Madhur Bhushan, Madhubala’s youngest sibling, gives us an insight into the iconic star’s life and talks about her passion project – a biopic on her sister
Neha Maheshwri (BOMBAY TIMES; March 3, 2020)

Paeans have been written about her ethereal beauty and stardom, and odes dedicated to her spirit and passion for life. And yet, destiny was such that her beautiful life was laced with tragedy. At 36, after a nine-year battle with illness, she succumbed to death. Days after her 52nd death anniversary (February 23), Madhur Bhushan (originally Zahida), reminisces moments from her sister’s far too short life, and talks about why Madhubala’s story needs to be told.

She says, “Though she is remembered for her classic beauty, there was so much more to her than her beauty. I want to do something for her before I die. She continues to rule millions of hearts and her story needs to be told.”

However, Madhur’s dream of making this biopic hit a roadblock after her other siblings raised an objection over it. Reportedly, filmmaker Imtiaz Ali who had procured the rights from her for the biopic earlier, recently terminated the contract because of the same reason. But Madhur is not ready to give up on it, yet. “As of now, the biopic has come to a halt because my sisters have objected to it. I find it strange that they don’t want this to materialise…humne uska (Madhubala) namak khaaya hai. Usne apne behnon ko paala hain,” she says, adding, “With the help of my spiritual guru, Arvind Kumar Malviya, who’s idea this was, I want to make this biopic.” Madhur also plans to write a biography on her sister and title it ‘Nine Years of Madhubala’.

‘SHE ALWAYS TOLD OUR DAD, ‘ABBA, MUJHE FILMON MEIN JAANA HAI’
‘It was written in her fate...becoming an actress,’ says Madhur, recounting the turn of events that made a nine-year-old Mumtaz Jehan Begum Dehlavi land in Bollywood. From Baby Mumtaz to Madhubala, her journey could only be described as that of a dance of destiny. She made her acting debut as a child artiste at the age of nine with Basant (1942) and her first appearance as a lead actress was at 13, when she starred opposite Raj Kapoor in Neel Kamal (1947). It wasn’t long before, she became a star and a sensation. Madhur continues, “Madhu aapa was a cute little girl. She would sing, and dance in front of the mirror. She always told our dad (Ataullah Khan), ‘Abba, mujhe filmon mein jaana hai’. However, our father was averse to it because of his conservative background and the belief that girls should not join the industry. But life had plans of its own. Our father lost his job, and eventually, we had to move to Mumbai to survive. At one point, he relented to her wishes and started doing the rounds of studios with her. However, he never dreamt that she would become such a big star.”

With Mahal (1949), she caught the imagination of Bollywood. She became a star, overnight. She was around 16 then. So, did things change at home with this newfound stardom? “Never,” Madhur is quick to point out, adding, “We often felt, ‘Oh my God, she is so beautiful. How can we sit next to her?’ She would put us at ease by saying things like, ‘Main toh actress hoon na, isliye log mujhe mudd mudd kar dekhte hain. Tum actress bann jaoge toh tumhe bhi log mudkar mudkar dekhenge’. She never made us feel any less. She was such a loving daughter and an equally good sister. Unfortunate are those people who ill-treated her or left her to be by herself.”

‘SHE NEVER FELT THAT SHE WAS A STAR AND SHE DIDN’T BEHAVE LIKE ONE’
To the outside world she was an enigma, a mystery. People even said that she was a recluse, but what was the eternal beauty like in real life? Madhur gets nostalgic while taking us on a trip down memory lane. “Hum logon ke saath toh bohot hi masti karti thi — kabhi baal kaat diya, kabhi kuchh kar diya. She loved to have ice-cream and enjoyed listening to music. She would even go to theatres to watch movies wearing a burkha. If you would have met her, aapko aisa lagta hi nahi ki yeh actress hain. She never felt that she was a star and she didn’t behave like one. She wouldn’t wear any make-up; she didn’t need to because she was so pretty. She would only dress in whites and tie her hair up in a simple bun when not shooting. Madhu aapa didn’t need to get dolled up, as my father didn’t allow her to attend parties. He had told her, ‘Maine izzat bohot mushkil se kamaayi hai, Madhu. Court cases jeeta hoon tum bachhiyon ki izzat ke liye. Mere baad koi tum par unlgi nahi utha sakta saying that they were dhandhewali chokris and their father exploited them.’ My sister always abided by him. She was a gharelu ladki,” says Madhur.

