Madhubala and Dilip Kumar
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Photographer: James Burke, 1951
Photographer: James Burke, 1951
Madhubala and Dilip Kumar
Madhubala and Dilip Kumar Excerpted from the website 'madhubaladilip.webs.com' that is now frozen.
The Love story
She was called the Venus of Indian cinema. He was one of the trio (Raj-Dilip-Dev) that ruled Indian cinema for a couple of decades. Madhubala and Dilip Kumar's love story. Both were Pathan Muslims, both at the peak of their careers, their ages were compatible and, most important, each was single and uncommitted. Ostensibly, there was nothing to stop them from getting married.
Jwar Bhata
Madhubala, who was to appear in Jwar Bhata, in which Dilip Kumar was playing the lead role. She was unable to work in the movie but this was the moment the youngster first set eyes on Dilip Kumar.
Madhubala and Dilip Kumar met seven years later on the sets of Tarana when she was eighteen years old. During the shooting she sent her hairdresser with a note written in Urdu together with a red rose asking him to accept it if he loved her, which intrigued and amused Dilip Kumar and naturally he accepted the rose.
Dilip Kumar, who set many a girl's heart aflutter with his slow smile and the quiet intensity of his eyes, was not the frivolous, flippant kind; he was drawn, on his part, to his lively and vivacious co-star of Tarana and it was the depth and seriousness of his feelings for her that made Premnath decide to step aside willingly and relinquish his own suit.
Tarana
On the sets of Tarana Dilip Kumar and Madhubala are in a pretty garden (a studio set) enjoying each other's company when suddenly Anilda's dancing music intrudes. Talat throws in his ace with the opening line of the song - which essentially makes a long love story short. Madhubala looks blushed at first at this sudden out-burst of a song. But Lata enters through back door with "chain kahaa.n mohe sajan saa.nvare" giving her a big encouragement - so much as to look directly into the eyes of Dilip Kumar.
Her first movie with Dilip Kumar was Tarana (1951) and the pair hit it off onscreen as well as off screen. Next came 'Sangdil' (1952) another flop with Dilip Kumar and then Mahboob Khan's 'Amar' (1953) with a bold story line, which the audience couldn't accept. During this time she had an intimate relationship with Dilip. In fact it was widely believed that the stunning pair would eventually get married by this time the two were involved in an intimate relationship. The early fifties were Madhubala's best years. She was rapturously and ecstatically in love and exuded happiness.
Recalling those days, Gulshan Ewing says she thrust on me the mantle of 'confidante'. Many were the whispered conversations she had with me, all rustling with the same rhythm -- Yusuf, Yusuf, Yusuf. She was so in love, the light leapt out and dazzled everyone. She would squeal when his name was mentioned, she would blush and perspire when his presence was imminent.'
The heroine files for divorce
Once, however, the bubbly actress' talent did not quite rise to the occasion. This was the time when, in her personal life, her love affair with Dilip Kumar was at its peak. She was shooting for Guru Dutt's Mr. and Mrs. 55 at Mehboob Studio. Abrar Alvi, the film's scriptwriter; narrates the incident, The scene to be shot had Lalita Pawar showing Madhubala a photograph of her husband in a compromising position with another woman. It was a ruse to make the heroine file for divorce. Since we didn't have the relevant photograph at the time of the shoot we borrowed a photograph of the same size, from Mehboob Khan's office, with the intention of inserting the right later on. Now, it so happened that the one we borrowed was a photograph of Dilip Kumar. When Madhu saw it she just refused to do the scene. 'I can't concentrate,' she pleaded. 'Please get another photograph.' No amount of cajoling helped. Ultimately, we had to do as she wished.
An emergency meeting was called including Kumar, Amrohi, the famous composer Naushad, and the film's new producer Shapurji. Surprisingly, all agreed to Attaullah Khan's terms--Dilip Kumar's voice reportedly being the loudest in support. Madhubala was signed on to play Anarkali.
