Madhubala mesmerized the film world with her eternal, mythical, divine, and transcendental beauty, unparalleled in Indian cinema. She evoked the sensation of a lotus blooming in full or a star twinkling in the galaxy, like a goddess sent to Earth to symbolize beauty, a glazed monument. The camera often failed to do justice to her allure.
Although she had a short tenure in Bollywood, her career was most illustrious. Madhubala was also one of the most expressive actresses, possessing boundless energy onscreen. Her excellence as an artist was accompanied by a warm and cheerful nature. Even generations after her death, she shimmers like an inextinguishable star or spirit in the hearts of film lovers.
Madhubala defied the conventional "goodie-goodie" model of a heroine, fusing irresistible childlike vulnerability with sensuousness. She proved her flair and versatility by enacting a wide spectrum of roles. Although Madhubala was renowned for her beauty, regrettably, it often drew more attention than her talent. Her acting was as natural as the flow of stream water, with the purity of a sunset or moonlight. It was rare to witness any actress more radiant on the Bollywood screen. Arguably, no actress of her time so effectively fused sensuousness with grace.
Madhubala could communicate more with her delicately raised eyebrows than most performers could with a raised voice. She enacted a diverse range of roles, from a club dancer in Howrah Bridge to a historical character in Rajnath (presumably Mughal-e-Azam or a similar historical film, as "Rajnath" is not a widely known Madhubala film title), a village girl in Tarana, and a modern girl in Kala Pani. She had equally effective timing in comic and highly dramatic roles. Madhubala epitomized versatility and proved her prowess in almost every film genre of her time. Her diversity ranged from playing a conventional or traditional lady in Sangdil and Badal, an uninhibited village girl in Tarana, a comedic role in Mr. and Mrs. 55, and a double role in Kal Hamara Hai, a tale of two sisters with diametrically contrasting natures—one a conventional Indian archetype and the other a smoking and drinking dancer.
Despite being a victim of adversity through illness, Madhubala always wore a cheerful face, reverberating joy with a warm smile. She was an embodiment of the sheer dichotomy between the life expressed by an actress onscreen and her real life.
Madhubala originated from a humble background with no formal education or training in acting but had a strong affinity for films. She regularly watched Hollywood and Hindi films, teaching herself English. Born on February 14, 1933, to a Pathan couple, Ataullah Khan and Begum Ayeesha, in Delhi, her father had lost his job in a tobacco company, leaving him heavily in debt. He aspired to bring Madhubala into films and thus moved to Bombay. Madhubala made a sensational breakthrough as a child artist in the film Basant in 1942, directed by Devika Rani. She earned her first role as a leading lady in Neel Kamal, opposite Raj Kapoor.
Despite acting in 24 films from 1947-1950 to support her family’s financial needs, they were hardly impactful. It was in Mahal in 1949 that Madhubala first lit up the box office, transitioning into a star. Sadly, this was followed by a succession of films from 1950-1954, which mainly failed at the box office despite power-packed performances by famous actors.
From 1958, Madhubala ushered in a period of continuous hits with movies like Insaan Jaag Utha, Phagun, Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi, Ek Saal, and Barsaat Ki Raat, culminating with the ultimate mega-hit, Mughal-e-Azam. Here, she scaled the pinnacle of her career.
Madhubala's father never permitted her to make public appearances, not even at premieres of her films. His view was that actors should rarely appear much in public to preserve their magic. It was this very elusiveness, of rarely appearing before the public, that resurrected the magic of Madhubala, even five decades after her death.
Madhubala was entangled in a complex relationship with superstar Dilip Kumar, which had continuous twists and turns. Their romance, lasting for five years, comprises one of the everlasting legends of Hindi cinema. She made her first public appearance with him at the premiere of the movie Insaniyat, making their romance public by accompanying her co-star as an escort. They had been perfect pairs in Tarana, Sangdil, and Amar. The film Mughal-e-Azam ended their love story, particularly after a love scene where Dilip had to slap her very hard, causing Madhubala physical and mental agony. In the earlier part of the movie, their relationship flourished, with Dilip regularly dropping in to visit her. The myth that the stunning couple would finally tie the knot was shattered. It was later logically discovered by doctors that Madhubala was suffering from a heart ailment, a fact foreshadowed in a scene when Madhubala faints into Dilip Kumar’s hands after Anarkali runs away from Prince Salim.
After breaking up with Dilip Kumar, Madhubala chose Kishore Kumar over Pradeep Kumar and Bharat Bhushan. However, she soon made a departure from her new husband and returned home. She fell very ill while shooting for the film Boy Friend in 1961, which marked the end of her career. Despite going to London for treatment, she found no remedy, with doctors diagnosing she had only two years to live.
