Continued from part three…
Memories – Mughal-e-Azam – Last Part Four
“The story behind the scene”
Good Morning,
Since ‘Valentine’s Day’ on this Friday 14, I thought I should write memories on ‘Mughal-e-Azam’ andending the ‘story behind the scene’ of the most evergreen and romantic song ‘Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya’…
‘Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya’ from the movie “Mughal-e-Azam” is widely considered one of the most sought-
after romantic songs ever made in Bollywood cinema due to its iconic melody powerful lyrics about defying
love’s obstacles and the stunning visuals featuring Madhubala as Anarkali making it a timeless classic in
Indian film music…
Movie: Mughal-E-Azam – 1960
Singer: Lata Mangeshkar
Music Director: Naushad
Lyricist: Shakeel Badayuni
The song was filmed in Mohan Studios, Andheri, Mumbai. The set was a replica of Lahore Fort’s Sheesh Mahal. It took two years to build. The budget of Rs. 1 crore was even more than what it cost to make a film back then. The song was written several times before it was finalised as nobody wanted to take anychances. Lyricist Shakeel Badayuni edited the song 105 times. After that, finally, music director Naushad approved it as good to go…
Believe it or not, this song ‘Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya’ dance, and the rubber mask that helped Madhubala to complete that song. Contrary to popular opinion, Madhubala did not feature in the entire dance sequence of the famous song, ‘Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya’ in the movie. Since Madhubala was not a trained Kathak dancer, the dance director Lacchu Maharaj used a male dancer, Laxmi Narayan, to complete the more technically intricate ‘girki’ (whirling) steps that are numerous in the song…
The Sheesh Mahal sequence in Mughal-e-Azam is arguably the most famous scene in Indian cinema history.For the crew, however, shooting this sequence was nothing short of a nightmare. Everything was reflected in the palace, which was constructed with more than a million tiny mirrors, including the lights, the crew, and the camera. The cinematographer for the movie, R. D. Mathur, had to make sure that these reflections added to, rather than took away from, the scene’s visual appeal. It is stated that K. Asif would meticulously examine every angle to make sure the camera was not visible in the reflection. The end result was a magnificent moment, with Madhubala seemingly floating in an ocean of mirrors, her every movement replicated infinitely, evoking a sensation of eternity – both in love and defiance…
Madhubala was also ill with the heart condition, Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD), at this time and unable to undertake any strenous effort. This substitution was accomplished with him wearing a rubber face mask with close-ups of Madhubala’s face making the deception complete…
3) Sculptor, BR Khedkar…
The rubber mask was a novel item at that time and was produced by sculptor, B R Khedkar, who fashioned a rubber face mask of Madhubala’s face using the melted rubber procured from a balloon factory close to Mohan Studios, Andheri where most of the sequence was filmed…
In the 1950s one or two cameras were considered enough in the shooting of films in general. The shooting of Mughal-E-Azam used as many as 14 cameras…
K. Asif wants to reshoot the whole film in colour. Distributors lose patience and refuse.Film releases with 85% in B&W and 15% in colour. Film turns out to be the biggest blockbuster of Indian Cinema. Director K Asif’s dream to see Mughal-e-Azam in colour remains unfulfilled…
Cinematographer of the movie Mughal-e-Azam, RD Mathur …
At the 1961 National Film Awards, Mughal-e-Azam won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi. In the 1961 Filmfare Awards, Mughal-e-Azam was nominated in seven categories: Best Film, Best Director (Asif), Best Actress (Madhubala), Best Playback Singer (Mangeshkar), Best Music (Naushad), Best Cinematography (Mathur), and Best Dialogue (Aman, Wajahat Mirza, Kamaal Amrohi, and Ehsan Rizvi), winning the awards for Best Film, Best Cinematography, and Best Dialogue…
In my opinion ‘Mughal-e-Azam’ is considered one of the best films in Indian cinema due to its extravagant sets, opulent costumes, iconic music, powerful performances, particularly by Prithviraj Kapoor as Akbar and Madhubala as Anarkali, and its epic storytelling that explores a complex love story against the backdrop of Mughal royalty, all combined to create a visually stunning and emotionally resonant cinematic experience that remains timeless even today; essentially, it’s a masterpiece of grandeur and scale within Indian cinema…
My Hats Off to entire production staff who created this historical epic movie..’Mughal-e-Azam’..!
Have a Happy Valentine’s Day..!
Thanx with regards,
Jayant & Veena Kulkarni.
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