Madhubala's Birthday: Know about the yesteryear icon on her 88th birth anniversary

The diva of Bollywood and epitome of perfect beauty, Madhubala was known for her charming personality and beautiful smile. She stole the hearts of millions with her elegant performances and dance moves. But, did you know Madhubala's real name was Mumtaaz Jehan Begum Dehlavi? On Madhubala's birthday, take a look at some interesting facts about her life.

The story behind Madhubala's name

According to Filmibeat, Madhubala's first movie Basant released in 1942 and was a huge commercial success. She played actor Mumtaz Shanti's daughter in the film. She went on to act in several movies as a child actor. Actor Devika Rani was impressed by her performances and advised her to assume the name 'Madhubala'. Madhubala soon garnered a reputation as a reliable professional performer. By the time she entered adolescence, she was already getting main leads.

Image Credits: Still from Mughal-E-Azam

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About Madhubala

Madhubala birthday falls on February 14. She was born in New Delhi in a Muslim family. She was the fifth child among eleven children of a conservative Pathan couple. 

Madhubala's family went through many hardships after her father lost his job. The family also suffered when four of Madhubala's sisters and two brothers died. In search of a better life, her father relocated to Mumbai. Young Mumtaz entered the film industry at the age of nine.

Image Credits: Still from Mughal-E-Azam

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Madhubala's movies

Madhubala got her first breakthrough role as a leading lady in Neel Kamal opposite Raj Kapoor in 1947. Madhubala's age was just fourteen when she landed this role. Even though the film didn't receive a commercial success but she got many praises for her role. She landed another role in 1949 film Mahal for which she received immense praise and popularity. Madhubala's age was just sixteen when she started ruling the hearts of everyone in the country.

Image Credits: Still from Mughal-E-Azam

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Due to her immense beauty and brilliant acting, Madhubala was one of the busiest actors in the film industry. She once read the script of Bimal Roy's Biraj Bahu (1954) and was desperate to grab the role of the main lead but the legendary filmmaker thought that she would demand a high fee and hence went ahead with a different actor. Later on, when Madhubala got to know about Bimal Roy's apprehension, she stated that she would have done the film for a fee of one rupee.

Madhubala died at the age of 36 on February 23, 1969.

Image Credit: Still from Mughal-E-Azam

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