Madhubala (1933-1969)

Madhubala was a popular Hindi film actress who starred in several successful films in the 1950s. Many have achieved classic and cult status today. With her contemporaries Nargis and Meena Kumari she is widely regarded as one of the most influential and beautiful actresses to have appeared on the screens of Indian cinema. Her first film, Basant (1942) in which she played the daughter of the popular actress, Mumtaz Shanti, was a success at the box-office. She then went on to act in several films as a child artist. It was the celebrated actress Devika Rani, impressed by her performances and potential, who gave Madhubala her screen name. Her big break came when film maker Kidar Sharma gave her a chance to act opposite Raj Kapoor in Neel Kamal (1947). And after the coveted lead role in Bombay Talkies production, Mahal in 1949, Madhubala became a fully fledged star and a household name. Though she was only 16 at the time, critics widley acknowledged that her subtle and skillful performance upstaged her seasoned co-star, Ashok Kumar. The film became a popular success and the song 'Aayega Aanewaala' heralded the arrival of two new superstars both Madhubala and playback singer Lata Mangeshkar. She appeared in many American magazines such as Theatre Arts. In their August 1952 issue, Madhubala was featured in an extensive article with a full page photo. The piece was entitled: 'The Biggest Star in the World - And she's not in Beverly Hills'. In 1960 she went on to star in the epic mega-budget historical, Mughal-E-Azam. She went on to marry Kishore Kumar, the legendary singer. She is often compared with Marilyn Monroe and has a similar position in Indian film history. Perhaps because she died before being relegated to supporting or character roles, to this day Madhubala remains one of the most enduring and celebrated legends of Indian cinema. It is often overlooked that Madhubala was seen portraying westernized and even vamp like characters back in the 1950s. A bold image for a Hindi film heroine to portray in an age when demure and self sacrificing ideals of Indian womanhood were the order of the day. Madhubala passed away on February 23rd, 1969 because of a chronic heart ailment.