Latest news with #DilipKumar:TheSubstanceandtheShadow
News18
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
Mughal-E-Azam Director Told Madhubala To Use 'Physical Intimacy' To Get Dilip Kumar To Commit
Last Updated: Dilip Kumar and Madhubala's romance began in 1951 on Tarana's set but became complicated during Mughal-E-Azam. Old-school Bollywood romance had its fair share of drama—and few stories are as intense as the one between Dilip Kumar and Madhubala. Sparks flew when the two met on the sets of Tarana in 1951 and love quickly followed. But things took a complicated turn when they were cast as Salim and Anarkali in Mughal-E-Azam. Rumour has it, director K Asif may have played more than just a filmmaker's role. According to Dilip Kumar's own words in his autobiography, Asif wasn't exactly a silent observer — he reportedly meddled in their relationship and even gave Madhubala advice on how to get Dilip to commit. In his autobiography Dilip Kumar: The Substance and the Shadow, the famous actor talked openly about the many rumours about his relationship with Madhubala in the early 1950s. He said the announcement of Mughal-E-Azam made big news, mostly because people were curious about their off-screen romance.'It was not anticipated or planned that it would be in production for such a long period as it was and Asif was aware of Madhu's feelings for me because she had confided in him during one of their intimate talks. And, he was equally aware of my nature as a man who made no haste in taking critical personal or professional decisions," wrote Dilip Kumar. He went on to share that director K Asif began interfering in their relationship by trying to push Madhubala towards getting a commitment from him. 'He took it upon himself to act as the catalyst and went to the extent of encouraging her in vain to pin me down somehow. He went on to advise her that the best way to draw a commitment from an honourable and principled Pathan, brought up on old-world values, was to draw him into physical intimacy," Dilip Kumar revealed. By the late 1950s, their relationship ended on a rather sour note. Though their relationship ended before the release of Mughal-e-Azam (1960), their powerful performances as Salim and Anarkali reflected the heartbreak of their real-life separation. First Published:
Time of India
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
When Dilip Kumar claimed Mughal-E-Azam director asked Madhubala to seduce him: 'K Asif was aware of Madhu's feelings for me...'
Dilip Kumar and Madhubala fell in love while working on Tarana, and were later cast together in Mughal-E-Azam . In his autobiography, Dilip revealed that director K Asif , though thrilled with the buzz around the film, tried to meddle in their relationship—going so far as to advise Madhubala on how to get Dilip to commit. K Asif's Unusual Interference in a Legendary Love Story In Dilip Kumar: The Substance and the Shadow, the legendary actor recalled how rumours about his relationship with Madhubala were already swirling in the early 1950s, which made the announcement of Mughal-E-Azam even more sensational. He noted that director K Asif, who knew about Madhubala's feelings for him and understood his cautious nature when it came to personal decisions, began interfering in their relationship. According to Dilip, Asif took it upon himself to push Madhubala towards securing a commitment from him—going so far as to advise her that the way to win him over was through physical intimacy. In retrospect, Dilip Kumar recognised that K Asif's actions stemmed from a director's desire to enhance on-screen chemistry between two actors who shared a real-life emotional connection. He believed Asif did what many self-serving filmmakers might have done in a similar situation—prioritising his film's impact over personal boundaries. Dilip also noted that once his relationship with Madhubala began to deteriorate, Asif made attempts to mend the situation between them. A Role Reconsidered: Why Dilip Wasn't First Choice for Salim Dilip Kumar also revealed that K Asif was initially hesitant to cast him as Prince Salim in Mughal-E-Azam because he felt Dilip looked too young for the part. Asif had begun developing the film in 1948 and, while he admired Dilip's regal presence, he believed the role required someone with a more mature appearance. Dilip agreed with Asif's assessment at the time. Actor DK Sapru was cast instead, but the early version of the film was shelved due to financial difficulties. Creating Salim Without a Director's Guidance A few years later, after Dilip Kumar had become a much bigger star, K Asif approached him again for Mughal-E-Azam. This time, Dilip was aware that he would have to rely on his own instincts to shape the character of Prince Salim, as he didn't expect much guidance from Asif. The director was preoccupied with the film's many challenges and offered little direction, telling Dilip to simply be himself. Despite the lack of support, Dilip managed to craft a screen persona that closely matched the regal image he had envisioned for Salim. Mughal-E-Azam remains one of the most iconic and celebrated films in the history of Hindi cinema. However, behind its grandeur lay personal turmoil — during the film's long and demanding production, Dilip Kumar and Madhubala's once passionate relationship came to an end. Check out our list of the latest Hindi , English , Tamil , Telugu , Malayalam , and Kannada movies . Don't miss our picks for the best Hindi movies , best Tamil movies, and best Telugu films .
