Madhubala Biography, Movies, Death, Net Worth, Awards, Songs

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Madhubala’s Biography

Madhubala was a Hindi-language cinema actress and producer from India. She was one of India's highest-paid entertainers in the post-independence era which coincided with the global rise of Indian cinema. Madhubala had a career spanning more than 20 years but she was mostly active for about a decade and had acted in over 60 films by the time she died in 1969.

Madhubala's portrayal of Anarkali in the historical epic drama Mughal-e-Azam (1960) India's highest-grossing film at the time earned her widespread critical acclaim and her only Filmfare Award nomination for Best Actress; her performance has since been described by critics as one of the finest in Indian cinematic history. In the 1960s she appeared in a few films and made her final appearance in the play Sharabi (1964). She also produced three films through her production company Madhubala Private Ltd. which she co-founded in 1953.

Despite maintaining strict privacy Madhubala had extensive media coverage for her charitable work and her seven-year relationships with actor Dilip Kumar and actor-singer Kishore Kumar whom she eventually married in 1960. She suffered from frequent spells of dyspnea and hemoptysis caused by a ventricular septal defect since her early thirties eventually leading to her death in 1969.

Madhubala’s Age

Madhubala was aged 36 at the time of her death. She was born on 14 February 1933. Her zodiac sign is Aquarius. Her birthplace is Delhi India. She died on 23 February 1969.

Madhubala's Childhood

Madhubala spent the majority of her childhood in Delhi and grew up healthy. Except for Zahida none of Madhubala's sisters attended school due to their Muslim father's traditional beliefs. Under her father's teaching Madhubala learned Urdu Hindi and her native language Pashto. She had always been a big movie fan and she used to act out her favourite scenes in front of her mother as well as spend her free time dancing and imitating movie characters. Despite her traditional background she aspired to be a film actor something her father strongly opposed.

Khan's decision was changed in 1940 when he was fired from his employee firm for misbehaving with a senior officer. Madhubala's mother was concerned about social exclusion if their young daughter worked in the entertainment world but Khan was determined. Madhubala was soon hired by All India Radio to sing Khurshid Anwar's tunes. 
The seven-year-old worked there for several months and became acquainted with Rai Bahadur Chunnilal the general manager of the Bombay Talkies studio. Chunnilal developed an immediate fancy to Madhubala and advised Khan to come Bombay for better job chances.

She rented a villa on Peddar Road in Bombay and named it Arabian Villa after financially securing her family in the late 1940s. It became her permanent address until her death. She began driving at the age of 12 and by adult owned five cars: a Buick a Chevrolet a station waggon a Hillman and a Town & Country (which was owned by only two people in India at that time Maharaja of Gwalior and Madhubala). 

She began learning English from former actress Sushila Rani Patel in 1950 as a native speaker of three Hindustani languages and became fluent in three months. In Arabian Villa she also kept eighteen Alsatian dogs as pets.

Madhubala's Family

Madhubala was born on February 14 1933 as Mumtaz Jehan Begum Dehlavi in Delhi British India. She was the sixth of Ataullah Khan and Aayesha Begum's eleven children. At least four of Madhubala's siblings died as newborns; her sisters who lived to adulthood were Kaneez Fatima (born in 1925) Altaf (born in 1930) Chanchal (born in 1934) and Zahida (born in 1935).  Khan a member of the Pashtun Yusufzai tribe from Peshawar Valley worked for Imperial Tobacco Company. Madhubala was born with a ventricular septal defect a congenital cardiac condition for which there was no treatment at the time.

Madhubala's Boyfriend

Prem Nath

Madhubala's first relationship began in early 1951 with her Badal co-star Prem Nath. They split up after only six months owing to religious issues. Nonetheless for the rest of their lives Nath stayed close to Madhubala and her father Ataullah Khan. It is believed that both wished to marry but because Madhubala was a Muslim from the Pathan family it could not be done. 

According to a website Premnath was pressured to convert to marriage but refused causing Madhubala to leave him. Premnath is supposed to have continued to love her even after their separation. Premnath supported her family when Madhubala died. Premnath is no longer in this world yet he lives on in the hearts of millions.

