Mughal-e-Azam
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- For the 2008 comedy film, see Maan Gaye Mughal-e-Azam
| Mughal-e-Azam | |
|---|---|
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| Directed by | K. Asif |
| Produced by | K. Asif |
| Written by | Aman Kamal Amrohi K. Asif Wajahat Mirza Ehsan Rizvi |
| Starring | Prithviraj Kapoor Dilip Kumar Madhubala Durga Khote |
| Music by | Naushad |
| Cinematography | R.D. Mathur |
| Editing by | Dharamvir |
| Release date(s) | 5 August 1960 |
| Running time | 191 mins |
| Country | India |
| Language | Hindi Urdu |
| Budget | Rs. 1.5 crore ($300,000)[1] |
Mughal-e-Azam (Hindi: मुग़ल-ए आज़म, Urdu: مغلِ اعظم, English: The Greatest of the Mughals) is a 1960 Indian epic film produced and directed by K. Asif. With its lavish production, K. Asif's magnum opus took nine years and Rs 10.5 million to finish. The film broke box office records in India when released and held the record for the highest grossing film ever until the 1975 film Sholay broke its record.[2]
In 2004, a colorized version created by Rajeev Dwivedi and Sankranti Creations was released theatrically marking another success for the film.
This is one of the biggest and arguably the biggest box office hit movie in Indian cinema. Adjusted for inflation, the movie's net revenue would put it on top of all Bollywood movies released until 31 March 2009. This was one of only two films K. Asif completed. When he died in 1971, he left behind two unfinished films, Sasta Khoon Mahenga Paani and Love and God, the latter released by K. C. Bokadia in 1986.
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[edit] Plot
The film re-tells a popular Indian tale, which was previously filmed as Loves of a Mughal Prince (1928) and Anarkali (1953). It is loosely based on an episode in the life of the Mughal Prince Salim, who went on to become the Emperor Jahangir (r. 1608 - 1627). In the movie, the great conqueror Akbar (played by Prithviraj Kapoor) and his Rajput wife, Jodha Bai (played by Durga Khote) have a son - the weak and pleasure-loving Salim - played by Dilip Kumar. Salim falls in love with Anarkali (Madhubala), a court-dancer. He wants to marry her, he arranges secret meetings for Anarkali and himself for the sake of love. however the jealous Bahaar, a fellow dancer, who is of a higher rank, wants the crown of India and she attempted to try and make the prince love her so later on she may ascend to queenship. She exposes the love between the prince and the dancer, Salim pleads for Anarkali's hand, but his father objects and throws Anarkali into prison. Despite imprisonment, Anarkali refuses to reject Salim.
Salim rebels against his father, is defeated in battle, and is sentenced to death. Anarkali pleads for his life in exchange for her own, and is condemned to be walled up alive. However, it is revealed that Akbar owed a favor to Anarkali's mother, since she informed him of the birth of his son. Anarkali's mother takes advantage of this, and begs for her daughter's life. The emperor relents, and arranges for Anarkali's secret escape into exile. Unfortunately, it is still announced that Anarkali was killed, and Salim is heartbroken. Yet Bahaar seduces him and he begins to love her like he loved Anarkali.
Most tales of Salim and Anarkali end with the death of the latter, even though the movie version is slightly more optimistic. However, Salim is still left to believe that Anarkali is dead and the lovers are separated for the rest of their lives.