Indian Express
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Mughal-E-Azam director advised Madhubala to seduce Dilip Kumar if she wanted his commitment: ‘He told her to draw me into physical intimacy'
Dilip Kumar and Madhubala fell deeply in love when they first met each other on the set of the 1951 film Tarana. Soon afterwards, director K Asif cast them as Salim and Anarkali in his film Mughal-E-Azam, but Dilip felt that Asif's intentions were not all that honourable during the making of the film. In his autobiography, Dilip spoke about the announcement of the film and how Asif was 'ecstatic' with all the noise that Mughal-E-Azam was making from day one. He also shared that Asif interfered in his relationship with Madhubala, and even advised her on how she could get Dilip to make a commitment. In 'Dilip Kumar: The Substance and the Shadow', Dilip wrote that there were many rumours about his and Madhubala's relationship in the early 1950s, which is perhaps why the film's announcement made 'sensational news.' 'It was not anticipated or planned that it would be in production for such a long period as it was and Asif was aware of Madhu's feelings for me because she had confided in him during one of their intimate talks. And, he was equally aware of my nature as a man who made no haste in taking critical personal or professional decisions,' Dilip wrote, and added that Asif started encouraging Madhubala to get him to make a commitment. 'He took it upon himself to act as the catalyst and went to the extent of encouraging her in vain to pin me down somehow. He went on to advise her that the best way to draw a commitment from an honourable and principled Pathan, brought up on old-world values, was to draw him into physical intimacy,' he wrote. In hindsight, Dilip understood that Asif was doing the same thing that any other director would have done after he had cast two actors who were known to be emotionally involved with each other. 'I feel he did what any selfish director would have done for his own gain of creating riveting screen chemistry between actors who are known to be emotionally involved,' he wrote and added that Asif even tried to 'mend the situation' after Dilip and Madhubala's relationship started to fall apart. ALSO READ | Madhubala asked to see ex-lover Dilip Kumar after he got married, his wife Saira Banu insisted that they should meet: 'Shehzade ko unki shehzadi mil gayi' Dilip also revealed that Asif did not want to cast him as Prince Salim at first because he wanted someone who looked a little older. Dilip shared that Asif had first started working on this project in 1948, and recalled, 'He said he liked everything about me but he felt I was rather too young to play Prince Salim at that juncture. He remarked: 'You have the royal bearing of a prince but I want an older look.' I told him he was right.' DK Sapru was cast instead, but that version was shut down due to financial crisis. A few years later, when Dilip was a bigger star, Asif approached him again. This time, Dilip knew that he could not expect anyone's help to work on the character, not even his director. 'To cut the story short, I think I more or less succeeded in approximating my get-up and screen persona of Prince Salim to the picture I had formed in my mind. I knew at the very start of the project that I was not going to get much help from Asif. He had numerous concerns to deal with as the director and in his typical manner he laughed away my worries saying: 'Just be yourself. You are Prince Yousuf',' he wrote. Mughal-E-Azam is still remembered as one of the most celebrated films of Hindi cinema. During the filming of Mughal-E-Azam, Dilip Kumar and Madhubala broke up.