Mughal-e-Azam
During the making of Mughal-e-Azam, Dilip Kumar was in the habit of dropping by to see Madhubala even when he was not required for the day's shooting. He came on her sets and, if she was working, nothing was said. He stood watching; wordless glances were exchanged and he left, but his very presence was enough to transport
Madhubala to a world of happiness. She looked forward to these few moments with all her heart, her eyes searching for him. When she saw him, her day was made.
Z.A Bhutto
Z.A Bhutto was madly in love with Madhubala and some reports suggest, he even proposed to her, but she turned him down since she was already in love with Dilip Kumar.
The immensity of her affection seemed to permeate her whole being with a glow and radiance, prompting Film India to comment: 'Madhubala has found her soul at last in the company of Dilip Kumar.' Her moorings still intact, life moved on an even keel. Meetings with Dilip Kumar took place discreetly, well away from the public eye, at times in the homes of friends like Sushila Rani Patel, or K Asif and his wife Sitara Devi. According to Sitara: "They used to come over often. Asif and I used to go out so that they could have some privacy."
Naqab
Shammi Kapoor remembers that when they were shooting for Naqab at the Prabhat Studios in Poona (now Pune), Dilip Kumar would drive down from Bombay to meet Madhubala. He even flew to Bombay to spend Eid with her, taking time off from his shooting stint for Gemini's Insaniyat in Madras. the romance was all too apparent on the screen, where it was reaffirmed in Madhubala's expressive eyes and smiles, and in Dilip Kumar's equally eloquent intensity. If the romantic scenes of Mughal-e-Azam stand out as a class apart and continue to weave their spell on viewers even today, it is largely due to that spark of truth which runs through them, manifesting itself in a palpable undercurrent of passion. The same could be said of Tarana, Amar, of Sangdil in varying degrees. The 'Insaaniyat' premiere incidentally, was the first occasion when Madhubala made a public appearance with sweetheart Dilip Kumar.
Her father, Ataullah Khan
Her father's was a stern and dominating personality and Madhubala had been in awe of him all her life. When it came to the crunch, despite the depth of her feelings for Dilip Kumar, she did not have the courage to defy and over-ride her father and marry without his approval. Her happiness hinged on both Dilip Kumar's love, and her father's acceptance of it.Her father was rendered unquestioning obedience, love and respect. In fact, it is said that when Dilip Kumar started his own production Ganga Jamuna, he even decided to give the entire profits of the film to Ataullah Khan so that he and Madhubala could get married and she could stop working.
According to Dilip Kumar: "She was a very, very obedient daughter." "I cannot think of marriage," she would say, "Till I have fulfilled my responsibilities to my family". An yet, by the mid-fifties, there were clear indications that she was nearing a decision. In 1955, she made a bold declaration in a Filmfare interview: 'Nobody in the world has any right to interfere with one's choice of a husband. I would marry only the man with whom I am very much in love.'
Without distraction, Madhubala faced Dilip Kumar in Mughal-E-Azam; which took ten years to make. By then, Madhubala's father, Ataullah Khan, had become a domineering stage father and he did his best to keep Dilip away from Madhubala. However, like Romeo and Juliet, Dilip and Madhubala found ways to see each other; sometimes a mutual friend's home and if not; there was always on set.
They found ways and means of meeting each other, away from Ataullah Khan's disapproving eye sometimes in Sushila Rani's house, sometimes in her make-up room.
Dhake ki Malmal
During the making of Dhake ki Malmal (1956) in the presence of Om Prakash, events of a dramatic nature took place that decided the final shape of the association between Dilip and Madhubala. Om Prakash was on the sets of the film when he was startled by a message from Dilip Kumar, who asked to see him.