Her last film was Sharabi (1964), ending her career with a bounty of 60 films. Madhubala suffered from breathlessness caused by a ventricular septal defect, which ultimately led to her death. She passed away on February 23, 1969. Fascinatingly, she retained her beauty even at the time of death. Although the illness had taken its toll, her inner beauty glowed.
Ashok Kumar once said that Madhubala was the finest actress he ever worked with. Dilip Kumar, in his autobiography, wrote, "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.” David Cort said that "Madhubala was the ideal of the free Indian woman, or what India hopes the free Indian woman will be.”
Evaluation
In my estimate, Madhubala was not only the most beautiful of all Hindi film actresses but also one of the most talented and versatile. She hardly got the opportunity to prove her all-round prowess as an actress in the manner of greats like Nutan, Nargis, or Waheeda Rehman. Had she lived longer, she may well have matched the very greatest. She never got deserved recognition for her work as an actress, which is symbolized by not being given the Best Actress award for her power-packed performance in Mughal-e-Azam. It is regrettable that some of her most artistic work and films, like Sangdil, Mahal, Tarana, and Amar, failed at the box office.
In my personal view, she would rank just a notch below the likes of Waheeda Rehman and Nutan and on par with the tragedy queen, Meena Kumari.
Best Movies of Madhubala
* Mahal (1949): A haunting tale of a banker and his surreal encounter with a young lady’s spirit. Madhubala’s youthful beauty gave the film a mesmerizing touch and served as a testament to her skill in emoting. She held her own against top stars like Ashok Kumar.
* Tarana (1951): An unforgettable tale of romance between a beautiful village girl, played by Madhubala, and a young doctor who lands in the village after an air crash. The film featured magical chemistry between Dilip Kumar and Madhubala. She brought an element of charm and warmth to this timeless musical with her graceful and emotive expressions.
* Amar (1954): Madhubala stole the show, enacting a rich city girl who explores life when she observes the trauma of a village girl. Undergoing the transition from a bubbly girl to a confused lover to a resolute woman, Madhubala delivered a most nuanced performance.
* Mr. and Mrs. 55 (1955): With high mastery, she played the quintessential rich girl and the mature woman with equal effectiveness in a single role. That was the journey of her character Anita Verma in Mr. and Mrs. 55, a film entailing naive romance. Displays great flair for comedy. The movie explored social concerns of Western influence on Indian culture.
* Kala Pani (1958): Although primarily Dev Anand’s film, Madhubala deserved credit for her exuberance and charm playing Asha, Dev Anand’s love interest. The song, “Achha Ji Main Haari Chalo Maan Jao Na,” personified Madhubala at her playful best.
* Howrah Bridge (1958): In a performance par excellence, Madhubala, enacting a club dancer Edna, was singing, dancing, and gyrating, escalating untamed sensuousness. Madhubala’s eyes glowed with magical effect, as though controlled by divine power. With articulate skill, she showcased a Westernized model of a woman with open hair, donning deep-cut blouses, capri pants, etc.
* Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi (1958): Madhubala proved to the world that she could experiment with a comedy role. She personified bubbliness and radiated joy at its optimum. An unforgettable scene is when she drives a car into the garage in the middle of the night, looking completely drenched, sensuous, and fearless in her vulnerability. Ever playful and vibrant.
* Insan Jaag Utha (1959): A lesser-known film by Shakti Samanta, Insan Jaag Utha was the story of a conman falling in love and reforming his greedy ways. Madhubala played the role of Gauri, a village girl who works at the construction site of a dam. It was incredible how, in a simple village girl avatar, Madhubala exuded stunning beauty.
* Mughal-E-Azam (1960): A magnum opus that took ten years to make. Playing Anarkali, the court dancer and the object of Prince Salim’s affections, Madhubala epitomized divine beauty and stupendous acting skill as a lovelorn courtesan, etching herself into the legacy of Indian cinema forever. The subtle movements of her eyes conveyed the story. Her moods varied in the manner of the four seasons, from ecstasy and joy to grief and despair. Her dramatic portrayal of Anarkali was the finest female performance of the time.
* Barsaat Ki Raat (1960): Overshadowing the flowing Urdu poetry and soulful music, Madhubala’s beauty was made inexorably sensual by the rains.
* Half Ticket (1962): Madhubala played the quintessential city girl who explores her fun side. This film was about the lead characters jumping around, howling out, and behaving like kindergarten kids. Madhubala epitomized energy at its optimum scale, bubbling and bustling. She infused laughter and joy into a classic comedy.
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*Freelance journalist
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