When Dilip Kumar refused to apologise to Madhubala’s father: ‘That sorry became his ego, that was his arrogance’

“He (Dilip Kumar) came home and told her that you finish all these incomplete films and we will get married. Madhubala said fine but you have to say sorry to my father,” Madhur recalled, but Dilip Kumar refused. “That sorry became his ego. That was his arrogance that, ‘I will not say sorry’,” she recollected.

This apology became the dealbreaker in their relationship. Madhur shared, “She said if you won’t say sorry, I can’t… I am his daughter. She said, you just have to say it inside the house, not anywhere outside. Dilip saab did nothing unjustified but he refused to say sorry. She said, ‘see, if you are not going to say sorry to him, then I can’t marry you.”

This broke Madhubala’s heart and Madhur further recalled, “Their love of 9 years was over in one day on such a small thing, a sorry. I don’t know… he was a nice man. I don’t know why this came into his head that ‘I will not apologise to your father’.”

For the unversed, Madhubala walked out of BR Chopra’s Naya Daur after working on it for 10 days. Her father said that his daughter’s health did not allow her to shoot an extensive outdoor schedule. After she walked out and Chopra cast Vyjayanthimala, Ataullah Khan sued BR Chopra. The case had Dilip Kumar supporting BR Chopra. Madhubala was obviously supporting her father, but as per BR Chopra’s interview with Sharmila Taliculam, Madhubala apologised to him. “Madhubala did come to my house to apologise and say she was really helpless, but that’s okay. I have no complaints,” he recalled.

Madhubala eventually moved on and married Kishore Kumar a few years later.