Dilip was with Madhubala in her make-up room and the atmosphere was surcharged. Om Prakash was requested to simply sit down and be a witness to the happenings. He watched as Dilip Kumar implored Madhubala, asking her to go with him and be married that very day. He had a kazi ready and waiting at his home and he wanted her to leave with him immediately. "I will marry her today," he emphasised. Apparantly some source had said Madhubala and Dilip has got secretly engaged
It was the condition that he put forth that became the stumbling block: She would have to leave her father and never meet him again. Madhubala's refrain was that this was impossible, and apart from this, she said nothing. "Dilip saab urged her repeatedly -- again and again. He asked if this meant she was not willing to marry him? He told her if he went away now, he would never return. Madhubala was silent. At last, he got up and left -- alone and out of her life." Their stormy relationship lasted about eight years.
It has been said that Dilip Kumar demanded that if they were to marry, Madhubala would have break off all ties with her family. The veracity of this statement is questionable. It would be safe to say that Kumar must have felt a deep resentment towards Ataullah Khan. It was only on the actual film set, or the movie studio that the couple were allowed to interact, and that, only behind the back of the elder Khan. Their rendezvous had to be kept hidden. For Madhubala, to be under the watchful eye of her father, had always been her whole way of life, but for Dilip Kumar, it must have felt like a huge imposition.
A court house drama
The couple though did carry on their affair in this manner for a few years. The stress and inability to have a proper relationship took their toll and finally in 1957 they finally broke up. The events were a major scandal, and involved a court house drama, with the press and eager public as audience.
Naya Daur
Dilip and Madhubala had both been signed and were well into pre-production for the BR Chopra film Naya Daur. In the film a 40 day shooting schedule had been allotted to take place on location in Bopal. Ataullah Khan refused to let Madhubala do the location shoot, claiming the scenes could be shot in studio. BR Chopra told Khan the 40 day location shoot was essential. Now it was well known that Ataullah Khan had always refused to let Madhubala do location shoots, stating her fragile health. Dilip Kumar was certain the reason Ataullah would not let her go was because the pair would be unchaperoned on a location shoot for 40 days. Madhubala herself was caught in the middle, she opted to follow whatever decision her father demanded. Eventually Madhubala was dropped from the film and replaced by Vyjayanthimala.
Ataullah sued, and BR Chopra counter sued. Eventually the whole fiasco was dragged into court. At some point in the trial the personal relationship between Dilip Kumar and Madhubala was put down as evidence, and their whole affair was put under the spotlight. The filmi press had a field day, and the public ate up every word of the published court transcripts. Dilip feeling very bitter had of course sided with BR Chopra and presented evidence against Ataullah Khan and Madhubala.At some point in the trial the personal relationship between Dilip Kumar and Madhubala was put down as evidence, and their whole affair was put under the spotlight. The filmi press had a field day, and the public ate up every word of the published court transcripts. Dilip feeling very bitter had of course sided with BR Chopra and presented evidence against Ataullah Khan and Madhubala. Dilip Kumar appeared as a witness for the prosecution against Madhubala and said some very bitter things about her in open court. While Dilip was testifying against her, she turned to her lawyer R.D. Chadha and said, ?I don?t believe this is the man who was so in love with me and whom I loved more than anyone and anything in the world.? The elder Khan presented evidence against Chopra and Kumar. It spelled disaster for the couple. At one point in the trial a distraught Dilip Kumar under cross examination on the witness stand, declared, "I love this woman and shall love her till my dying day." Dilip Kumar allowed himself a rare moment of public vulnerability: "I love Madhubala and shall always love her,"he said. Madhubala choked back her tears.
Dilip Kumar never came back and the Naya Daur court case and its fallout put an effective end to any chance of redeeming the relationship. Too much was said and done that could not be forgotten. Madhubala who was shocked and angry in the aftermath of the case made an attempt at reconciliation, but Dilip Kumar evidently could not forgive her. And it seems the pair continued to pine for each other far after their tragic break up.
