When ‘world’s biggest star’ belonged to India, years before Shah Rukh, Aamir, Aishwarya Rai
When 'world's biggest star' belonged to India, years before Shah Rukh, Aamir, Aishwarya Rai
The cover story of the 1952 edition of the American magazine Theatre Arts proclaimed, “The biggest star in the world and she’s not in Beverly Hills.” The article focused on Indian film star Madhubala, who was only 19-years-old at the time. Mumtaz Jehan Begum Dehlavi, known as Madhubala, embarked on her film career at the young age of 8 with the movie Basant in 1942. Today marks 52 years of her birth anniversary. She was born on February 14, 1933, in Delhi.
Madhubala was not only the leading figure in Bollywood but also one of the most significant box-office attractions globally. The feature emphasized her prominence, surpassing even renowned Hollywood legends such as Clark Gable, Audrey Hepburn, James Stewart, John Wayne, Natalie Wood, and Cary Grant.
At the age of 14, she took on the role of a lead actor, and by 17, she had already achieved superstardom. By the time she turned 19, this Bollywood sensation was referred to as the ‘biggest star in the world,’ and she notably turned down offers from Hollywood icons.
At 14, she had advanced to leading roles and gained recognition through her performances in Lal Dupatta, Mahal, and Dulari, all before reaching 16. In 1951, filmmaker and editor Aurbindo Mukhopadhyay noted that Madhubala commanded a fee of ₹1.5 lakh per film, making her the highest-paid actress in the country at that time.
By 1952, the year the Theatre Arts article was published, Madhubala was just 19 years old. However, she had already achieved significant success with hit films such as Badal, Saiyan, and Tarana. Her performance in Tarana earned her critical recognition, establishing her as one of the leading stars in Bollywood, alongside prominent male icons Raj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar, and Dev Anand.
Madhubala rose to international prominence after being featured in the American magazine Life in 1951, which was succeeded by an article in Theatre Arts.
The Life feature included photographs by renowned photographer James Cobb Burke. This exposure led the iconic filmmaker Frank Capra to reach out to her with a proposal for a role in Hollywood. Nevertheless, Madhubala’s father, who also served as her manager, turned down the offer due to his reservations about the intimate nature of American cinema.
In 1954, Madhubala received a diagnosis of congenital heart disease, a condition that would affect her throughout her life. Although she took a break from acting, she made a remarkable return with Mr. & Mrs. ’55. Following a series of successful films in the late 1950s, her career reached new heights in 1960 with K Asif’s Mughal-e-Azam, which became the highest-grossing film in India at that time. This was succeeded by another major success, Barsaat Ki Raat.
Madhubala’s health had significantly deteriorated by this time. She stepped back from the film industry, opting for roles that demanded minimal effort, such as the love interest in Jhumroo, Boy Friend, and Passport. Despite her limited involvement, the films she appeared in continued to dominate the box office. Her last film, Sharabi, came out in 1964. Following this, she fell ill and was unable to continue her career. Madhubala passed away in 1969 at the young age of 36. The last film to be released featuring her was Jwala (1971), which was incomplete and came out posthumously.