[edit] Cast
- Prithviraj Kapoor - Akbar
- Dilip Kumar - Prince Salim
- Madhubala - Anarkali
- Durga Khote - Jodha Bai
- Nigar Sultana - Bahar
- Ajit - Durjan Singh
- M. Kumar - Sculptor Sangtaraash
- Murad - Raja Mann Singh
- Jilloo Bai - Anarkali's Mother
- Jalal Agha - Young Prince Salim
[edit] Crew
- Assistant director: Rashid Abbasi
- Chief assistant director: Khalid Akhtar
- Art Direction: M.K. Syed
[edit] Production
[edit] Background
K. Asif first started work on the project in 1944, with financier, Shiraz Ali, owner of the famous Mahalaxmi Studio, Mumbai. He casted Sapru, Chandramohan and Nargis for the roles of Akbar, Salim and Anarkali, but the project was shelved when film's the leading man passed away in 1946. The nation was already going through as going through turbulent times and a year later after the Partition of India, Shiraz Ali, migrated to Pakistan, leaving Asif without a financier, which he finally found in business tycoon Shapoorji Pallonji, yet it took Asif almost four years to get his film on the floor.
The film was started again in 1953 with an all new cast, Prithviraj Kapoor, Madhubala, Dilip Kumar, Durga Khote and Ajit in the cast. In this version, Tabla maestro Ustad Zakir Hussain says, "I was considered for the role of the young Salim. But the role was eventually played by Jalal Agha." [3]. With the advent of Jhansi Ki Rani in 1951, colour films became a revolution, and by 1957 colour was creeping into Indian films. Now, K. Asif wanted to remake the whole film in colour, but when the financiers lost patience and so did the distributors, who were not willing to delay any further, Thus Asif settled for having two songs, including his favourite, Pyar Kiya to Darna kya and the film's 30-minute climax shot in Technicolor, with the rest of the film (85%) black-and-white.[4].
This was (counting Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Devdas) the most expensive film ever made in Indian history. Tailors were brought from Delhi to stitch the costumes, specialists from Surat-Khambayat were employed for the embroidery, Hyderabad goldsmiths made the jewellery, Kolhapur craftsmen designed the crowns, Rajasthan ironsmiths crafted the weapons, and the elaborate footwear was ordered from Agra. For the battle sequence, 2000 camels, 4000 horses and 8000 troops were used, many of them soldiers on loan from the Indian Army. Altogether the film cost Rs. 1.5 crores (38.29 crores in present terms).
The statue of Lord Krishna used in the film is made of pure gold. The heavy chains Madhubala wore in the film were authentic, not the lightweight models worn in those days. It was her greatest ordeal in the film and she was bedridden for days nursing the bruises caused by wearing those chains.
[edit] Filming
The song "Ae Mohabbat Zindabad" had singer Mohammed Rafi with a chorus of 100 singers. The song "Pyar Kiya To Darna Kiya" has an unusual history to it: it cost Rs. 10 million at a time when a film would be made for less than a million; it was written and re-written 105 times by the lyricist, Shakeel Badayuni, before the music director, Naushad, could approve of it; it was shot in the renowned Sheesh Mahal (Palace of Mirrors); and in those days of sound recording, editing and mixing, as there was no way to provide the reverberation of sound, Naushad had Lata Mangeshkar sing the song in a studio bathroom. Prithviraj Kapoor would look into a mirror as tall as himself before each shot. When Asif asked him why he did so, he replied, "I do so to get under the skin of the character."
Its most famous dance sequence takes place in the Sheesh Mahal (Palace of Mirrors) of the Lahore Fort, where Anarkali dances for the Mughal Emperor and his court, singing Pyar Kiya to Darna Kya, "I have loved, so what is there to fear?" This song was one of three sequences shot in Technicolor, while the rest of the movie was in black and white. The singing is, of course, playback singing by Lata Mangeshkar and lip-synched by Madhubala.
For the battle sequence, 2,000 camels, 4,000 horses and 8,000 troops were used, many of them soldiers on loan from the Indian Army. This was arranged through special permission through the Indian Ministry of Defence-a rare occurrence today. The soldiers came from the Jaipur regiment of the Indian army.
The movie was originally shot three times, once each for lips moving for Hindi, Tamil and English dialogs. The Tamil version of the movie did very poorly, so the dream of having Shakespearean actors from Britain doing the dubbing in English was dropped.