Estrangement
The well-known journalist and writer, Bunny Reuben, speaks of her unsuccessful effort to reach out to the estranged Dilip. Assigned to do a feature on her for Filmfare, Reuben was surprised to be given an appointment at her home, not at the studios as usual. He was further taken aback when he was escorted straight to her room upstairs. She seemed very keen to meet him and it occurred to him that it was his well-known proximity to Dilip Kumar that had prompted her to send for him in preference to her friend, Gulshan Ewing.
The article was outlined to her but in the meeting which stretched to over two hours, she spoke instead on the subject closest to her heart. "She wanted to talk only about her Yusuf Khan -- doing the feature was secondary. As she proceeded to unburden herself of all the intimate and hurtful details of their relationship, she put her head on my shoulders and wept uncontrollably," recollects Reuben.
Reuben understood that she was trying to send a message across to Dilip. "She wanted me to go and convince him how badly he had treated her and how much she still loved him." Moved by her tears, he looked for a suitable opportunity to report the whole episode to Dilip Kumar, but found that Dilip was in no mood to listen.
He had hardly gone beyond the opening sentence: "She still carries a torch for you Yusuf," when he was cut short and curtly dismissed by the angry retort: "What bloody torch?" Not even the essentials of his two-hour conversation with the unhappy Madhubala could be conveyed. In keeping with the spirit of the age, and Filmfare's policy in particular, the star's troubled outpourings were not betrayed in print. There was no 'scoop'.
Meanwhile, Mughal-e-Azam was still on the floors. Its shooting constantly brought Dilip and Madhubala together but could not heal the scars. Unable to work out a rapprochement, Madhubala channelised her distress and pent-up grief into her characterization of the similarly unfortunate AnarkaliThe role assumed sublime proportions
While Dilip Kumar appeared to emerge relatively unscathed, for Madhubala it was the beginning of the end; the festering wounds she carried never really healed. Emotional to a fault, guileless in the bargain, she was simply not equipped to deal with the shock of the break-up. Speaking of her, Nadira once remarked: "She had not a strain of pettiness, of anything small. That girl did not know anything about hate. She was in love with love exuberantly, overflowing with love. She had so much to give."
A change began to come over Madhubala, imperceptible at first but quite apparent to those who knew her. A friend described it thus: "In 1951, when I first knew her, she was always smiling, always gay. I envied her peace of mind. By 1958, the beauty was still there but the peace of mind had vanished."
The same year, Filmfare observed: 'Her laughter is a becoming quality, not only because she comes to life as it were when she laughs but because a smile is the most charming cloak for a sob... Madhubala has had her share of struggle, suffering, disillusionment and emotional shock but no matter what lies beneath the surface she cloaks it with a graceful smile.'
Madhubala remained with her family. Her love for Dilip remaining unchanged, the decision that she felt impelled to take proved to be a singular mistake of judgement, for it robbed her of her health, her happiness and her peace of mind. For a girl as loving and emotional as she was, the decision was suicidal.
Madhubala drowns herself in work
For the next few years, she followed the time-honoured antidote for heartbreak and, turning to her work, tried to forget her troubles. She had the satisfaction of working in a number of highly successful films like Kala Pani, Howrah Bridge, Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi and Barsaat Ki Raat On the personal front, she made an admirable bid to maintain a facade of normalcy, but a wastefulness and a lost look began to lurk just under the surface, and the fabulous smile no longer reached her eyes. "She must have been miserable, but she wouldn't show it," comments Sushila Rani Patel. "An ethereal beauty," noted Gulshan Ewing, "whose eyes were always sad, but whose lips were always smiling." But in the presence of long-time colleagues or in the privacy of her make-up room, there were times when sobs racked Madhubala. . It seemed the pair continued to pine for each other far after their break up, Dilp Kumar a crushed man slipped to alcohol, and eventually married Saira Bano Bharat Bhushan, Pradeep Kumar, and Kishore Kumar proposed her to. She eventually married the latter of the three, she and Kishore Kumar argued and bickered constantly, plunged into a loveless marriage with him Madhubala soon realized that she had made a mistake in marrying him, as she truly loved and desperately wanted to marry Dilip.
