial difficulties but eventually became her first leading portrayal.
It was her work with Mohan Sinha that landed her the name of Madhubala, resulting in credits in her following projects. Lal Dupatta in 1948 became the then 15-year-old’s breakthrough with a role as Shobha, with critics lauding her work. She went on to star in the first-ever Indian horror film, Mahal, which propelled her acting career to new heights.
Dulari (1949), Beqasoor (1950), Pardes (1950), and more became the projects that solidified her presence in the acting world. Some of her more famous works include Baadal (1951), Saiyan (1951), Tarana (1951), and Sangdil (1952), cementing her cross-genre presence in Bollywood.
Even while battling personal health issues, Madhubala continued to partake in films like Rail Ka Dibba and Armaan, both in 1953, which did not achieve commercial success, even stepping away from a few projects like Shahehshah (1953), Meenar (1954), and Uran Khatola (1955). She, however, returned with a renewed fervor in Mr. & Mrs. '55, which shot her back to fame. Her subsequent roles in the year of 1956, Raj Hath and Shirin Farhad, as well as Gateway of India and Ek Saal in 1957, came amid public scrutiny and her breakup from Dilip Kumar.
The following year became one of her most successful, with not one or two but four films making their way to the theaters: Kala Pani, Howrah Bridge, Phagun, and Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi. She reunited with Raj Kapoor in 1959 after a decade for Do Ustad, which was also the time she acted in Insan Jaag Utha and Kal Hamara Hai.
The Mughal-e-Azam fever: Even as society and industry insiders wondered at the charm behind Madhubala’s unceasing success, she was nowhere near done. Becoming Anarkali was the most memorable piece of work in her career as she captured audiences far and wide, her name being written in history, never to be forgotten. The film was released in 1960 and is regarded as one of the greatest ever. The production for the film took place for 6 years in total and was worth the wait following its release. Becoming one of the highest-paid Indian actors of the 1950s, she was reportedly paid a whopping Rs. 3 lakh for the film.
Madhubala tried her best to complete the many projects that were coming her way or that she had signed, even as her health worsened. She announced her retirement from the industry a day after her marriage to Kishore Kumar on October 16, 1960.
Relationship with Dilip Kumar
The actress was long involved with Kumar and was even rumored to be planning marriage. They started in various projects together, becoming a beloved couple by fans who witnessed their own screen and off-screen charm. She even confirmed their romantic relationship with him via an appearance at the premiere of his 1955 film Insaniyat. Soon after, marriage rumors followed the two; however, they never came to fruition.
The management of her father, Ataullah Khan, invited troubles during her relationship with the actor. The peak of their disagreements came when he refused to join her production company, citing creative restrictions. In 1956, their relationship ended when the two stars stood on opposite sides of a dispute involving BR Copra’s Naya Daur. A four-month legal conflict bore holes in their private lives, which could never be repaired. More reports claimed that Khan was also pressurising the director to cast his other daughter, Chanchal, in the film and demanded more remuneration for Madhubala, which led to a halt in the production and Kumar being called to court. He testified against her, claiming that the fear of her father caused her to hesitate to take on the role. They went their separate ways soon after, only uniting after her health declined in 1966.
Relationship and marriage to Kishore Kumar
Childhood friends, Madhubala and Kishore Kumar, reunited in 1958 as well-known names in the industry. They continued to be friends until after her relationship with Dilip Kumar saw its end, and she was single. The couple tied the knot in October 1960, following the fame of Mughal-e-Azam despite his family’s disapproval of her. After their civil marriage, the actor-singer’s mother made them wed again in a Vedic ceremony.
They traveled to London for their honeymoon and a simultaneous consultation with foreign doctors about her health. Heart specialists refused to perform any surgery on her due to the risk and deterred her from having any children. The duo’s relationship took a severe hit after their return to India, with the actress going back to her maternal home even as he continued to fund her hospital expenses.
Madhubala’s demise
Suffering from a congenital heart disease, the actress stepped back from many of her projects in the early 1960s, only managing to complete a few with the help of a body double. Sharabi became the last of her projects to be screened while she was alive. Even as she tried to get into movie direction, the actress was unable to devote the right amount of attention to it. She suffered from a ventricular septal defect, which was heightened during the last years of her life. Her health deteriorated further, even as she tried to return to filming, which caused her to faint on a set.
Catching jaundice in 1969 and needing round-the-clock care, including repeated oxygen supply, she was then diagnosed with a case of hematuria. Madhubala suffered a heart attack on February 22, 1969, a day after which she breathed her last at her residence, in the presence of her family and husband, Kishore Kumar.
