Madhubala (1950 film)

Last updated

Madhubala
Madhubala film.jpg
Directed byPrahlad Dutt
Story byR. C. Chaudhary
Starring Dev Anand
Madhubala
CinematographyD. C. Mehta
Edited byS. G. Chavande
Music byLacchiram
Release date
  • 16 September 1950 (1950-09-16)
Country India
Language Hindi

Madhubala is a 1950 Indian Hindi-language romantic drama film directed by Prahlad Dutt, and starring Madhubala in the title role of a heiress wooed by several mercenary man and her search for true love. Dev Anand plays her love interest, and Jeevan, Randhir and Ramesh Thakur also star in pivotal roles. [1] It was the first of many films to star Madhubala and Dev Anand together.

Contents

Plot

Madhubala was heir to two inheritances of her father: wealth and heart disease. She was leading a lonely life, her only solace being the Doctor who was more like a father to her. Many young people were meeting her off and on with different motives and there was regular tussle between them to win her favours. Amongst them the most insistent was Kalicharan, the proprietor of a dramatic company. Madhubala was passing her days trying to draw what comfort she could. Seeing her condition, the Doctor advised her to go to a village as the cool and sedate atmosphere over there would have a soothing effect on her. In the village Madhubala met Ashok. After few bad encounters, both began to love each other.

They decided to marry. Preparations for marriage were going ahead. As luck would have it, Madhubala's friends headed by Kalicharan came to the village in search of her. Kalicharan decided his game. He cracked cruel jokes at Ashok's cost. Ashok was stung to the quick. He felt that Madhubala was party to this. He broke up the preparation for the marriage. Because of Ashok's attitude Madhubala came to the city but with a weakened heart. She began to lose interest in life. Ashok began to relent. He came to the city and met Madhubala. But Madhubala's cold attitude upset him. In a frenzy, began to create havoc and nuisance in the street. He was fined for this misdemeanour. He was released as Madhubala paid the fine. Kalicharan played his cards expertly. He whispered into Ashok's ears that Madhubala paid up the fine just to spite him. He engaged him in his dramatic company in order to put an end to Ashok's life. A burning curtain fell on Ashok's head and he lost his eyesight. Madhubala went to the hospital to see him but Ashok scolded her. Ashok went to his native place. Madhubala went to the village. She got herself engaged at his place under an assumed name Sheela. Under her careful nursing Ashok's eyes were cured. When Ashok came to know that Sheela and Madhubala were the same, he got excited. But Randhir explained the position and on the misunderstanding being removed, the lovers united.

Cast

The main cast of the film included: [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]

Production

Casting

In 1946, when Madhubala was 13 years old and playing juvenile roles, her pregnant mother suddenly became very ill. To save her life, there was a need of a good hospital. Madhubala, the sole earning member in the whole family, used to be paid a little amount of ₹300 in those days, while the hospital's fees was no less than ₹2,000. In this time of need, Ranjit Studios' Chandulal Shah came at the front to help her financially. He gave her ₹2,000 without a single question and her mother's life was saved. [7]

This incident and Shah's kindness left a deep mark on Madhubala. In 1950, by which Madhubala was popular star, the studio was passing through bad times and was in dire of a hit. At this point of time, Madhubala not only did agree to star in a film by the studio but even worked in the film for free. This film, consequently named after the actress, came to be known as Madhubala. [7]

Soundtrack

Music.. Lachhiram Tomar

Lyrics.. Rajendra Krishan

Song... Singer

1. "Jawani ke zamane mein... " Talat Mahmood, Shamshad Begum, Chorus.

2. "Ab na jagegi yeh kismat..." Asha Bhosle

3. "Jo ulfat karega..." Asha Bhosle

4. "Yeh duniya hai bewafai ki..." GM Durrani

5. "Nai jawani rut mastani..." GM Durrani 6. "Kisi ko yaad karta hai Mera Dil..." GM Durrani

7. "Yeh Naya Naya hai Pyar..." Asha Bhosle

8. "Mujhe maar gayi balam Teri..." Asha Bhosle

Date=9 August 2023

Release

Critical reception

The film was derided by film critics for its direction. The Motion Picture Magazine reviewed, "Under Prahlad Dutt's slow stupid and inane direction, Madhubala loses all coherency and logic. It stumbles forward in a clumsy manner till you lose all patience with it and curse under your breath every minute of the two hours." Madhubala was unanimously praised for her work, but other stars including Dev Anand were ridiculed for their performances. [8]

Baburao Patel wrote in Filmindia 's October 1950 issue, "This picture proves that even a popular and talented star like Madhubala rushes to work in any picture without worrying about art, quality or even her own reputation as an artist of talent." [9]

Box office

Due to the popularity surrounding Madhubala in those years, Madhubala was one of the most famous pictures in its initial week of release; The Motion Picture Magazine reported that the film was ruining to packed houses. However, the audience's interest in the film almost disappeared due to the negative reviews. According to Madhubala's biographer Khatijia Akbar, Madhubala was a "box office disaster".