An interview with Madhubala’s sister
(Taken from an interview with Madhubala?s sister)
KS: When she married...
MB: Yes, she was already sick. We had decided on going to London for the diagnosis. But Kishore-bhaiyaa was adamant, he said, 'Look she is not sick, nothing's happened to her.' And indeed, she didn't look very sick. My father and others tried to convince Kishore-bhaiyaa, 'Let the diagnosis be done in London first, and then you can get married'. But he didn't relent. Finally, the marriage happened and thereafter, they went to London. On coming back from there, I don't know what happened to Kishore-bhaiyaa, he came and insisted on her being kept at our house. He said, 'She is very sick, I can't take care of her. Even the doctor has given her little more time.' We said, 'Whatever little time she has now, she would love to spend with you.' But then he said, 'No, I have to go to shootings.' We suggested he keep a nurse. But again, he didn't relent. So we sisters, till today, have a regret somewhere deep within us, that the love she always desired, she never got.
(Quote)
It so happened that in real life Dilip Kumar was already in love with Madhubala. And obviously this romantic pair clicked at the box office. The shooting of Mughal-e-Azam started in 1950 and it took ten years to complete.
KS: I think she was also distressed by the gossip printed in the film magazines once she fell sick...
MB: Yes, a lot was printed about how she was very 'romantic' and had many affairs. Let me make this clear, I swear to God that this is not true. Of course, the industry is a man's world and as co-actors, she indulged in a bit of friendly banter with men, but everything got converted to linkages. 'Flirting' was the word used at that time. In that era, there were also gentlemen like Premnath-ji, who was linked to her after they co-starred in 'Baadal' and 'Saaqi'. Premnath-ji actually came and proposed to her, saying 'Madhu, I want to marry you.' But she declined saying our father was very strict and wouldn't approve of it. Just let me make it clear that she had once fallen in love with Dilip Kumar and married Kishore Kumar. Madhubala was confined to her bed in the last days of her life, she repeatedly watched her favourite movies, Mughal-e-Azam, Barsaat Ki Raat, Chalti ka naam gadi and Mahal. She used to recite Urdu poems to herself and saw her 'pyar kiya to darna kya' over 500 times.
KS: In her final days, where was she?
MB: She was with us. Kishore-bhaiyaa never took her.
Madhubala's reflections a chilling evidence of the disastrous consequences of the break-up on her mind and heart. All the underlying bitterness, the sense of betrayal and dejection come through as she speaks of 'the innumerable sorrows and few joys that life had given her.'
The sum total of my life is a bitter experience which is coiled tight like a spring within my heart and when released hurts excruciatingly. It is true that one learns something from every experience but when the experience is evil, the shock is so great that one feels as though one can never recover from it.
Dilip Kumar and Madhubala were both very private persons, and their meetings were away from the public eye. 'They went out for drives after shooting', said a friend, 'or she picked him up on her way to the studios. She'd sound the horn and he came out and joined her. She did not enter his house. It looked very much like they'd get married any day. When Dilip Kumar married Saira Banu [in October 1966] she did not like it.'
Nadira’s recollections
The perceptive Nadira saw it too: 'She considered herself married to him. They were almost married. She wore his ring, he wore hers.' Dilip Kumar himself acknowledged it in a statement to a newspaper, saying a proposal had been sent from him. A film journalist of the time, Ram Aurangabadkar, reported that Dilip Kumar sent his eldest sister, Badi appa, to Madhubala's house with a marriage proposal, saying they'd like it to be in seven days. Ataullah Khan refused.