Dilip Kumar

In 1951 Madhubala began a relationship with actor Dilip Kumar whom she met while working on Jwar Bhata (1944). Throughout the decade their affair drew widespread media attention. It had a positive impact on Madhubala and her friends consider the years that followed as the happiest of her life.Madhubala and Dilip Kumar's love story is a screenplay in and of itself. It had everything from romance to tragedy and heartbreak.

In truth Madhubala's sister Madhur Bhushan says that if the court case had not become a barrier the two would have married.  The story begins with the making of Naya Daur and the legal case fought by Madhubala and her director BR Chopra. Though Chopra won the case it strained Madhubala's relationship with Dilip Kumar the male lead. In the case Dilip had testified against her.

Madhur claimed that all her sister wanted Dilip to do for the sake of their relationship was to apologize to their father. Dilip was the most amazing human being according to Madhur but his refusal to apologize broke many hearts. Dilip Kumar and Madhubala had a nine-year relationship. They have worked on films such as Tarana Amar and Sangdil. Their roles as Salim and Anarkali in Mughal-e-Azam will always go down in Indian film history.

Madhubala's Husband

On the sets of Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi (1958) Madhubala rekindled a friendship with Kishore Kumar. The two had gradually fallen in love and one lovely day Kishore Kumar proposed to Madhubala for marriage and she promptly answered 'Yes'. Madhubala's sister on the other hand describes their love affair as a rebound.

After Kishore Kumar proposed and Madhubala said 'Yes ' the couple married in 1960. Kishore Kumar is supposed to have converted to Islam and changed his name to Karim Abdul for the sake of Madhubala's parents. Following a nikah ceremony the couple was declared wedded. Sadly even after a Hindu wedding in 1960 Madhubala was never accepted into Kishore Kumar's family. She returned to her home one month after the wedding because the familial stress had a negative impact on her mental health.

However Madhubala's sister Madhur said in an interview with Filmfare that their father was opposed to his daughter's wedding to Kishore Kumar due to her ailing health. She married Kishore in 1960 despite this. Kishore and Madhubala had gone to London just a few days after their wedding. When she had some health problems there physicians discovered she had a cardiac ailment that had gotten worse. She only had two years to live according to the doctor.

Madhubala's Struggles

Her life was almost like a Bollywood film filled with enormous sorrow and a never-ending flow of tragedy from childhood until death. However due to her playful on-screen persona the image she crafted on film was a far cry from the person she was in real life.

Madhubala then known as Mumtaz Begum was cast in the 1942 film Basant at the age of nine. It was just a matter of time before Madhubala rose to fame and her performance in the 1949 film Mahal earned her the success she deserved. She was only 16 years old.

 It was 1954 and the stunning Madhubala was working for SS Vasan's film Bahut Din Huwe when she reportedly vomited blood for the first time. She continued shooting soon after being treated and everyone assumed she was fine until she fainted while filming Chalack with Raj Kapoor in 1957.

She suffered cyanosis and inadequate oxygen perfusion which is generally known as a hole in the heart as it turned out. And it is our collective loss that the medical community's knowledge of the disease was in its infancy at the time and there was no available treatment.

The beautiful and charming lead actress of Indian cinema who was maturing into a vivacious and serene actor with international acclaim was also slowly and simultaneously degenerating into a frail human whose plight was only known to a few. Her optimism and determination carried her through every project she worked on during the 10 years it took to complete her last film the classic Mughal-E-Azam.

On the one hand she was battling for her life and honouring her art while on the other she was managing and suffering with her personal life. Madhubala was formerly engaged to famed actor Dilip Kumar. Madhubala separated from Dilip Sahab soon after and married Kishore Kumar.

Things were looking good for her but the doctors soon informed her that she would not be alive much longer. The sorrow was deepened when Kishore Kumar bought her a residence in Mumbai only to leave her. Madhubala's final days were spent in depression and loneliness which is heartbreaking.