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Asha Bhosle</span> Indian playback singer (born 1933)

Asha Bhosle is an Indian playback singer, entrepreneur, actress and television personality who predominantly works in Indian cinema. Known for her versatility, she has been described in the media as one of the greatest and most influential singers in Hindi cinema. In her career spanning over eight decades she has recorded songs for films and albums in various Indian languages and received several accolades including two National Film Awards, four BFJA Awards, eighteen Maharashtra State Film Awards, nine Filmfare Awards including a Lifetime Achievement Award and a record seven Filmfare Awards for Best Female Playback Singer, in addition to two Grammy nominations. In 2000, she was honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India's highest award in the field of cinema. In 2008, she was honoured by the Government of India with the Padma Vibhushan, the second-highest civilian honour of the country. The Guinness Book of World Records acknowledged Bhosle in 2011 as the most recorded artist in music history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kishore Kumar</span> Indian singer and actor (1929–1987)

Kishore Kumar was an Indian playback singer, musician and actor. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest, most influential and dynamic singers in the history of Indian music. Kumar was one of the most popular singers in the Indian subcontinent, notable for his yodelling and ability to sing songs in different voices. He used to sing in different genres but some of his rare compositions, considered classics, were lost in time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mohammed Rafi</span> Indian singer

Mohammed Rafi was an Indian playback singer and musician. He is considered to have been one of the greatest and most influential singers of the Indian subcontinent. Rafi was notable for his versatility and range of voice; his songs varied from fast peppy numbers to patriotic songs, sad numbers to highly romantic songs, qawwalis to ghazals and bhajans to classical songs. He was known for his ability to mould his voice to the persona and style of the actor lip-syncing the song on screen in the movie. He received six Filmfare Awards and one National Film Award. In 1967, he was honored with the Padma Shri award by the Government of India. In 2001, Rafi was honoured with the "Best Singer of the Millennium" title by Hero Honda and Stardust magazine. In 2013, Rafi was voted for the Greatest Voice in Hindi Cinema in the CNN-IBN's poll.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">R. D. Burman</span> Indian musician (1939–1994)

Rahul Dev Burman, known professionally as R.D. Burman, was an Indian music director and actor, who is considered to be one of the greatest and most successful music directors of the Hindi film music industry. From the 1960s to the 1990s, Burman composed musical scores for 331 films, bringing a new level of music ensemble with his compositions. Burman did his major work with legendary singers Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, and Kishore Kumar. He also worked extensively with lyricist Gulzar, with whom he has some of the most memorable numbers in his career. Nicknamed Pancham, he was the only son of the composer Sachin Dev Burman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">O. P. Nayyar</span> Indian film music composer, singer-songwriter, music producer, and musician

Omkar Prasad Nayyar was an Indian film music composer, singer-songwriter, music producer, and musician. He is considered to be one of the most rhythmic and melodious music directors of the Hindi film industry. He won the 1958 Filmfare Award for Best Music Director for Naya Daur. Nayyar worked extensively with singers Geeta Dutt, Asha Bhosle, Mohammed Rafi, though not with leading Bollywood female singer Lata Mangeshkar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laxmikant–Pyarelal</span> Indian composer duo

Laxmikant–Pyarelal were an Indian composer duo, consisting of Laxmikant Shantaram Kudalkar (1937–1998) and Pyarelal Ramprasad Sharma . They composed music for about 750 Hindi movies from 1963 to 1998, working for almost all notable filmmakers, including Raj Kapoor, Dev Anand, Shakti Samanta, Manmohan Desai, Yash Chopra, K. Balanchander, Boney Kapoor, J. Om Prakash, Raj Khosla, L V Prasad, Subhash Ghai, Mahesh Bhatt, K Viswanath and Manoj Kumar.

<i>Chacha Bhatija</i> 1977 Indian film

Chacha Bhatija is a 1977 Indian Bollywood comedy drama film, written by Salim–Javed and directed by Manmohan Desai. It was the year's fourth hit for Manmohan Desai. It was his second film with Dharmendra. Chacha Bhatija stars Dharmendra, Randhir Kapoor, Rehman, Hema Malini, Yogeeta Bali, Jeevan, Master Satyajeet and Sonia Sahni.

<i>Jawani Diwani</i> 1972 film by Narendra Bedi

Jawani Diwani is a 1972 Hindi-language musical romance film directed by Narender Bedi, and starring Randhir Kapoor, Jaya Bhaduri, Balraj Sahni, Nirupa Roy as leads. This was also Kader Khan's debut as a dialogue writer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amit Kumar</span> Indian singer (born 1952)

Amit Kumar is an Indian playback singer, actor, music composer. Kumar launched his own music production company, named Kumar Brothers Music. He predominantly worked in Bollywood and regional film songs since the 1970s, including 150 Hindi and Bengali compositions by R. D. Burman. After Burman's death in 1994, citing a lack of quality music composition, Kumar withdrew from playback singing and concentrated on live orchestra shows. In addition to singing in Hindi, has also performed in Bengali, Bhojpuri, Odia, Assamese, Marathi and Konkani. He is the eldest son of singer-actor Kishore Kumar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">G. M. Durrani</span> Musical artist

Ghulam Mustafa Durrani was an Indian radio drama artist, playback singer, actor and music director.