Emotional to a fault, guileless in the bargain, she was simply not equipped to deal with the shock of the break-up. Speaking of her, Nadira once remarked: 'She had not a strain of pettiness, of anything small. That girl did not know anything about hate. She was in love with love. Exuberantly, overflowing with love. She had so much to give.'
Kishore Kumar
The scenario was bizarre. With feelings for each other just as strong, with no other individuals creeping into either of their lives, they persisted in proceeding to destroy their relationship almost as if compelled by forces beyond them. In the space of about five to six years, choosing to become Mrs Kishore Kumar, Madhubala had taken the most irrational decision of her life. The general reaction to her marriage to Kishore Kumar was echoed in Nadira's incredulous disbelief: 'From the sublime to the ridiculous! Oh my God! Madhu what are you doing? I am very emotional. I have always lived my life with my heart. For that I have suffered more than is necessary. I have been hurt.
She expressed her desire to see Dilip the day before she died.
Dilip Kumar had loved Madhubala, but would marry her only on his terms. Her father had loved her too, but laid down his own terms and conditions at every stage. Finally, both had to stand by and watch the disintegration of a beautiful human being before their eyes.
People say that Dilip Kumar till date makes it a point to place flowers over her tomb.
An interview with Dlip Kumar
(Taken from an interview with Dlip Kumar still hold the bitterness towards Atullah after all these year he still loves Madhu and doesn?t let anyone in)
What about Anarkali? It is no secret surely that he had a tempestuous affair with Madhubala, the film's heroine? He does not deny the relationship. So were they really in love when Mughal-e-Azam was made? Or was it all just acting? Dilip Kumar begins to get a little evasive. "Frankly," he says finally, "I don't remember the exact timing. Was I carrying on an affair with her when the film was made? Was it before? I don't remember." A breakthrough. He is notoriously reluctant to talk about any of the women in his life so even this slightly evasive answer about Madhubala marks a break with precedent. "Why didn't you marry her?" I persist. "She was very beautiful." "She was a very nice girl," he responds. "She made a conscious attempt to improve herself. By the end, she had even learnt to speak good English." Was her family the problem? He begins to talk about something else. Saira Banu comes to my rescue. "Her father Ataullah Khan was also a Pathan, wasn't he?" she begins. She knows her husband well. The response is immediate. "Pathan, my foot! He couldn't speak one world of Pathani! He was no Pathan. He was from Delhi or somewhere." So the family was the problem. But Saira will not let him off so easily. "Is it true that Ataullah Khan wanted you to act in his home production and you refused and this led to a rift?" "How can a man like that expect to make movies?" says Dilip Kumar, now slightly agitated. "He thought that because of his daughter, I was signed, sealed and delivered." I look accusingly at Saira. "He's told you the Madhubala story before?" I ask. "No, no," she says. "He never talks about her.
Given the nature of her beliefs and her inherently emotional temperament, it was really no surprise at all that when Madhubala fell in love, she committed herself totally and for life. "Madhu loved only one man," confirmed her sister Kaneez Fatima, "and that was Dilip Kumar, till the day she died."
A Quote of dilip kumar
To dig back memories it involves efforts. Memories so often go to sleep within the mind. Sometimes it becomes painful when you think of a tragic incident.
Interview extract in 2004 of Dilip Kumar
Is it true that the idea of restoring and colouring the print of Mughal-e-Azam was basically your brainwave? Yes, I had made the suggestion to the son of the late Shapoorji Pallonji. The idea had been discussed with the Indian Academy of Arts & Animation that does a lot of work for foreign countries and specialises in the art of fine paintings. Sterling Investment Corporation Pvt. Ltd. approved of the proposal and the project got underway
Industry lore has it that when Asif sahab approached Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan to sing Tansen?s ?Prem jagon ban jaoo...?, the maestro was not too keen. He insisted on seeing the scene first and it was hurriedly edited and shown to him. It was a moonlit night...Prince Salim was in the palace garden cradling Anarkali?s head and caressing her cheek with a feather... Ustadji, we?re told, was so wowed by the beautiful Anarkali and her handsome prince that he sang the song four times. And each time the reel had to be rewound and screened for him.
