Madhubala

Last weekend, on the channel Times Now, I happened to see the programme, 'Total Recall' on the legendary Madhubala. To my mind she is the classic example of a statuesque beauty and India's answer to the famed Marilyn Monroe of Hollywood but definitely more beautiful. What beats me is the coincidences that both their lives had - I mean, the fact that they were both beautiful which incited fatal attraction amongst the men they came in contact with, unsuccessful in love and finally, died young - a tragic narrative! And they both lived almost during the same timelines!!

It's better that they'd passed into eternity quite early as I, for one, cannot imagine their 'old age visage' even for a moment.

I can never forget a scene from the ageless classic 'Mughal-e-Azam', in which there's a scene where Anarkali gives Akbar a searing look and tosses her defiant head, as if to tell him that his power was no match to destroy her feelings for his son, Salim and therefore, save his standing by putting the seal of approval on their relationship! The protagonists of the three characters portrayed by Madhubala(defiance), Prithviraj Kapoor(impotent rage) and Dilip Kumar(wariness) respectively, played their parts superbly, but in my reckoning, it was Madhubala who stole the scene - her love for Dilip Kumar off screen, perhaps, brought out the natural emotions and therefore, made it the most endearing for the viewers!