MUGHAL-e-AZAM ( Now a full length color movie )
By Raju Jamil (Published in IMAGES - 2005)
***WHENEVER ONE SPEAKS of grandeur, extravagance and opulence in Indian movies, the name that comes foremost to one’s mind is ‘Mughal-e-Azam” which, after 44 years of its release, has been converted into a full length color film.. the progress of I.T and Science hailed !
There’s something so imposing about the film even now, that all other costume dramas we can think of simple pale in comparison.
“Mughal-e-Azam” can easily be termed as filmmaker K.Asif’s most ambitious venture and his most successful one as well. And look at the man’s track record – in his entire career-span, he made only four films and he is still regarded with more honor and respect than most of the Bollywood filmmakers we have heard of.
I remember being an ardent listener to the discussion between my father (Jamiluddin Aali) and his childhood friend from Dehli…India’s famous film story writer & poet Akhtarul Imaan (Father-in-Law of Amjad Khan a.k.a “Gabbar Singh” of ‘Sholay’ during Akhtar Chacha’s & my dad’s Abu Dhabi visit of mid-eighties for ‘Jashn-e-Qasmi’ during my UAE posting days) that; when K.Asif started work on this magnificent movie, he knew it was going to be one expensive film. And he was prepared to meet all the expenses on his own. But the time-span was something he was absolutely unguarded about. “Mughal-e-Azam” was in the making for 17 long years. It would just be fair to say that more than half of Asif’s career went into the making of one film.
When he conceptualized the movie, his first choice for the role of Shahzada Salim was the legendary actor Chandramohan, who had already proved his versatility in historicals like Sohrab Modi’s “Pukar” and Mehboob Khan’s “Humayun”. But the actor’s untimely demise brought the entire project to a grinding halt.
Asif took a while before deciding upon Dilip Kumar as the next choice, though rumours insist that he had even contemplated signing on Guru Dutt for the role one time.
Dilip Kumar was just the right man to portray the pain and passion of Shahzada Salim effectively to the core. His modulation, nuances and dialogue delivery brought alive the character of one of history’s most ardent lovers. Dilip once stated ( in an interview for Filmfare Magazine ) that the most credible factor about “Mughal-e-Azam” was that despite all the delay, the film still managed to retain its original flavor.
“Mughal-e-Azam” focuses around one of the most legendary love stories of all time – Shahzada Salim (Dilip) and Anarkali (Madhubala). Salim is the son of Emperor Akbar (Prithviraj Kapoor), ruler of India, who falls in love with a courtesan/kaneez to his mom Maharani Jaudabai. Obviously, this is too hard to digest for the Mughal Emperor ( still, in present era, it is heard that such tales shape up at the ends of those in rags-to-riches ) who tries his best to separate them. But nothing can come between the two lovers. When Akbar’s pressure tactics become unbearable for Anarkali, Salim declares war against his own father ( who can forget the famous dialogue of Dilip in that tense situation well delivered…. “Sheikho Ka Dil Koi Hidustan Ka Paya-e-Takht Nahin Hai Jis Pe Zille-Elahi Apna Hukum Chalaein”) BUT, the Emperor’s might is too overpowering for Salim and he loses the battle. Akbar then sentences him to death. True love then gathers eternal proportions when Anarkali decides to renounce her life in order to save her beloved Salim.
My extensive research on this historical beauty extracts that when “Mughal-e-Azam” was being made, the real-life love story of Dilip Kumar and Madhubala was at its peak. That further added to the poignancy of the screen drama. In fact, most people believed that this filmed engraved their love forever, after they tragically broke off a few years later. Even today, one of the most talked about scenes in the film is the one where an emotional Salim ruffles Anarkali’s face with a feather. This has gone down in movie history as one of the most effective love scenes ever picturised.
One of the other highlights of the film was the music composed by Naushad ( also known as Naushad-e-Azam due to his being declared as the Emperor of Music composition after Mughal-e-Azam) and the soul-stirring lyrics penned by Shakil Badayuni. ‘Pyar Kiya Tow Darna Kiya’, the song shot in grand Sheesh Mahal, is as immortal as the film itself. Incidently, then, the song was the only portion shot in color in the entire movie (then…probably, that was the filmmaker’s way of paying a fitting tribute to one of the most romantic songs ever) which has now been digitally converted and re-processed into a full length color film after over three dozen attempts made since 1998.
The dialogues by (Meena Kumari’s husband) Kamal Amrohi are a treat, specially in the face-to-face scenes between the two superstars, Dilip & Prithviraj Kapoor as the later was deliberately given heavier, more verbose lines in keeping with his style and overbearing persona. No other actor could have done as much justice to the character of Shehensha Akbar.
*My good friend Shehla w/o Late Amjad Khan (Gabbar Singh), the eldest daughter of Akhtarul Imaan, during her visit to meet her sister Rakhshinda settled in Abu Dhabi also discussed “Mughal-e-Azam” with me on my infatuation to know more & more about the background of this magic film. Said she; When the film was halfway through, news already out that K.Asif had gone overbudget. But that didn’t make any difference to the maker. At a time (mid-fifties-early sixties) when black-n-white films were not fetching more than Rs. 3 to 4 hundred thousand per territory in the subcontinent. Asif demanded a whopping 1.7 Million..much more than the filmmaker ever expected. Asif’s logic, I presume, was very clear – he had made a film which everyone (including the viewers) associated with it would be proud of for generations. And with the representative of Indian Government recently presenting the DVD of the full fledged color version to our country’s President at Islamabad – Late K.Asif’s action has proved that he has right !
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I thought K.Asif could never have thought of repeating the magic of “Mughal-e-Azam” as he did try his hand by making another film on an equally lavish budget, “Love & God”, with Guru Dutt in the lead role. In fact, research claims that he even shot for it. But Dutt’s sudden death forced Asif to reshoot the portions. Asif then signed Sanjeev Kumar which too got stalled due to Asif’s demise followed by Sanjeev’s and Bokadia took over, made it and released it in an unfinished format.
MUGHAL-E-AZAM …..is considered to be one of the most significant films ever made in Indo-Pak subcontinent and the fact not only me but I reckon there are millions who must have watched this movie on an average of at least five times (my viewing count exceeds twenty five) itself is a momentous homage to a man who made less than four films in his entire career and a standing ovation to Dilip Kumar (Yusuf Khan) for his outstanding performance par excellence.***
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Some memorable scenes from; Mughal e Azam;
www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwIKZHzAJmk
(Love scene)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=aplobGY5WGc&feature=related