Madhubala's Movies

Basant

Himanshu Rai noticed Madhubala then Mumtaz while she was looking for a job in the film industry with her father Ataullah Khan. Rai quickly cast her in Basant for a monthly cost of 500. Mumtaz became the financial backbone of her family after the film's release despite the fact that she was uncredited in the film. She worked as a kid artist in other films under the name Baby Mumtaz.

Five years after Rai's death his ex-wife and actress Devika Rani renamed Mumtaz Madhubala which literally means honey belle and trained her as a new leading lady. Basant ended its theatrical run with a gross revenue of 80 lakhs and a nett collection of 40 lakhs. It became the most successful film of 1942 as well as the most successful film of all time.

Kala Pani

Based on A.J.Cronin's 'Beyond This Place ' this film tells the story of a never-ending battle for justice. After learning of his father's wrongful involvement in a fifteen-year-old murder a young man vows to bring the true criminals to justice and free his innocent father from 'kaala paani' (life imprisonment) enlisting the assistance of a press reporter a retired police inspector and an unwitting prostitute who happens to possess some key evidence.

The film was a tremendous critical and commercial success upon its premiere on May 9 1958 with the leading actors receiving high accolades for their respective performances. Dev Anand and Nalini Jaywant won Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress at the 6th Filmfare Awards respectively. Kala Pani was 1958's eighth highest-grossing Bollywood film. It grossed $12 million with a nett profit of $6 million. The film's gross in today's dollars was predicted to reach 2.2 billion by Best of the Year.

Mahal

A young lawyer is linked with a ghost woman in his new house which was built after the builder and his fiancée died. In October 1949 Mahal was released in theatres. Despite mixed to negative critical reviews it became one of the decade's biggest singles as well as the biggest commercial triumph in Bombay Talkies' history. The film's success paved the path for Indian gothic fiction and launched Madhubala and playback singer Lata Mangeshkar who sang on the soundtrack to superstar.

In the reviews Madhubala was hailed as the film's true hit rated above than considerably senior Ashok Kumar while Wirching's cinematography had inspired a journalist for The Motion Picture Magazine to describe Mahal as a milestone in the annals of the Indian film industry. The overall critical reaction to Mahal was mixed: Patel called the plot fantastic nonsense—pure and unadulterated while The Motion Picture Magazine described the film as a story of ghosts spooks apparitions jitters quivers bats and snakes adding that it succeeds in giving one the creeps but through more than one cause.

Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi

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When two of the three woman-hating brothers fall in love their lives are turned upside down. Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi became the most successful work of the Bose and Ganguly brothers as well as Madhubala's fourth consecutive blockbuster hit in 1958 cementing her place as the leading female star of the late 1950s and early 1960s.

Kishore Kumar made Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi in the hope that it would fail commercially; he wanted to show losses in his income and therefore avoid paying a large income tax to the government. To his dismay the film was a success; in order not to increase his revenues he surrendered Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi and all its rights to his secretary Anoop Sharma who retained the copyright. Even after forty years the income tax lawsuit against Kishore Kumar has not been resolved.

Critics have overwhelmingly praised Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi for its comedic scenarios soundtrack execution and acting. The film has become a classic throughout the years and has influenced other films including Badhti Ka Naam Dadhi (1974) Saade Maade Teen (2006) and Dilwale (2015). In a 2003 Outlook Magazine poll of 25 notable Indian directors for the Best Bollywood Movies of All Time it was placed 18th.

Howrah Bridge

Prem Kumar a businessman from Rangoon travels to Calcutta in search of his brother's murderer and a valuable family treasure. Howrah Bridge was a critical and commercial success at its initial release and it has since become a cult classic. The music which includes the chartbusters Mera Naam Chin Chin Chu and Aaiye Meherbaan has received significant attention. The former was used again in the 1988 film Salaam Bombay!

Howrah Bridge grossed 1.1 crores with a net profit of 0.55 crore making it the seventh highest-grossing Bollywood film of 1958. According to Box Office India the film was one of the year's biggest hits. Shakti Samanta's success positioned him as a leading director; he later remembered We gained a lot of money from re-printing of the records and... [the film] went incredibly well I started to be acknowledged as a hit filmmaker from Howrah Bridge onwards.