‘IT WAS VERY EASY TO LINK HER WITH MEN BECAUSE SHE WAS SO BEAUTIFUL’
With beauty and fame came rumours of her linkups, controversies and heartbreaks. Following a courtship of nine years with Dilip Kumar, the couple endured an ugly breakup and Madhubala finally married Kishore Kumar in 1960. Madhur says, “People have written about her affair with Kamal Amrohi. Baahar jaane ko milta nahin toh affair kaise hoga? Woh toh Dilip Kumar sahab ke saath itni films mein kaam kiya, waise mulaqaat hui aur pyaar ho gaya. She worked with Kishore Kumar sahab in Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi (1958) and Half Ticket (1962), toh pyaar hua. It was very easy to link her with men because she was so beautiful. Prem Nath wanted to marry her, but she told him that our father wouldn’t allow it, because we were Pathans. She was not the kind to have frivolous relationships.”



THE LEGENDARY ROMANCE WITH DILIP KUMAR
However, the highlight of her love life remains her relationship with Dilip Kumar, which made headlines then and continues to pique eveyone’s interest to date.

Most believed that the two of them would tie the knot, but sadly, it was not to be. Was it a misunderstanding, a clash of egos or love gone sour? In the Bollywood thespian, Dilip Kumar’s autobiography, which was published in 2014, it has been stated that things soured between them during the making of Mughal-E-Azam. He stated, “I sensed, Asif (filmmaker) 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.”

Talking about their bitter-sweet love saga, Madhur recalls, “Dilip sahab and Madhu aapa were shooting for Naya Daur (1957, Vyjayanthimala was cast in her place ultimately). The makers had scheduled an outdoor shoot (the location was where a previous shoot was attacked by dacoits), and our father was not willing to allow her to shoot at that location. He feared for my sister’s safety. He asked them to zero in on an alternate location, but B R Chopra (producer) sahab didn’t budge. That’s when Dilip sahab got involved. His only mistake was that he stood by the producer. Finally, B R Chopra filed a case against my father, which went on for four months, jiske dauraan we heard people say ulti-seedhi cheezein about my father. They called him a dictator and that he wanted to dominate my sister. Finally, the case was resolved, and later, Dilip sahab came home and told Madhu aapa to complete the film, and post that, they could get married. But my sister wanted him to apologise to our father. He flatly refused. We have nothing against him. Had he apologised to my father, aapa would have been Mrs Dilip Kumar. She had immense gratitude for our father, and she couldn’t just let it go.”

‘IMAGINE A 27-YEAR-OLD GIRL BEING TOLD THAT SHE HAD JUST TWO YEARS TO LIVE. WE WERE ALL IN SHOCK!’
It was in 1960, while shooting for a film in South, that Madhubala spat blood. She flew to London the next day, along with her husband, Kishore Kumar. “We were not aware that she had a hole in her heart. When the doctor said that she had a hole in her heat and the operation won’t be successful, we were all in shock! Imagine a young girl of 27 being told that she had just two years to live. She consulted several doctors in India and they confirmed her worst fears. She was advised to take a break, but she had films lined up. She completed a song and a few scenes in Mughal-E-Azam (1960) in that condition. It took about nine years to complete the film and that was the phase when she was suffering. In all those years, she rarely met anybody from the industry, barring Geeta Dutt and Waheeda Rehman. She didn’t want anyone to see her in that state. I was with her through the last few years of her life. I would sleep in the same bed with her.”

‘SHE LOVED THE SONG RULA KE GAYA SAPNA MERA. SHE FELT THAT IT ENCAPSULATED HER LIFE’
It was a life too beautiful, cut too short. Madhur reveals, “You know…She loved the song Rula Ke Gaya Sapna Mera (Jewel Thief, 1967). She felt that it encapsulated her life. She would wait every day for the doctors to tell her that they had discovered a cure for her. She wanted to live. I believe that love heals. Yes, we can’t change destiny, but if she had received more love from the people who she loved so much, then I think she would have had more strength to fight her battle for life, longer.”

Did Madhubala get a chance to interact with Dilip Kumar during the last days of her life? Madhur says, “He once went to see her at the hospital. She sent him a message through someone that she wanted to see him, and he came over to see her. This was before his marriage. Later, he came for the funeral. He immediately flew down from Madras (where he was shooting) when learnt that Madhubala was very critical. But he was late by two hours...she was buried by then.”


