Madhubala filmography

Madhubala (14 February, 1933 — 23 February, 1969; also credited as Baby Mumtaz and Mumtaz) was an Indian actress and producer who worked predominantly in Hindi films. At age 8, she began her career playing the role of a little girl in the romantic drama Basant (1942).[1] Five years later, she transitioned to lead roles with the 1947 drama Neel Kamal, where her performance was critically appreciated but the film failed commercially.[2] Following some more box office flops that failed to propel her career, Madhubala emerged as a rising star with the 1949 reincarnation thriller Mahal.[3] Her appearances in the romances Dulari and Singaar, which were released in the same year, established her firmly as a popular and marketable star.[4][5]

Madhubala in the 1960 romantic musical Barsaat Ki Raat, one of the biggest box office successes in the history of Bollywood.[6]

The early 1950s saw Madhubala mostly playing either a spoilt heiress or a dramatic village belle in films. She was the leading lady in the dramas Beqasoor and Nirala (both 1950); the romantic musicals Tarana (1951), Sangdil (1952) and Armaan (1953); and the swashbuckling Badal (1951), all of which were very successful at the box office but brought only little critical praise to her. Her performance in the 1954 drama Amar, as Dilip Kumar's wronged fiancée, was better received. Although Amar was not a commercial success,[7] but her performance was extensively praised by critics and audience alike. Madhubala achieved further success with the satire Mr. & Mrs. '55 (1955), which revolved around a wealthy girl whose marriage is arranged with a poor cartoonist;[8] and the costume drama Raj Hath (1956), the story of two enemy kingdoms.[9][10] She also set up her own production company Madhubala Private Ltd. in 1955, whose first release—the social drama Naata (1955) failed at the box office.[11]

The years 1958 and 1960 are deemed to be most successful years of Madhubala's career. She portrayed various unconventional roles onscreen; like a cabaret dancer in the thriller Howrah Bridge (1958), an intrepid reporter in the crime drama Kala Pani (1958) and a seductress in the social Kal Hamara Hai (1959), and tasted success with them.[12] The years also saw the release of her highest-grossing releases: the comedy Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi (1958), the romantic musical Barsaat Ki Raat and the historical epic Mughal-e-Azam (both 1960).[12][13] Madhubala's performance as an ill-fated courtesan in the latter earned her critical acclaim and a nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress, and the film itself went to become the highest-grossing Indian film at that point of time, thus solidifying her position as an iconic actress in the history of India cinema.[14]

Madhubala continued performing successfully in the 1960s, with the comedies Jhumroo, Boyfriend (both 1961) and Half Ticket (1962); the thriller Passport (1961); and the drama Sharabi (1964). However, her rapidly deteriorating health did not allow her to work more often. Sharabi was her last release before her death at the age 36 in 1969. Her final performance was in posthumously released Jwala (1971).[15]