Born on Valentine’s day, Madhubala started work at age of 9, was asked to change her name by…, met a tragic death due to…

Madhubala was born on February 14. She left behind legacy where she was highly regarded for her talent and beauty.

Madhubala remain an immortal gem that the Indian film industry had. Highly regarded for her unparalleled beauty and immaculate grace, this Indian actress’ name is etched in history. Today marks 52 years of her birth anniversary. She was born on February 14, 1933 in Delhi. A girl who started to work at a tender age of nine, became on e of the highest paid and most sought-after actress’ in the 50s. Her unconventional beauty got her the job in the first place. From slapstick comedies to period dramas, her career boasts of around 70 films.

Despite the immense success and fame, her personal and professional life was always in the chatter. Ironically, she was born on the day of love -Valentine’s Day – but has always been unlucky in this regard. This superstar left the world too soon in a tragic death.

Did You Know Madhubala Changed Her Name?

Madhubala, born as Mumtaz Jehan Begum Dehlavi into a Pashtun family. Her father, Ataullah Khan was conservative man who worked at the Imperial Tobacco Company. They were eleven siblings and she was the fifth one. Later, her father was fired and after much thought, the family shifted to Mumbai (then Bombay) in the pretext of Madhubala’s work opportunity.

She appeared as ‘Baby Mumtaz’ in Chunnilal’s ‘Basant’ and gained much fame. According to report by Amar Ajula Hindi, she got a salary of just Rs 150 for this film. Several of her initial films like ‘Neel Kamal’ rolled her name in credits as Mumtaz. It was on the advice of another actress Devika Rani who asked her to change her name to something that the audience would resonate and remember her by.

Madhubala means the flower of honey, and her beauty complemented the name making it evergreen.

Unrequitted Love Stories of Madhubala

For women to be bold was not known in yester years. But Madhubala was an exception. She once proposed to famous villain ‘Premnath’ with a letter. But owing to religious differences, reportedly, the relationship did not last long.

Dilip Kumar and Madhubala’s love story is not hidden from the sight of the world. They met for the first time on the sets of ‘Tarana’ and eventually grew fondness towards each other. They did several films together but could never reconcile on certain differences that finally led to the end of this beautiful love story. Some reports suggessts that it was because of Madhubala’s strict father. In an old interview with ET, Madhur Bhushan, her younger sister said that the couple were together for almost nine years, “If you believe me, it was the Naya Daur case that created wedges between them. Tempers flared and things got bad. Shayad Allah ko manzoor nahi tha aur unka pyaar khatam ho gaya. Dilip saab had come home after that and yes, Madhubala did ask him to say ‘sorry’ to our father. But Dilip saab termed him as ‘dictator and difficult’. Madhubala reminded Dilip saab that he’d never behaved like that with him. My father liked Dilip Kumar. If he hadn’t liked Dilip Kumarwould he have given his consent to his daughter’s love story?”

After this heartbreak, she met Kishore Kumar and got married. Though he was aware of her health condition, the gravitas was understood only years later. As her health started deteorating due to the hole in her heart, so did her relation with Kishore Kumar.

Madhubala passed away on February 23, 1969, at the young age of 36. Her legacy endures through her films and the impact she had on Indian cinema.