26th september 2012 madhubala biography

Indian actress (1933–1969)

Madhubala (born Mumtaz Jehan Begum Dehlavi; 14 February 1933 – 23 February 1969), was an Indian actress noted for her work in Hindi cinema. Noted by critics for her beauty and unconventional screen persona, she was among the country's highest-paid actors in the 1950s. In a career spanning two decases, Madhubala appeared in over 70 films—ranging from slapstick comedies to historical dramas.

Born and raised in Delhi, Madhubala relocated to Bombay (now Mumbai) with her family when she was 8 years old and shortly after began playing minor roles, starting with Basant (1942). She progressed to leading roles in the late 1940s, and earned success with the dramas Neel Kamal (1947) and Amar (1954), the horror film Mahal (1949), and the romantic films Badal (1951) and Tarana (1951). Following a brief setback, Madhubala found continued success with her roles in the comedies Mr. & Mrs. '55 (1955), Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi (1958) and Half Ticket (1962), the crime films Howrah Bridge and Kala Pani (both 1958), and the musical Barsaat Ki Raat (1960).

Madhubala's portrayal of Anarkali in the historical epic drama Mughal-e-Azam (1960)—the highest-grossing film in India at the time—earned her widespread critical acclaim and her only nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress; her performance has since been described by critics as one of the finest in Indian cinematic history. She worked sporadically in film in the 1960s, making her final appearance in the drama Sharabi (1964). Additionally, she produced three films under her production house Madhubala Private Ltd., which was co-founded by her in 1953.

Despite maintaining strong privacy, Madhubala earned significant media coverage for her charity work and personal life. In the early 1950s, she had a highly-publicised relationship with actor Dilip Kumar that ended amidst the Naya Daur court case (1956–57). She married actor-singer Kishore Kumar i

Madhubala (1933–1969) was an Indian actress and producer who appeared in 73 Hindi-language films in a career spanning from the early 1940s to the mid-1960s. She made her debut at age 9 playing an uncredited role in the romantic musical Basant (1942).In 1944, she signed a contract with Ranjit Movietone, under which she featured in minor roles for the next two years. The contract ended in 1947, prompting director Kidar Sharma to cast Madhubala as the leading lady in the drama Neel Kamal (1947). Although a commercial failure, the film garnered her critical praise, and she subsequently rose to prominence after playing key characters in the drama Lal Dupatta (1948) and the horror film Mahal (1949). For a brief period, Madhubala continued starring in a number of successful productions, including the romantic musical Dulari (1949), the dramas Beqasoor (1950) and Sangdil (1952), and the romances Badal (1951) and Tarana (1951), frequently collaborating with actors such as Dev Anand, Dilip Kumar and Prem Nath.

Dissatisfied with typecasting, in 1953 Madhubala founded her own production company, called Madhubala Private Ltd.. She afterwards played an author-backed role in Mehboob Khan's romantic drama Amar (1954) and produced the social film Naata (1955)—in which she also acted—but both the films proved to be financially unsuccessful, which led the press to label her "box office poison". Madhubala's career took a turning point in 1955 when she starred alongside filmmaker Guru Dutt as a spoilt heiress in his production Mr. & Mrs. '55 (1955), a highly successful romantic comedy that satirized marriage of convenience. She then advanced her career by performing a wider variety of roles in the peri