MAIN SABHI KI ANARKALI BAN NA CHAHTI HOON

Some films based on history even make history. And the actors working in such films also become memorable and immortal - ALI PETER JOHN

Like Prithviraj kapoor as emperor Akbar in Mughal-e-Azam, Dilip kumar as Salim and Madhubala as Anarkali.

Each of these actors have their own stories about how they became the characters they played in the film.

But, the most interesting and colourful story is about how Madhubala was selected to play Anarkali.

Karimuddin Asif, a tailor who was a fascinating storyteller and had taken to making films as a profession had decided to make Mughal-e-Azam after he read the story as told in a play written in Pakistan on the same subject.

He pursued his passion like a mad man and first signed a popular actor called Sapru to play the role of Akbar.

But, he was a kind of man who was a perfectionist long before people talked about perfection and Mr. Perfectionist.

One thing led to another and he had signed Prithviraj to play Akbar and Dilip kumar to play Salim. And now it was his test to find his Anarkali.

His first choice was Nargis, but the actress turned down the offer because of some personal reason.

Asif then talked to Nutan to do the role and Nutan bluntly told him that she was not fit to play the role and that according to her if there were two actresses who could play the role, they were Nargis and Madhubala. Asif listened to Nutan but decided to have his own way of finding his Anarkali.

He issued a full page advertisement in Screen ( I feel proud to know that I was to be associated with Screen one day).

The advertisement read "Dilip kumar and K. Asif are looking for a girl who is beautiful and can act and dance to play the role of Anarkali in Mughal-e-azam.

Interested girls can send their details and some photographs to them". There were hundreds of applications from which eight girls were selected, but none of them was chosen to play Anarkali.

This advertisement was noticed by Madhubala. She had some differences with Asif, but her desire to play Anarkali was so strong that she forgot her problems with Asif and went to his office and told him, "Main Salim ki Anarkali ban na chahti hoon".

Asif was baffled for a while and was talking to Dilip Kumar about Madhubala and she knew that she was going to be passed as Anarkali.

Passion with which Asif made Mughal-e-azam over a period of nine years was also shared by his actors, especially by Madhubala who had a belief that there were any film that would make a difference to her life and career, it was this film.

She shot for the film even when she was sick ( she had a hole in her heart) . She did the most romantic scenes with Dilip kumar when they had broken up and were not even on talking terms.

Who can forget the scene where she is lying on the lap of Salim and Dilip kumar who is playing Salim runs a feather over her beautiful face and she has her eyes closed in ecstasy?

It was a scene when the two lovers in real life had stopped having any relationship with each other ( or had they?).

Every scene between Dilip kumar and Madhubala and Prithviraj kapoor and Madhubala is masterpiece in Indian Cinema.

And the dialogues and music will I am sure make people grow into raptures even hundreds of years. The film will complete 61 years of its release on August 5 ,2021.

EK DEEWAANE KHAAB KAISE KAISE JAADOO CHLAATE HAIN AUR USS JAADOO KA ASAR SAALON SAAL CHALTA HAI AUR PHIR BHI LOGON KO DEEWAANA BANATA HAI AUR AISA KAMAAL SIRF EK HI BAAR HO SAKTA HAI.