Dilip: Yes, Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan saab insisted on seeing the film first. But I don?t think he agreed to sing the song because of the beautiful Anarkali. No doubt Madhubala was a beautiful lady but I think he was finally convinced by what he saw... By what we had shot.
Dilip saab was so emotional at the end of the Mughal e azam rerelased premiere , at the end of the film he has tears well up. He gave speech in a very emotional state ' i wish Allah would bring back the people in the film who are no longer here with us.
ROYAL MESSENGER visits Dilip Kumar
During the Mughal era, the 'Shahi Paigaam' or the 'Royal Message' was sent with pomp to deliver a message from the Emperor himself. Over four decades after the release of the historic Mughal-E-Azam, the one and only prince Salim i.e. Dilip sahab was once again presented with a 'Farmaan'. This time the occasion was the release of the colour Mughal-E-Azam DVD and VCD by Shemaroo Video. In an innovative presentation, Shemaroo's 'Royal Messenger' visited Dilip Kumar at his residence, read out a 'Farmaan' in Urdu announcing the release of the Mughal-E-Azam DVD and took the honours in presenting a copy to Dilip sahab.
For a movie that has been so widely written about and appreciated, Shemaroo Video decided to execute a clutter-breaking idea that was both innovative and novel in its presentation.
Notably happy on receiving the colour Mughal-E-Azam DVD copy, Dilip sahab and Saira Banu relived the nostalgia of the movie's black-and-white and colour premieres and how times had changed since.
Mughal e azam dvd release, Dilip kumar happy with the the print and Madhubala poster besides him stuck up in his house.
Dilip Kumar said he still remembered all the dialogues of the film and could recite them without having the read them again. His wife Saira Banu said that it was after a long gap of forty years that Dilip Kumar had visited the Eros theatre to watch any film.
Interview of Madhubala's life by her sister
Interview of Madhubala's life by her sister, who claims that Madhubala loved Dilip Kumar till her last day, but says her father was not to blame for ther break up. What a lo of rubbish but it puts end to the rumours that Madhubala had many affairs. 'She loved Dilipsaab till the day she died'
On her romance with Dilip Kumar
The reason Madhubala broke up with Dilip Kumar was B R Chopra's film Naya Daur, not my father.
Madhubala had shot a part of the film when the makers decided to go for an outdoor shoot to Gwalior. The place was known for dacoits, so my father asked them to change the location. They disagreed because they wanted a hilly terrain. So my father asked her to quit the film. He was ready to pay the deficit.
Chopra asked Dilip Kumar for help. Dilipsaab and Madhubala were engaged then. Dilipsaab tried to mediate but Madhubala refused to disobey her father.
Chopra's production filed a case against her, which went on for a year. But this did not spoil their relationship.
Dilipsaab told her to forget movies and get married to him. She said she would marry him, provided he apologised to her father. He refused, so Madhubala left him. That one 'sorry' could have changed her life. She loved Dilipsaab till the day she died.
full article rediff
Problems with Dilip Kumar
Naya Daur imbroglio
BR Chopra surprised everyone, including his leading lady Madhubala, when he sued her for reneging the contract for Naya Daur (1957). Her father Ataullah Khan had objected to her going for an extended outdoor shoot with Dilip Kumar. And while Dilip Kumar witnessed against Ataullah Khan, he also ended up confessing his love for Madhubala in the courtroom. The news made banner headlines… but ended their relationship.(Filmfare)
Legal wrangles
The best-known case of a famous actress losing her good name in the wake of a much publicized court case is Madhubala, screen goddess of the 1950s. Producer-director B R Chopra filed a case against Madhubala and her father Ataullah Khan, early into the making of his Naya Daur (1957) for cheating — for taking cash advance on the film and then refusing to honour her contract. The film's hero Dilip Kumar testified in court against Madhubala making for courtroom drama
Instigation by Dilip Kumar? (March 30 | 1957)
From TOI archives (March 29 | 1957)
Dilip Kumar said he had found it "hard to digest" when he heard from the producers of the film in which he was given a role opposite Madhubala that they had to pay Madhubala a sum of Rs 32000 "under duress". He said that he repeatedly told her, that what they had done was wrong...