‘I WON’T GIVE UP ON MY DREAM TO MAKE A BIOPIC ON HER’

Though she is remembered for her classic beauty, Madhur says that there was so much more to Madhubala than her beauty. She believes that the story of her undying zest for life, fierce loyalty towards her family and quiet courage in matters of the heart, needs to be told to a nation that hailed her the Venus of Bollywood. However, Madhur’s dream has not taken off because her other siblings are not willing to give their consent. But she is not ready to give up on it, yet. She says, “With the help of my spiritual guru, Arvind Kumar Malviya, I am keen to make the biopic, as it was his idea.” Along with her guru, she also plans to set up an old-age home and a school for young girls in Jodhpur. “Madhu aapa would always tell my father, ‘Abba, jab hamare paas bahut paisa aayega na, toh hum log school banaayenge chhoti ladkiyon ke liye.’ She didn’t get formal education herself and this was her dream.

Madhureeta Mukherjee (BOMBAY TIMES; March 7, 2019)

The hallmark of his 50-year career in the film industry has been his unfailing professionalism. An actor who highly values time and uses it preciously, Amitabh Bachchan is known to be the most punctual star in showbiz. And it is time that has embraced him with open arms. At 76, his commitment to his craft is unparalleled. He is unstoppable, and he’s an actor who has truly kept up with the times. And as the drill goes for every film, he engages in a conversation about his upcoming thriller Badla — helmed by Sujoy Ghosh and starring Taapsee Pannu in the other lead — only this time, it is short and sweet. But before the first question can be put forth, with characteristic elegance, he says, “Before all else, I wish to state that these interviews for the promotion of my film Badla come laden with our hearts and mind in condolence and prayers for the bravehearts we lost in Pulwama, and the bravehearts that fight and protect us each hour for our safety and security!”

He brings dignity and maturity to every project that he partakes in. Despite his aura, he doesn’t consider his stature and standing, special. An advertisement recently released by a popular dairy brand celebrated Mr Bachchan’s Golden Jubilee, and the caption read, ‘Tab Bhi B, Ab Bhi B’ (with two illustrations of the actor, one from the past and one from the present, and in both he’s shown in action — running). Bang on! Addressing the euphoria around this landmark year, he says, “Epithets, accolades and glorious verbosity that come my way are undeserved. I could not understand the ad.” Fifty years on, and he’s worked in almost every genre of film possible. His latest film, Badla, is a quintessential thriller where an old lawyer Badal Gupta (played by Mr Bachchan) comes to the aid of a young woman Naina (Taapsee), who is under suspicion for the murder of a man.
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Recently, thrillers like AndhaDhun and Tumbbad have put the spotlight on this genre, in Hindi cinema. When talking about the genre, which has a lot of potential for filmmakers, but remains quite untapped, he turns around and stresses that thrillers have always been an exciting part of the world of movies. “From time immemorial, thrillers have occupied a vital part of film history in our firmament. For someone from my generation, I can recall Mahal, Ashok Kumar and Madhubala’s 1949 film, as an outstanding production. Several others since and after have had their say and stay in Hindi cinema,” he explains.

Ask him if he has some favourites from this genre, and he replies, “There are several! Naming them would be a test for my memory at my age. Alfred Hitchcock and his films would be the choice for international thrillers.”

Speaking of Badla, it was the uniqueness of the story that caught his attention. He explains, “I liked the story; I liked the director, Sujoy Ghosh. I liked the suspense and the thriller element it contained.” Ghosh’s psychological thriller, Kahaani (2012) had redefined the narrative of thrillers in our cinema during that phase. To make a film with a solid, gripping and emotional story in this space, one needs a deep sense and understanding of the human psyche. Mr Bachchan, who has worked with Ghosh in the past (Aladin, 2009), adds, “Sujoy is an intelligent and talented mind. His directorial ventures give ample proof of his creativity. He is restless, yet most composed in his thinking and what he desires from his artistes. It’s been a joy working with him.”

Not just young filmmakers, lately, he has been collaborating with a lot of young actors like Taapsee, Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt (in Brahmastra) and many others. He is always lavish with his praise for the new breed of actors and he shows keenness and excitement to collaborate with them on a variety of subjects. “They do give you a different view of the world and it’s most educative,” he says.

