"She walks in beauty,
Like the night of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that`s best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes."

Madhubala is undoubtedly the eternal beauty of Bollywood. Madhubala was born on 14th February 1933 as Mumtaz Begum Jehan Dehlavi. Madhubala is, probably, one of the most popular actresses from 1950s and 1960s. Competing with contemporaries is never easy and with Nargis and Meena Kumari around it definitely was difficult. Yet Madhubala has made a niche of her own in the hearts of the audiences. Even today she is considered one of the most talented actors that India has ever produced.

It was financial constraint that led Madhubala to the film industry. She started her acting career early at the age of 9 years. She played the role of the daughter of the popular actress, Mumtaz Shanti. The film was Basant (1942) which was declared hit at the box office. An almost perfect face, beautiful eyes, a mesmerizing smile, grace and immense talent soon made her a favourite amongst the masses. It was the well known actress Devika Rani who asked her to change her name to Madhubala. Within a short span of time she established herself as a professional and bankable star.

Madhubala`s first film was Neel Kamal (1947) with Raj Kapoor. The film flopped but Madhubala got recognition as an actress, rather a beautiful actress. The film that helped Madhubala to achieve success was Mahal (1949). She acted opposite Ashok Kumar. The film was a suspense and Madhubala`s enchanting and captivating beauty was just perfect for her role. The film was successful and the song `Aayega Aanewala` announced the advent of 2 new superstars: Madhubala and playback singer Lata Mangeshkar. In the early 1950s she became one of the most sought after heroines in Indian film industry.

It was also said that the beauty of Madhubala often preceded her acting capabilities. As a result she remained one of the most underrated actresses in Bollywood. The life behind all the glitz and glamour is often not easy and it was true enough for Madhubala. She was lively and committed to her work and extremely beautiful. Very few people knew about the pain that she bore behind a smiling face. It was revealed to the film industry in 1950s that Madhubala suffered from heart trouble. She was born with a hole in the heart. It was on the sets of S.S. Vassan`s film Bahut Din Huwe that she coughed up blood. She was well taken care of by the director and his wife. Madhubala returned the favour by turning up at the film`s premier. It was her rule not to attend film premiers. This incident was quickly forgotten and she went onto become one of the most successful stars in Bollywood for the following few years.

Madhubala`s fame reached USA and was hailed as "The Biggest Star in the World (And She`s Not in Beverly Hills)." Frank Capra expressed a desire to work with her but her family was unwilling and thus there were no further talks. Madhubala had worked with some of the biggest names in the film industry, Ashok Kumar, Raj Kapoor, Rehman, Pradeep Kumar, Shammi Kapoor, Dilip Kumar, Sunil Dutt and Dev Anand. The directors she worked with were well known too: Mehboob Khan, Guru Dutt, Kamal Amrohi and K. Asif. In 1950s Madhubala established herself as a versatile actor. While she was simple village girl in Tarana (1951), she was the traditional Indian woman in Sangdil (1952) and a spoilt brat in Guru Dutt`s Mr. and Mrs. 55 (1955). The song from Howrah Bridge, `Aaiye Meherbaan` was sensuous and superhit. Even today filmmakers admit that no one could have done it better than Madhubala. She played the role of an Anglo-Indian Cabaret singer opposite Ashok Kumar. Her bold westernised fashion statement was set her apart from others. Howrah Bridge was followed by Phagun with Bharat Bhushan, Kala Pani with Dev Anand, Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi opposite Kishore Kumar and Barsaat Ki Raat (1960) with Bharat Bhushan.

It was with Mughal-E-Azam that Madhubala created history. She was perfect as K Asif`s Anarkali. It is the best performance of her career. The songs, dances and her scenes with Dilip Kumar were outstanding. The hit pair went onto star in four films. According to film industry Madhubala had a long affair with co-star Dilip Kumar. The relationship went on for 5 years but they broke up following a court case filed by BR Chopra. Dilip Kumar testified against the lady in the case and they separated consequently. Madhubala later married Kishore Kumar but that was a loveless marriage. Khatija Akbar wrote a biography on Madhubaal. In the book Dev Anand commented: "She was so robust and full of life and energy. She was always laughing and enjoyed her work. One could never conceive she was seriously ill. Then one day out of the blue she just disappeared..."

In the 1960s Madhubala`s physical condition deteriorated further. She was taken to London for treatment too but the doctors declared that it was too late for surgery. Madhubala came back and lived for another 9 years. At the age of 36 years Madhubala passed away.

Since Madhubala did not age on the silver screen she epitomizes eternal beauty. Till date she remains one of the pioneering actresses of Hindi cinema.

The filmography of Madhubala would include the following films:

Basant	Parai Aag	Apradhi	Aaram	Raj Hath	Insaan Jaag Utha
Mumtaz Mahal	Lal Dupatta	Pardes	Saqi	Dhake Ki Malmal	Do Ustad
Dhanna Bhagat	Desh Sewa	Nishana	Sangdil	Yahudi Ki Ladki	Mehlon Ke Khwab
Rajputani	Amar Prem	Nirala	Rail Ka Dibba	Gateway of India	Jaali Note
Pujari	Sipahiya	Hanste Aansoo	Armaan	Ek Saal	Barsaat Ki Raat
Phoolwari	Singaar	Beqasoor	Bahut Din Huye	Police	Mughal-E-Azam
Saat Samundaron Ki Mallika	Paras	Tarana	Amar	Phagun	Passport
Mere Bhagwan	Neki Aur Badi	Saiyan	Teerandaz	Kalapani	Jhumroo
Khubsoorat Duniya	Mahal	Nazneen	Naqab	Howrah Bridge	Boy Friend
Dil-Ki-Rani Sweet-Heart	Imtihaan	Nadaan	Naata	Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi	Half Ticket
Chittor Vijay	Dulari	Khazana	Mr. & Mrs. `55	Baghi Sipahi	Sharabi
Neel Kamal	Daulat	Badal	Shirin Farhad	Kal Hamara Hai	Jwala