[edit] Music
| Mughal-e-Azam | ||||
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| Soundtrack by Naushad | ||||
| Released | 1960 (India) | |||
| Genre | Film soundtrack | |||
| Label | EMI | |||
| Producer | Naushad | |||
| Naushad chronology | ||||
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Naushad composed the film's music and Shakeel Badayuni wrote the lyrics. Mughal-E-Azam's soundtrack was composed by music director Naushad, and was named as the second best Bollywood soundtrack ever[5], by planetbollywood.com. Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan did a very rare classical number, Prem Jogan, that went on to become a classic.
| Song | Singer (s) |
|---|---|
| Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya | Lata Mangeshkar |
| Bekas Pe Karam Keejeye | Lata Mangeshkar |
| Khuda Nigehbaan | Lata Mangeshkar |
| Mohabbat Ki Jhooti | Lata Mangeshkar |
| Mohe Panghat Pe | Lata Mangeshkar |
| Teri Mehfil Mein | Lata Mangeshkar, Shamshad Begum |
| Prem Jogan Ban Ke | Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan |
| Jab Raat Hai Aisi Matwali | Lata Mangeshkar |
| Shubh Din Aayo Raj Dulara | Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan |
| Ae Mohabbat Zindabad | Mohammed Rafi |
| Humen Kash Tumse Mohabbat | Lata Mangeshkar |
| Ae Ishq Yeh Sab Duniyawale | Lata Mangeshkar [6] |
| Ye Dil Ki Lagi | Lata Mangeshkar [7] |
[edit] Reception
The film was finally released on 5 August 1960, and in 150 theatres all over the country simultaneously, which itself was a record in those days. It became an instant hit and collected a record revenue which remained unsurpassed till G.P. Sippy’s Sholay broke it 15 years later.[2]
[edit] Awards
- 1960: Filmfare Best Movie Award: K. Asif
- 1960: Filmfare Best Cinematographer Award: R.D. Mathur [8]
- 1960: Filmfare Best Dialogue Award: Amanullah Khan, Kamal Amrohi, Wajahat Mirza, Ehsan Rizvi
[edit] Colourization and re-release
In November 2004, the whole movie was restored and colorized in a year-long process by the IAAA (Indian Academy of Arts and Animation) and re-released. In 2004, it was announced that after extensive search, no copies of the English version are available. This is the first full feature-length movie to be revived/colorized for a theatrical re-release in the history of world cinema. Some Hollywood movies have been colorized, but only for re-release on home video.[9]
[edit] Books
- The Immortal Dialogue of K. Asif’s Mughal-E-Azam, with a Foreword by Javed Akhtar. by Nasreen Munni Kabir, Suhail Akhtar. October 2006. ISBN 9780195684964.
- Mughal-e-azam, by Shakil Warsi. Rupa & Company, 2009. ISBN 812911321X.
[edit] References
- ^ Madhu Jain, Namrata Joshi (12-05-2003). "Bollywood's Best Films". Centre for the Study of Culture and Society. http://www.cscsarchive.org:8081/__e52568520028afa7.nsf/0/88dbdf326f80b75c65256d20001d6e6d!OpenDocument&Highlight=0,fire. Retrieved 2009-05-05.
- ^ a b Enduring appeal of Mughal-e-Azam by Jivraj Burman, The Tribune, 17 August 2008.
- ^ Mughal-e-Azam: A work of art Rediff.com, 15 February 2003.
- ^ Talking telegram from Mughal-E-Azam Screen (magazine), 1 July 2005.
- ^ "100 Greatest Soundtracks Ever". http://www.planetbollywood.com/displayArticle.php?id=s022608074151.
- ^ Mughal-e-Azam Songs
- ^ Mughal-e-Azam Songs
- ^ Awards IMDB.
- ^ Immortal-e-Azam Rediff.com, 12 November 2004.
[edit] External links
| Awards and achievements | ||
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| Preceded by Sujata |
Filmfare Award for Best Film 1960 |
Succeeded by Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai |
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