Apart from acting, one of his other passions is music. For Badla, he has rapped for a track called Aukaat. In his 2018 release 102 Not Out, he sang a peppy track called Badumbaa, and he shook a leg to that, too. Even in the past, he has delightedly stepped in to lend his voice for several songs. He takes his passion seriously, and he also has a full-fledged recording studio at his home where he occasionally brushes up on his musical skills. Talking about his affection for music he says, “Who doesn’t love music? Music plucks the chords and strings of our souls… it’s divine.” Recently, acclaimed sitar player and composer Niladri Kumar presented Mr Bachchan with a zitar. Speaking about it, the acting legend says, “Yes, Niladri gifted me a zitar. I do not know how to play any instrument and I lament that.”

Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 10, 2017)

It may not have been a real ghost story but even after 68 years, Late Mangeshkar’s “Aayega Aanewala” from Kamal Amrohi’s 1949 directorial debut Mahal continues to haunt our collective imagination. It was composed by Khemchand Prakash, who the Melody Queen fondly called “chachaji”. He heard her singing for Ghulam Haider and offered her a song in Bombay Talkies’ Ziddi, “Chanda Re Ja Re Ja Re”, picturised on Kamini Kaushal. The film launched Dev Anand as a leading man and featured Kishore Kumar’s first song, “Marne Ki Duaayen Kyun Maangoon”.

The singing doyen remembers running into Kishore in the local train. Dressed in kurta, pyjama and a muffler, he unnerved her by singing to himself. Then, he hopped into a Victoria at Malad station and followed her to the studio. She was complaining about the ‘stalker’ when Kishore walked in and, with a laugh, Khemchand informed her he was studio boss Ashok Kumar’s younger brother. “Chachaji then gave us the duet, ‘Yeh Kaun Aaya Re’ and Kishore went on to joke about our introduction on stage at a show in Jalandhar,” reminisces Lata, who sang five solos and the duet for Ziddi.

Impressed, Khemchand then offered her “Aayega Aanewala”. She recalls Kamal Amrohi telling the composer that he wanted her to convey that the hero, Ashok Kumar, was listening to Madhubala sing from a distance.

“Those days the producer and director had a lot of say in the music and Chachaji was worried about how the song would shape up. The musicians, who played live, were sitting up front while I was despatched to the farthest corner of the studio and asked to slowly walk towards the mic, singing the song. After several rehearsals we went for a take. We recorded on film then and it wasn’t till he heard it the next day that Chachaji knew his experiment had succeeded.

Thrilled, he blessed me and gave me ‘Dil Ne Fir Yaad Kiya’ and ‘Mushkil Hai Bahot Mushkil’,” says Lata, looking back at how, after learning that she left home after drinking a cup of tea and didn’t eat all day, the composer got her a dabba of homemade parathas, achaar and halwa and insisted she eat before they started rehearsals.

“Chachaji treated me like his own daughter, regaling me with stories of (KL) Saigal saab, whom I idolised. He even reprimanded a studio employee who tried to chat me up and threatened to beat him up. The man never troubled me again,” she laughs.

Those days, the record released before the film. All Mahal songs were well received, with “Aayega Aanewala” becoming the chant of the nation. It was voted the song of the millennium. “Bol bahut achche the and it was filmed beautifully. My only regret is that Chachaji fell ill soon after and didn’t live to see how successful his songs and the film became. He would’ve been so happy. I was devastated the day he passed away.” Khemchand Prakash died aged 42 on August 10, 1950, two months before Mahal released.

Roshmilla Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 14, 2015)

For over six decades, the haunting notes of Lata Mangeshkar's evergreen classic Aayega aayega, aayega aanewala aayega have echoed through our collective consciousness, bringing back memories of an ethereal Madhubala on a swing in the garden, before disappearing into the mists of time. The song has come to be synonymous with Kamal Amrohi's directorial debut, Mahal, and after the film's release in 1949 played on Radio Ceylon everyday.

Sixty-five years later, we will hear Aayega aanewala again, playing on the radio, during a dramatic point in Karan Darra's directorial debut, Khamoshiyan, setting the theme for the supernatural thriller. "We have bought the rights to the original song from Sa Re Ga Ma and have got permission to use a slice of it in our film," informs Mahesh Bhatt.

