Mughal-E-Azam is a masterpiece, here's why...🪶✨️

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Күн бұрын

The Madness and Mayhem of Making the Masterpiece, Mughal-E-Azam
Mughal-e-Azam is a 1960 Indian epic historical fiction drama film directed by K. Asif. Starring Prithviraj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar, Madhubala, and Durga Khote, it follows the love story between Prince Salim and Anarkali, a court dancer. Salim's father, Emperor Akbar, disapproves of the relationship, which leads to a war between father and son. At the end of the film, Akbar lets Anarkali escape with her mother through a tunnel.
The development of Mughal-e-Azam began in 1944, and the film was finally completed and released in 1960. Production was plagued by delays, gossip & financial uncertainty. It was the most expensive film of its era and had the widest release of any Indian film up to that time.
It broke box office records in India, at the time. In 2004, the film was chosen to the the first film to be digitally restored and colorized. The 2004 version was also a commercial success.
In this video essay, I delve into the stories of making of the film, details on language used, set design, and costume. I critically discuss Madhubala as Anarkali - a role that was both professionally and personally challenging to her.
I also discuss the underrated villain of Mughal-E-Azam, Bahaar. Bahaar is the master manipulator of the film, and she is similar to a Shakespearean villain, Iago from Othello. Before I delve into any analysis though, I provide a brief breakdown of the plot of the film. Be sure to skip to PART 3: Madhubala as Anarkali, where the analysis begins, if you do not want to go through the entire story again.
Hope you guys enjoy this video - it took much longer to research and prepare because the making of Mughal-E-Azam was such a fascinating period in Indian cinema history. Let me know in the comments below if you love this film, and why - and as always, thank you for being here.
#mughaleazam #madhubala
CHAPTERS
INTRODUCTION: 00:00-06:55
PART 1 MAKING MUGHAL-E-AZAM: EXPENSES AND EXTRAVAGANCE: 07:19-10:04
PART 2 THE STORY OF THE FILM: 10:06-17:25
PART 3 MADHUBALA AS ANARKALI: 17:26-25:22
PART 4 BAHAAR: 25:36-27:00
PART 5 COSTUMES: 27:03-28:15
PART 6 LANGUAGE: 28:18-29:03
PART 7 SET DESIGN (GARDENS, SHEESH MAHAL & WAR SEQUENCES): 29:04-34:17
PART 8 FINAL THOUGHTS 34:24-END
I make reference to the following youtube videos in this essay, should you want similar videos to this one:
Madhubala and Marilyn Monroe:
• MADHUBALA: the story o...
The History of Heeramandi:
• The History Of Heerama...
The Bhansali Aesthetic:
• everything you need to...
SOURCES AND REFERENCES
1. Mughal-E-Azam: Legend as Epic by Anil Zankar
2. “I Want to Live” The Story of Madhubala by Khadijah Akbar
3. The Substance and The Shadow: An Autobiography by Dilip Kumar
4. www.architecturaldigest.in/st...
5. www.britannica.com/topic/Mugh...
6. Samanta, T. (2023). Assessing Audience Response Towards Colorization of Iconic Black-and-White Bollywood Films. ShodhKosh: Journal of Visual and Performing Arts, 4(2), 600-615. doi: 10.29121/shodhkosh.v4.i2.2023.608
7. What Happens in a Hindi Film by R Inden (2013)
8. CHANGING EYES OF THE BEHOLDER...by A Zankar Bulletin of the Deccan College Post-Graduate and Research Institute, 2002-2003, Vol. 62/63, PROFESSOR ASHOK R. KELKAR FELICITATION VOLUME (2002-2003), pp. 323- 330
9. Swaying to an Indian Beat... Dola Goes My Diasporic Heart: Exploring Hindi Film Dance by Sangita Shresthova
10. How To Read a Hindi Film by M Rao
11. Mughal-e-Azam: Restorationcum-Colorization for 35mm Release by D SALGIA
12. 100 Iconic Bollywood Costumes by Sujata Assomull
13. The Mughal Charbagh : Paradise Gardens on Earth (theheritagelab.in)
14. Black And White: How Sanjay Leela Bhansali Straddles Different Worlds - Forbes India
15. Male Dancer Wore Madhubala Mask For Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya Song - India TV (indiatvnews.com)
16. K Asif halted shoot of Mughal-E-Azam for three days as he wanted pond with ‘ittar’ for Madhubala, recalls Karan Johar | Bollywood News - The Indian Express
17. timesofindia.indiatimes.com/e...
18. Why the movie Mughal-E-Azam continues to fascinate us | Bollywood - Hindustan Times
19. Mughal-e-Azam: royally glossing over history's true colours | Drama films | The Guardian
20. Mughal-E-Azam: Six decades of the silver era gem | The Business Standard (tbsnews.net)
21. How LifeLong court battle with husband and director K Asif affected Nigar Sultana’s career via news18.com
22. Techno-Nostalgia: Colorization of K. Asif’s Mughal-e-Azam by Ramna Walia
23. Mughal-e-Azam: Restorationcum-Colorization for 35mm Release by D Salgia

Пікірлер: 22

@Rockstareeyahn 2 ай бұрын

That Pyar Kiya sequence is the most beautiful Bollywood music sequence of all time. Madhubala’s persona, Lata’s voice, the faces of all the actors witnessing the performance, the lavish set, the costumes and jewelries, Kapoor’s depiction of excitement to anger, love reflected on the eyes of Madhubala and Dilip despite breaking up in real life. It was so good

@mahima_queen 2 ай бұрын

Mughal e azam is the besttt... Recently ive been watching a lot of old bollywood films and this was def one of my favvv... I also liked PYAASA a lotttt..

@thatgirltas 2 ай бұрын

Lovely! I watched Madhumati recently and it was also so good 🫶

@Tasha31301 2 ай бұрын

Mughal e azam is my fav film from Madhubala 💛💛💛💛💛🪔🪔🪔🪔

@stephaniemay5216 2 ай бұрын

I love this movie so so so much!!! And the songs too!! Also extra thanks to you for talking about Bahaar. She has to be my second favourite character after Anarkali. And even Nigar Sultana is a queen of expressions! The song “Teri Mehfil Mein Kismat” is simply gorgeous. This movie is just absolutely perfect in every way possible.

@MehrMemex 2 ай бұрын

This is my mother's all time favorite film!

@thatgirltas 2 ай бұрын

She has great taste 🫶🫶🫶

@ishitascreativespace2180 2 ай бұрын

I feel like K Asif was the Sanjay Leela Bhansali of his time. This film is undoubtedly my favorite of all the period drama genre. The sets and costumes was the most authentic of all period dramas I have ever seen. The movie just brought the best of Madhubala , dilip kumar and prithviraj chauhan. Fun fact : there is also picture of prithviraj kapoor visting Madhubala's grave after madhubala's death

@kara-ck6eh 22 күн бұрын

Where?

@PokhrajRoy. 2 ай бұрын

Great topic! Also, Zeenat Aman’s dad was a writer on the film. That still blows my mind.

@thatgirltas 2 ай бұрын

The making of this film deserves to be a series, so many interesting anecdotes - all these details should be in it 🙌🏼🙌🏼

@PokhrajRoy. 2 ай бұрын

@@thatgirltas The mounting of it will be quite something

@anqaawan1183 2 ай бұрын

A little correction here from what I read and mostly heard and also believe is true, The inspiration of Sheesh Mahal wasnt from Jaypur, but it was a replica of actual sheesh mahal situated in Lahore Pakistan.