The Queen of Hearts

Baby Mumtaz then played childrens’ roles in Ranjit’s Mumtaz Mahal, Dhana Bhagat, Pujari and Phoolwari. But her path was strewn with disappointments, catastrophes and failures. In 1944, an explosion at the Bombay docks destroyed her family’s belongings and property. While no lives were lost, Madhubala’s family was forced to search for new accommodation. Madhubala moved in with a school friend and continued to doggedly pursue her career. Her grit and tenacity were rewarded when Kidar Sharma cast her in the film, Neel Kamal. It was also remarkable as it had Raj Kapoor playing a hero for the first time. The pair clicked and Raj Kapoor and Madhubala were cast as the main romantic lead in a mythological calledtAmar Prem or Radha Krishna directed by N M Kelkar and a hilarious comedy Dil Ki Rani directed by Mohan Sinha.

Her work in Lal Dupatta and her portrayal of a gardener’s daughter in Bombay Talkies’ Mahal (directed by Kamal Amrohi), put her in the top rung of heroines. Significantly, Baby Mumtaz, who made her debut as a child artist in Basant, attained stardom through the same studio. With Badal, Aaram, Nazneen Khazana, Saiyan, Tarana, Saqi and Sangdil, she further consolidated her reputation. Other remarkable pictures include Gemini’s Bahut Din Huwe and Guru Dutt’s Mr & Mrs ’55.

When Mumtaz Ataullah Khan finally became famous as the celebrated Madhubala, she was given the title of "Venus of the Indian screen". She had a perfect blend of beauty and sensuality that worked on the audience like an elixir. But, behind those dancing eyes and lopsided smile, lurked a lifetime of pain. Intractably intertwined with loss, her life seemed to move inexorably towards its tragic finale.An early affair with Premnath crumbled when she embarked on her life’s greatest passion — her all-consuming love for Dilip Kumar. It was an agonising affair that left both their souls singed with its intensity. However, it was not meant to be. Madhubala’s father ruled over her with an iron hand and she could not contend with his strident opposition. Suddenly, her life began to disintegrate. Her films, even major ones like Mehboob Khan’s Amar, started flopping, she was thrown out of B R Chopra’s Naya Daur after a scandalous court case.

At the same time it was diagnosed that Madhubala had a hole in her heart. But even then she refused to quit and turned her career around with a string of hits like Phagun, Howrah Bridge, Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi, Kaala Paani, and Barsaat Ki Raat (all between 1958 and 1960). Sultry glamourous, with a smile that put a 1000 stars to shame, Madhubala was the quintessence of a movie star. But behind that luminescent image, lurked a woman desperately unhappy and unfulfilled. Determined to exorcise her past, Madhubala also plunged into a loveless marriage with Kishore Kumar.

And true to the story of her real life, her greatest celluloid moment turned out to be her saddest. In 1960, Mughal-e-Azam saw Madhubala scale the zenith of success. She cried her true pain when she sang, `Katon ko murjhane ka khauf nahin,‘ after Dilip Kumar gives her thorns as a prize after the qawwali contest. It was as if she had a shimmering awareness of where her own options had begun and ended. Mughal-e-Azam was the prefect platform to display the depths of Madhubala’s creative ability but her pain-wracked body forced her to abbreviate her career. For nine years she lingered on, her blithe spirit chained to her bedposts. Death came as a release in 1969.