Dilip Kumar-Madhubala romance blossomed amidst Tarana shoot

Dilip Kumar and Madhubala’s romance blossomed amidst the shoot for Tarana in 1951. However, things took a complicated turn when they were cast as Salim and Anarkali in Mughal-E-Azam.

As per rumours, 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 bond and even advised Madhubala on how to get Dilip to commit.

Reportedly, Dilip Kumar and Madhubala split amidst shoot.

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 his nature as a man who made no haste in taking critical personal or professional decisions,” wrote Dilip Kumar.

Further 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 him 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.

News Edit KV Raman