Half Ticket

A diamond thief conceals his loot on an innocent child but the child turns out to be an adult disguised as a child in order to obtain a half-priced train ticket. Now the burglar must outwit the eccentric in a series of bizarre misadventures.

Half Ticket is one of Madhubala's final films as well as her final collaboration with her husband Kishore Kumar. It was a critical and commercial triumph and it has since become a cult classic. The film was named one of the 10 Bollywood comedies to watch in your lifetime by The Indian Express in 2020.

In India the film grossed 1 crore with a nett of 0.5 crores making it the eleventh highest-grossing picture of 1962. Its inflation-adjusted nett was 251 crore according to the Best of the Year. Box Office magazine computed its inflation-adjusted revenue by comparing the collection to the price of gold in 1962 yielding a 2011 adjusted gross of 119 crore.

Amar

Mehboob Khan produced and directed the 1954 Indian Hindi-language romantic drama film Amar. The film centers around the titular upper-class lawyer (Dilip Kumar) his feminist fiancée social worker Anju Roy (Madhubala) and Sonia (Nimmi) a poor milkmaid and deals with the sensitive subject of rape.

Meena Kumari was initially cast in the part of Anju Roy by Mehboob Khan. Kumari however was unable to continue filming due to unforeseen circumstances and departed the project. Following Kumari's departure production was halted and other actresses attempted but failed to land the high-profile role. In late 1952 Raj Kapoor called Khan and asked him to cast Nargis (Kapoor's girlfriend at the time) in the role. However there was tremendous pressure from Kumar's side at the time to include Madhubala in the film. On Kumar's persuasion Khan was forced to reject Kapoor and pick Madhubala.

Barsaat Ki Raat

P. L. Santoshi directed and R. Chandra produced the 1960 Indian Hindi-language romance musical film Barsaat Ki Raat. The film starring Madhubala Bharat Bhushan and Shyama is regarded as a classic example of the romantic musical film genre.

Barsaat Ki Raat received favorable reviews from contemporary critics. Both reviewers and audiences praised the music composed by Roshan which was regarded as one of the best in Indian film. One of the songs Zindagi Bhar Nahi Bhoolegi reached the top of the music charts that year. Barsaat Ki Raat has become a cult classic with critics praising Madhubala's performance and the soundtrack in particular. The latter is still immensely popular and replicated.

Mr & Mrs 55

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Mr. & Mrs. '55 is a 1955 Indian romantic comedy film directed and produced by Guru Dutt based on Abrar Alvi's screenplay. Madhubala plays Anita Verma a naive heiress pushed into marriage with a jobless cartoonist (Guru Dutt) to safeguard her millions in this socially critical drama set in urban Mumbai.

Shyama was the first option to play Anita Verma the film's main character. Guru Dutt approached her because she was his leading lady in the critically acclaimed Aar Paar (1954) but Shyama demanded a large salary which he declined. Dutt subsequently contacted Vyjayanthimala who turned down the job due to her busy schedule and later referred to it as her worst decision ever in 2011. It was then that Madhubala was cast as the film's leading heroine.

Mughal-e-azam

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K. Asif produced and directed Mughal-e-Azam a 1960 Indian epic historical drama film. It follows the love affair between Mughal Prince Salim (who went on to become Emperor Jahangir) and Anarkali a court dancer and stars Prithviraj Kapoor Dilip Kumar Madhubala and Durga Khote. Emperor Akbar Salim's father disapproves of the relationship resulting in a fight between father and son.

Mughal-e-Azam had the largest release of any Indian film up to that point and spectators frequently waited all day for tickets. It broke box office records in India and became the biggest-grossing Indian film of all time a title it held for 15 years; adjusted for inflation it remains the top-grossing Indian film of all time.

At the 8th Filmfare Awards the film received one National Film Award and three Filmfare Awards. Mughal-e-Azam was the first black-and-white Hindi film to be digitally coloured as well as the first film in any language to be re-released theatrically. The colour edition which debuted on November 12 2004 was similarly a commercial success.

