Madhubala: The evanescent flame

Recently, screen diva of yesteryears Madhubala was immortalised when the Indian government released a stamp in her name.
On the occasion her youngest sister, Madhur Bhushan, provided a closer insight into Madhubala's life, her romance with Dilip Kumar, her unhappy marriage to Kishore Kumar, and her illness. Excerpts:
On Madhubala's entry into films
My father, Ataullah Khan, was working in the Imperial Tobacco Company in Peshawar, Pakistan, when he lost his job and decided to come to Mumbai. Madhubala was seven at that time. Her real name was Mumtaz Begum.
My father started looking for a job. He also took Madhubala to film studios. She got work in Basant (1942) at the age of nine. The leading lady's name was Mumtaz Shanti, so Madhubala was called 'Baby Mumtaz', when she was a child actress.
She got her first break in Kirdar Sharma's Neel Kamal. Kirdar's wife was supposed to play the lead role but she passed away. As Madhubala knew the dialogues, she became a heroine at the age of 13. From this film onwards, she was credited as Madhubala. The film did not do well, but her work was appreciated.
Madhubala shot to fame in 1949 with Mahal. She was 16. At that time, no one realised that she was ill, not even my father. Madhubala was a healthy child, and very bubbly.
On Madhubala's illness
Madhubala first heaved blood when she was in Chennai shooting for S.S. Vassan's Bahut Din Huwe (1954). She was treated, and she resumed shooting. Nobody thought she was ill until she fainted on J.K. Nanda's sets while shooting with Raj Kapoor on Chalack (1957). The film never got completed. That's when the doctor said that she had a hole in her heart. She was 24 then.
Looking at her, one would not say that she was unwell. She, herself, was not ready to believe that she was ill.
Her last film was Mughal-E-Azam, which released in 1960. People think that she worked after that too, but that's not true. She had completed all her films in the 10 years that took for Mughal-E-Azam to be finished.
Some movies released after she was bedridden but she was in no condition to work after Mughal-E-Azam. In fact, in some of the scenes, one can notice that she looks pale and sick.
On her family
People say that my family knew she was ill but we did not make proper arrangements for her treatment; that we hid this fact from producers to get work. But there was no medical technology back then to check whether she had a hole in a heart, so how would any of us know? We came to know only in 1957. After three years, she went to London for treatment. But it was too late.
Everyone blamed my father. But he was protective about his daughters since his sons had died at the ages of five and six. He took care of her work but never interfered on what films she should take up.
On Madhubala's 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.
On Madhubala's marriage to Kishore Kumar
When Madhubala was seriously ill and was planning to go to London for treatment, Kishore Kumar proposed to her.
My father wanted her to wait and get a clean chit from the London doctors first. But Madhubala married Kishore Kumar out of stubbornness, and resentment towards Dilipsaab. They got married in 1960. She was 27 years old.
Once the doctor gave his verdict -- that she would not live for long -- Kishorebhai bought her a house on Mumbai's Carter Road. She was left alone in the house, with a nurse and a driver. He would come once in about four months to see her. He did not take her phone calls often. Kishorebhai was madly in love with Madhubala but once she returned from London, he deserted her. He was not a good husband.
Madhubala was very depressed because no one came to meet her. Once considered 'Bollywood royalty', she had no well-wisher visit her when she was bedridden and dying. She died at the age of 36.

Source: Rediff.com