Dilip Kumar, the Indian screen idol, was charged with having instigated ... B R Films, to file a suit against Madhubala, a film star, for alleged cheating at the resumed hearing of the case ... Presidency magistrate, Girgaum Court...
Madhubala and her father Attaullah Khan, were charged with failure to honour contractual obligation for a film in which she had agreed to play the feminine lead. Mr B M Mistry, advocate for Madhubala, accused him of being the man "behind the prosecuion". "He (Dilip Kumar) is a jilted lover," he asserted. Answering a question whether he was in love with Madhubala, Dilip Kumar said she wanted to marry him. "I too loved her; it was a mutual feeling," he stated. When asked why he could not marry her, witness stated that it was because of Madhubala's responsibilities towards her father. He believed that was the only obstacle to their marriage.
To another question he answered that the feeling and desire for marriage with her continued till he had felt that she had acted in a manner not consistent with the norms of good behaviour...Witness denied that he was drunk on July 4, 1956 when he had gone to Madhubala's house in Bandra....
Dilip Kumar’s own version
Why the Dilip Kumar-Madhubala love story had a sad ending
The Times of India Jun 01 2014
The giddy romance and bitter break-up between Dilip Kumar and Madhubala is now Bollywood legend. In his soon-to-be released autobiography, the actor talks of the real reasons behind their very public split
[Dilip Kumar was quoted as saying] Was I in love with Madhubala as the newspapers and magazines reported at that time? As an answer to this oft-repeated question straight from the horse's mouth, I must admit that I was attracted to her both as a fine co-star and as a person who had some of the attributes I hoped to find in a woman at that age and time. We had viewers admiring our pairing in Tarana and our working relationship was warm and cordial. She, as I said earlier, was very sprightly and vivacious and, as such, she could draw me out of my shyness and reticence effortlessly . She filled a void that was crying out to be filled ¬ not by an intellectually sharp woman but a spirited woman whose liveliness and charm were the ideal panacea for the wound that was taking its own time to heal.
The announcement of our pairing in Mughal-e-Azam made sensational news in the early 1950s because of the rumours about our emotional involvement. In fact, K Asif (the film's director) was ecstatic with the wide publicity and trade enquiries he got from the announcement. It was not anticipated or planned that it would be in production for such a long period as it was and Asif was aware of Madhu's feelings for me because she had confided in him during one of their intimate talks. And, he was equally aware of my nature as a man who made no haste in taking critical personal or professional decisions. As was his wont, he took it upon himself to act as the catalyst and went to the extent of encouraging her in vain to pin me down somehow. He went on to advise her that the best way to draw a commitment from an honourable and principled Pathan, brought up on oldworld values, was to draw him into physical intimacy .
In retrospect, I feel he did what any selfish director would have done for his own gain of creating riveting screen chemistry between actors who are known to be emotionally involved. Also, I sensed Asif was seriously trying to mend the situation for her when matters began to sour between us, thanks to her father's attempt to make the proposed marriage a business venture. The outcome was that 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 differ ences 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 Mad hubala 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.
Excerpted from `Dilip Kumar: The Substance and the Shadow' with permissions [obtained by The Times of India] from Hay House India and Penguin Books India
See also
Dilip Kumar: a biography, for his his (short) take on what went wrong
Dilip Kumar: his films, their box office performance, awards, career
Madhubala and Dilip Kumar