The film is widely regarded as a genre landmark with critics praising its grandeur and attention to detail as well as the performances of its actors (especially that of Madhubala who earned a nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress). Scholars have praised the film's portrayal of timeless themes but have questioned its historical authenticity.

Madhubala's Career Timeline

Madhubala's Controversies

Madhubala controversy with B.R.Chopra

According to Pinkvilla BR Chopra signed Madhubala and Dilip Kumar for Naya Daur (1957) and required both actors to be present at the film's location shoot in Gwalior for 40 days. Fearing for his daughter's safety Madhubala's father insisted that the film be shot at Mumbai studios which BR Chopra refused. Vyajayantimala ultimately took over for Madhubala. Ataullah Khan filed a lawsuit in court against Chopra for breach of contract. Dilip sided with Chopra in this instance.

Madhubala Death

Madhubala's health was in serious decline by early 1969: she had recently gotten jaundice and was diagnosed with hematuria on urinalysis. Madhubala died of a heart attack around midnight on February 22. She died at 9:30 a.m. on February 23 barely nine days after turning 36 following a brief struggle with her family members and Kishore. Madhubala was buried with her personal journal at Juhu Muslim Cemetery in Santacruz Bombay. Her tomb was made of marble and the inscriptions include Quranic aayats and verse dedications.

Madhubala's death was seen as surprising due to her absence from the social scene for nearly a decade and it received widespread coverage in the Indian press. The Indian Express recognized her as the most sought-after Hindi film actress of her times while Filmfare characterized her as a Cinderella whose clock had struck twelve too soon. Several of her coworkers including Premnath (who dedicated a poem to her) B. K. Karanjia and Shakti Samanta expressed their sorrow at her untimely passing.

Madhubala's Networth

Madhubala's net worth is $5 million dollars.

Madhubala's Awards

Madhubala received the Best Actress for Mughal-e-Azam in 8th Filmfare Awards

21 Interesting Facts about Madhubala

• She was dubbed Venus of the Indian Screen because of her unrivalled beauty.
• Devika Rani an actress gave her the screen name.
• She was born into a low-income Pathan Muslim household in Delhi India.
• Her three sisters and two brothers died while she was little.
• She was the sister-in-law of Brij Bhushan Sahni a well-known actor and music composer.
• The Bombay explosion in 1944 damaged her little cottage in Bombay.
• She began looking for work in Bombay when she was nine years old.
• She began her career as a young actress with the film 'Basant' (1942).
• Her career in the film industry helped her family financially.
• She learnt to drive at the age of 12 and enjoyed driving for great distances on occasion.
• She liked dogs and had 18 of them in her home.
• She met Dilip Kumar for the first time on the set of 'Jwar Bhata' in 1944 when she was eleven years old and she later worked with him again in the film 'Har Singaar' in 1949.
• She made her cinematic debut at the age of 14 in 'Neel Kamal ' produced and directed by Kidar Sharma. In this film she co-starred with Raj Kapoor as the romantic protagonist.
• Legendary filmmaker Frank Capra wanted to bring her into the Hollywood industry to offer her a global career but her traditional father would not let her.
• On the set of 'Tarana ' at the age of eighteen she became more personal with Dilip Kumar. During this time she sent him a note in Urdu with a red rose and begged him to accept it if he loved her. Dilip Kumar agreed to it. For seven years they were in a love relationship. However due to her father's objection to Dilip she was forced to end their courtship.
• Madhubala's sister mentioned that her parents did not want her to attend public parties or premieres.
• Kishore Kumar Pradeep Kumar and Bharat Bhushan afterwards proposed to her for marriage.
• Dev Anand recalled her as someone who liked to flirt and used to play one against the other in her youth.
• She met Kishore Kumar while working on the film 'Dhake Ki Malmal' in 1956.
• She accepted Kishore Kumar's proposal to marry her who converted to Islam and took the name Karim Abdul.
• According to Leena Chandavarkar (singer Kishore's fourth wife) when Madhubala discovered that Dilip Kumar was not going to marry her she decided to marry Kishore Kumar whom she didn't even know fully only to prove that she could marry whomever she wanted.