<i>Mazdoor Zindabaad</i> 1976 Indian film

Mazdoor Zindabaad is a 1976 Bollywood film directed by Naresh Kumar.

<i>Mehmaan</i> (film) 1973 film by Kotayya Pratyagatma

Mehmaan is a 1973 Bollywood crime film directed by Kotayya Pratyagatma. The film stars Biswajeet and Rekha in lead roles.

<i>Dhongee</i> 1979 Indian film

Dhongee is a 1979 Bollywood film directed by Ashok Roy. The film stars Randhir Kapoor, Neetu Singh, Asrani, Prem Nath and in a special appearance, Rakesh Roshan.

<i>Baadbaan</i> 1954 Indian film

BaadBaan is a 1954 Indian Hindi-language drama film directed by Phani Majumdar and produced by the Bombay Talkies Workers' Industrial Cooperative Society Limited. Baad means storm and Baan means keeping or safeguarding. The film stars Dev Anand, Meena Kumari, Ashok Kumar and Usha Kiran in lead roles. The music score was composed by Timir Baran and S.K. Pal, the lyrics were written by Indivar and Udhav Kumar and the dances were choreographed by Shanti Bhardan. The film premiered on Friday, 18 June 1954, to packed houses at the Roxy and various other theatres in Bombay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">S. D. Burman</span> Indian singer and composer (1906–1975)

Sachin Dev Burman was an Indian music director and singer. A member of the Tripura royal family, he started his career with Bengali films in 1937. He later began composing for Hindi movies and became one of the most successful and influential Indian film music composers. Burman composed the soundtracks for over 100 movies, including Bengali films and Hindi. Apart from being a versatile composer, he also sang songs in the light semi-classical and folk style of Bengal. His son, R. D. Burman, was also a celebrated music composer for Bollywood films.

<i>Nirala</i> (film) 1950 Indian film

Nirala (transl. "Different") is a 1950 Bollywood film directed by Devendra Mukherjee. It stars Dev Anand, Madhubala in lead roles, along with Mazhar Khan plays the main antagonist. Mumtaz Ali, Leela Mishra, Yakub play the supporting roles. It revolves around a doctor who unknowingly forces a girl, who is in love with him, to marry a king.

Dhake Ki Malmal is a 1956 Indian Hindi-language romantic musical comedy directed by J. K. Nanda and produced under the Nanda Films banner. The film stars Madhubala and Kishore Kumar in lead roles, while Jeevan, Om Prakash and Jagdeep are among the supporting cast.

<i>Kahin Aur Chal</i> 1968 Indian film

Kahin Aur Chal is a Hindi film that was released in 1968. It was written and directed by Vijay Anand and stars his older brother Dev Anand. Asha Parekh is the heroine. Shubha Khote, Madan Puri are part of the supporting cast. Shankar Jaikishan composed the music. Mohammed Rafi, Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle are the playback singers. It was produced by Jal Mistry, who was also the cinematographer.

<i>Mehlon Ke Khwab</i> 1960 Indian Hindi-language comedy film

Mehlon Ke Khwab is a 1960 Indian Hindi-language comedy film directed by Muhafiz Haider and starring Madhubala, Kishore Kumar and Pradeep Kumar.

References

Books

Citations

  1. ↑ Akbar 1997, pp. 138; Deep 1996, p. 45.
  2. ↑ "Madhubala (1950) Cast - Actor, Actress, Director, Producer, Music Director". Cinestaan. Archived from the original on 22 February 2020. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  3. ↑ "Madhubala (1950) - Review, Star Cast, News, Photos". Cinestaan. Archived from the original on 22 February 2020. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  4. ↑ "Madhubala (1950) – Review – Cineplot.com" . Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  5. ↑ Editors, G. P.; Press, General (2 July 2014). My Life : Madhubala. GENERAL PRESS. ISBN   978-93-80914-96-1.{{cite book}}: |last1= has generic name (help)
  6. ↑ Ekbal, Nikhat (2009). Great Muslims of undivided India. Gyan Publishing House. ISBN   978-81-7835-756-0.
  7. 1 2 Akbar, Katijia (1 April 2011). I Want to Live: The Story of Madhubala. Hay House, Inc. ISBN   978-93-81398-21-0.
  8. ↑ "Madhubala (1950) – Review – Cineplot.com" . Retrieved 1 March 2021.
  9. ↑ Editors, G. P.; Press, General (2 July 2014). My Life : Madhubala. GENERAL PRESS. ISBN   978-93-80914-96-1.{{cite book}}: |last1= has generic name (help)
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.