Madhubala was just 16 when Kamal Amrohi, against the advice of everyone, cast her as Kamini. Ashok Kumar who was almost double her age played Hari Shankar, an aristocrat who stumbles into the haunted mansion, comes face-to-face with his lookalike's portrait and comes under the spell of this mysterious miss who appears and disappears at will. "We also have a ghostly, beautiful woman in our film and a man who is drawn to her," informs Bhatt, adding that the 'mahal' has transformed a huge hotel in the wilderness with few occupants.

Mahal, made on a modest budget of Rs 9 lakh, was the third highest grosser of 1949. And it made Lata Mangeshkar a household name. In keeping with the trend of the times, in the first batch of records Aaayega aanewala was credited to Madhubala's character, Kamini. But when the song first played on All India Radio, mesmerised listeners called in to enquire about the singer's name. AIR called up the record company before announcing Lata Mangeshkar's name on air and made her an overnight star, much like Mahal's teenage leading lady.

"This song is a timeless work of art and by weaving it into our narrative we are offering a salaam to the filmmakers, actors and singers of the bygone era who gave Hindi cinema its place in the spotlight," asserts Bhatt.

Shubha Shetty-Saha (MID-DAY; April 9, 2014)

Ghost films in Bollywood first tried to gain sympathy, then moved on to being downright hilarious and are now more practical and err… somewhat domesticated.

Ghosts that remember
Popular in films of the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s ( read: Mahal, Bees Saal Baad and the likes), these were heroines-in-white who would die and turn into ghosts, instead of being reborn.

Their only mission was to get back to the man they loved in their previous life and scare the hell out of him.

A prototype scene: In the middle of the night, only the hero can hear a soulful song in Lata Mangeshkar’s voice emanating from somewhere in the distance. He gets out of the house and the next moment, he finds himself in the middle of a thick jungle following a vision in white.

The apparition wears her long hair open, and is sometimes equipped with a burning candle. She also looks sad, really sad. The hero has to show that he is perplexed but is also in the mood to help her out of her misery. But then she disappears now and then and reappears on a swing or some such random place, to coolly continue with the next para of the sad song.

The foolish hero spends the night anxiously looking for the woman who’s here one minute and absent the next. Talk about some women not being able to make up their minds.

Bhatt films’ sexy ghosts



Mukesh Bhatt produced Raaz and Raaz 2, and then Vikram Bhatt carried the horror lineage forward with 1920, 1920 Evil Returns, Haunted, and other similar films. The Bhatts like their ghosts to belong to the scantily clad, sexy variety. Most of these horror and sex films worked well at the BO.

A prototype scene: The hero and heroine are embroiled in hot, intimate scenes with a lot of kisses thrown in and the “ ghost” is watching them from a distance.

The cult Ramsay movies



The Ramsays, who can be easily called the horror papas of Bollywood, gave us a series of successful films which might have not evoked fear but nevertheless managed to entertain big time with their generous doses of sex, masala and action. Ramsays weren’t sexists when it came to ghosts. Their ghosts were both male and female, whereas most other filmmakers preferred women ghosts.

Prototype scenes:
1. A semi-nude lady is taking a shower in a big, isolated house with all its doors thrown open, and the ghost is just about to strike her.
2. A group of youngsters or a couple in love get stranded in a jungle and knock on the door of a big, eerie-looking bungalow. Even as the background music reaches a deafening crescendo, an old, ugly housekeeper with a bad hair day opens the door. He has a menacing- looking lantern in his hand.

The really scary ones 
Say what you want about him, but no one understood ghosts better than Ram Gopal Verma. Films such as Raat and Bhoot only reiterate this. Remember that theatre scene in Raat or that truly scary one in Bhoot, when Urmila Matondkar catches Barkha Madam staring at her through the bedroom door when she wakes up? Brrr…. Give us more of these We would love to see more sublime versions of ghosts like the ones Dimple Kapadia and Hema Malini played in Gulzar’s film, Lekin.

Recent versions
In recent times, the ghost has become mild and kind with Amitabh Bachchan playing the benevolent Bhootnath. Ekta Kapoor’s Marathi- speaking ghosts in the films, Ragini MMS and Ragini MMS2, however, continue to be menacing and destructive.

Disappeared into thin air?
These girls played ghosts and then vanished from the film scene:
. Malini Sharma, who played the ghost in Raaz.
. Barkha Madan, who played the titular ghost in the film, Bhoot.
Ramsays weren’t sexists when it came to ghosts. Their ghosts were both male and female, whereas most other filmmakers preferred women ghosts