Bollywood Flashback: How ego destroyed Dilip Kumar-Madhubala love story

Coming from a conservative Muslim family of Pathans, her father, Ataullah Khan wasn’t keen that she studied. She was the only earning member of the family as her father, who worked with the Imperial Tobacco Company in Peshawar with the British, had lost his job. He brought the whole family to Mumbai. Madhubala was talented, she could sing and dance and she did her first film Basant as a child actor. Right through her childhood, Madhubala remained busy shooting. Once when he was asked why he’d made her join films, her father had said, ‘I had 12 children. We would’ve starved to death. I’ve lost my sons who could’ve been my support’. She would begin shooting at 9 am and at 6 pm, the car would be sent to the studio and she’d be brought home. The young beauty shot to fame in 1949 at the age of 16 in Kamal Amrohi’s Mahal with Bollywood veteran Ashok Kumar. One success followed another, establishing Madhubala as an A-grade star with a rare versatility but what hid beneath was her growing fatigue, weakness and a fatal disease. When Madhubala was born the baby was “blue”–a serious sign of cyanosis and poor oxygen perfusion, a disorder colloquially referred to as a “hole in the heart”. The medical community’s understanding of  the condition was in its infancy and at the time of Madhubala’s birth, there was no treatment. But at that time, no one realised that she was sick, not even her father. Madhubala was a healthy and bubbly child.

When Hollywood beckoned Madhubala

Not many know that Madhubala’s beauty and allure was known worldwide. She had been featured in many American magazines including LIFE.. Interestingly, legendary director Frank Capra was eager to bring the mysterious Indian beauty to Hollywood and launch an international career, but apparently the actress’ conservative father didn’t let it happen.

Madhubala loved street food

Not many know that Madhubala loved wearing plain white sarees and loved tucking mogras in her hair, she was also fond of gold and kundan jewellery. With her little knowledge of Urdu, she would do some sher shayri. She loved some of street foods like ragda pattice,  pani puri…It’s heard that she’d wear a burqa to hide her identity drive all the family members to Chowpatty in her imported car and treat them to various delicacies. She even went to watch movies in a burqa. She had an aura around her as she was never seen in public and not much was known about her unlike other actors. She wasn’t allowed to attend any function, any premiere. She had no friends. But she never resisted, she was fine with it.

How Dilip Kumar-Madhubala relationship came to a bitter end

Madhubala’s first love was Premnath but the relationship lasted for just six months. Rumours have it that it broke on grounds of religion. He asked her to convert and she refused. Next she got involved with Dilip Kumar who she met on the sets of Tarana. They later worked in Sangdil, Amar and Mughal-e-Azam. It was a nine year long affair. They even got engaged. But, it is rumoured that due to Dilip Kumar’s differences with Madhubala’s father they couldn’t establish their relationship. It involved a court case drama in the presence of the press and the public. Dilip and Madhubala both signed for producer B. R. Chopras ambitious film Naya Daur which initially required 40-day location shooting in Gwalior. Both Dilip Kumar and Madhubala were paid initial signing amount. But apparently, her father refused to send Madhubala on location shooting as he felt it would be unsafe for his daughter, and insisted upon shooting in the studios which was not acceptable to the film’s director, B. R. Chopra. Eventually, Madhubala was dropped and was replaced by Vyjayantimala. Attaullah Khan sued B. R. Chopra for not honoring the contract. And B. R. Chopra counter sued. The whole drama meant disaster for the couple and the relationship came to a bitter end. Madhubala’s family members till date wonder why Dilip Kumar did not side with them and agree to the change in location. It’s said that Dilip Kumar was willing to marry Madhubala provided she left her father while she wanted him to apologise to her father. Essentially it was ego that destroyed their love.

Dilip Kumar’s version on the tragic end of the love story

In his autobiography which released some time last year, Dilip Kumar has given his side of the story on why his and Madhubala’s love story had a sad ending. In his own words: “Half way through the production of Mughal-e-Azam, we were not even talking to each other. The classic scene with the feather coming between our lips, which set a million imaginations on fire, was shot when we had completely stopped even greeting each other. It should, in all fairness, go down in the annals of film history as a tribute to the artistry of two professionally committed actors who kept aside personal differences and fulfilled the director’s vision of a sensitive, arresting and sensuous screen moment to perfection.”

“Contrary to popular notions, her father, Ataullah Khan, was not opposed to her marrying me. He had his own production company and he was only too glad to have two stars under the same roof. Had I not seen the whole business from my own point of view, it would have been just what he wanted, that is, Dilip Kumar and Madhubala holding hands and singing duets in his productions till the end of our careers. When I learned about his plans from Madhu, I explained to both of them that I had my own way of functioning and selecting projects and I would not show any laxity even if it were my own production house. It must have tilted the apple cart for him and he successfully convinced Madhu that I was being rude and presumptuous. I told her in all sincerity and honesty that I did not mean any offence and it was in her interest and mine as artistes to keep our professional options away from any personal considerations.”

“She was naturally inclined to agree with her father and she persisted in trying to convince me that it would all be sorted out once we married. My instincts, however, predicted a situation in which I would be trapped and all the hard work and dedication I had invested in my career would be blown away by a hapless surrender to someone else’s dictates and strategies. I had many upfront discussions with her father and she, not surprisingly, remained neutral and unmoved by my dilemma. The scenario was not very pleasant and it was heading inevitably to a dead end. In the circumstances, therefore, it seemed best that we did not decide to marry or even give each other a chance to rethink because my resolve by then had become strongly against a union that would not be good for either of us.”

The last journey

On the rebound Madhubala got involved with Kishore Kumar who was going through a divorce with Ruma Devi Guha Thakurta (actor-singer). Their love affair went on for three years through Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi and Half Ticket. They got married in 1960, when she was 27. After marriage they flew to London where the doctor told her she had only two years to live. But after that Kishore left her at her house saying, ‘I can’t look after her. I’m on outdoors often’. He’d visit her once in two months though. They remained married for nine years. The hole in her heart was detected when she was shooting with Raj Kapoor for SS Vasan’s Chalak in Chennai, in 1957. She had vomited blood and fainted. Madhubala was 24 then. She was advised bed rest for three months but she continued working as her films would suffer. But her health deteriorated while shooting for the historical epic Mughal-e-Azam in which she was seen tied with chains and had to walk around with them. That was physically stressful for her. By the end of the day her hands would turn blue. She’d even refuse food saying that she had to look anguished and weary for the jail scenes. And as she neared her 30th birthday, the grueling filming ofMughal-e Azam took a toll on the young actress’ health and that is speculated to have hurried her demise. While the historical released some time in 1960, Madhubala passed away on February 23, 1969 shortly after her 36th birthday.

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