Jiah Khan (20 February, 1988 to 3 June, 2013)

Jiah Khan was a Bollywood actress who debuted in the 2007 controversial Ram Gopal Varma film, ‘Nishabd’, opposite Amitabh Bachchan. Since then she starred in only two more films but both were highly successful and Jiah received praise for her acting and sex appeal. With ‘Ghajini’ opposite Aamir Khan and ‘Housefull’ opposite Akshay Kumar, Jiah had achieved a notable success in her career. Jiah Khan allegedly committed suicide at her Juhu residence in Mumbai on 3 June 2013.

Bollywood actress, Jiah Khan made her big debut with the film, Nishabd with Amitabh Bachchan in 2007. An unsuccessful movie career coupled with a troubled love life seemed to have left Jiah broken. The 25-year-old actress committed suicide in her Mumbai apartment. She hanged herself with a dupatta from a ceiling fan in her Juhu Appartment.

Series of Events

June 1, 2013 Saturday

Morning: Jiah Khan leaves for Hyderabad for an audition, However she is told she is underweight and turned down.

7pm: An upset Jiah returns to mumbai; reportedly tells mother her career in the film industry is going no where.

9pm: Jiah goes to boyfriend Sooraj Pancholi's recidence at Gandhigram Road in Juhu. Stays over for the night and next day.

June 2, Sunday

9pm: Jiah and Sarooj have dinner at a hotel. Then he drops her home at Sagar Sangeet building in Juhu.

June 3, Monday
Jiah and Sooraj exchange many calls and text messages

7pm: Jiah tells Sarooj over the phone that she has bagged roles in three films.

8.45pm: Sooraj sends  a bouquet to her residence

9pm: After Sooraj does not respond to her calls, Jiah texts him: "Why are you so cold?" Sooraj replies he is busy with work. Jiah then expresses suspicion that he is dating another woman, to which Sooraj replies she is misunderstanding him. The woman Jiah suspected is Sooraj's jeweller, say police

9.15pm: Jiah goes to her building watchman, and tells him to throw away the bouquet.

9.30pm: Jiah goes to Sooraj's residence and calls him from outside, but he does not answer. she then calls his helper Deva, who says Sooraj is busy with his father (Aditya Pancholi)

9.50pm Jiah returns home.

10.53pm Jiah calls up Sarooj, talks to him for to minutes.

11.07pm Jiah texts him, says if things don't change, she will return to London

11.07-11.22pm Sooraj SMSes Jiah 3 times asking her to call him up; she doesn't respond.

11.23 Jiah's mother Rabea returns home and finds her hanging from the ceiling fan in her bedroom
 

Here is the text from actress Jiah Khan's letter allegedly addressed to Suraj Pancholi. This letter was shared to the media by Jiah's mother through their publicists.

"I don't know how to say this to you but I might as well now as I have nothing to lose. I've already lost everything. If you're reading this I might have already left or about to leave. I am broken inside. You may not have known this but you affected me deeply to a point where I lost myself in loving you. Yet you tortured me everyday. These days I see no light I wake up not wanting to wake up.

There was a time I saw my life with you, a future with you. But you shattered my dreams. I feel dead inside. I've never given so much of myself to someone or cared so much. You returned my love with cheating and lies. It didn't matter how many gifts I gave you or how beautiful I looked for you. I was scared of getting pregnant but I gave myself completely the pain you have caused me everyday has destroyed every bit of me, destroyed my soul. I can't eat or sleep or think or function. I am running away from everything. The career is not even worth it anymore.

When I first met you I was driven, ambitious and disciplined. Then I fell for you, a love I thought would bring out the best in me. I don't know why destiny brought us together. After all the pain, the rape, the abuse, the torture I have seen previously I didn't deserve this. I didn't see any love or commitment from you. I just became increasingly scared that you would hurt me mentally or physically. Your life was about partying and women. Mine was you and my work. If I stay here I will crave you and miss you. So I am kissing my 10-year career and dreams goodbye. I never told you but I received a message about you. About you cheating on me. I chose to ignore it, decided to trust you. You embarrassed me. I never went out, I never went with anyone else. I am a loyal person. I never met anyone with Karthik I just wanted you to feel how you make me feel constantly. No other woman will give you as much as I did or love you as much as I did. I can write that in my blood.

Things were looking up for me here, but is it worth it when you constantly feel the pain of heartbreak when the person you love wants to abuse you or threatens to hit you or cheats on you telling other girls they are beautiful or throws you out of their house when you have no where to go and you've come to them out of love or when they lie to your face or they make you chase after them in their car. Or disrespects their family. You never even met my sister. I bought your sister presents. You tore my soul. I have no reason to breathe anymore. All I wanted was love. I did everything for you. I was working for us. But you were never my partner. My future is destroyed my happiness snatched away from me. I always wished the best for you, was ready to invest what little money I had in your betterment. You never appreciated my love, Kicked me in the face. I have no confidence or self esteem left, whatever talent whatever ambition you took it all away. You destroyed my life. It hurt me so much that I waited for you for ten days and you didn't bother buying me something.

The Goa trip was my birthday present but even after you cheated I still spent on you. I aborted our baby when it hurt me deeply. You destroyed my Christmas and my birthday dinner when I came back. When I tried my hardest to make your birthday special. You chose to be away from me on Valentines Day. You promised me once we made it to one year we would get engaged.
         

All you want in life is partying, your women and your selfish motives. All I wanted was you and my happiness you took both away from me. I spent money on you selflessly you would throw in my face. When I would cry for you. I have nothing left in this world to live for after this. I wish you had loved me like I loved you. I dreamt of our future. I dreamt of our success. I leave this place with nothing but broken dreams and empty promises. All I want now is to go to sleep and never wake up again. I am nothing. I had everything. I felt so alone even while with you. You made me feel alone and vulnerable. I am so much more than this."   
11 December 2015 : CBI charged Sooraj Pancholi for extricating Jiah Khan’s foetus by himself for abatement of suicide. The chargesheet read as:

Jiah was four weeks pregnant when she informed Pancholi about it.The couple then approached a physician who prescribed some medicines for medical termination of pregnancy (MTP) but that didn’t help. The couple then approached another doctor and finally a gynecologist who prescribed a stronger and more effective combination of drugs. After taking the medicine, Khan started hemorrhaging and called Pancholi for help. She was in pain and needed immediate medical attention but Pancholi allegedly asked her to wait and called up the gynecologist for guidance. He was asked to rush Khan to hospital as the fetus had probably aborted but had not been expelled from the body, which is probably what led to the hemorrhaging.

The chargesheet further adds that Pancholi was afraid that if Khan got hospitalized, their relationship would become public and his career would be affected. Sooraj then decided to take matters in his own hands rather than risk going to a hospital. He reportedly extricated the fetus and disposed it in the toilet. This allegedly left a deep emotional scar on Khan as she was very possessive about Pancholi and the latter started avoiding her, possibly for the sake of his acting career. This added to her depression which finally drove her to suicide.


            

Smita Patil (17 October, 1955 to 13 December, 1986)

One of the finest theater and film actresses to have graced the Indian artistic scene; Smita Patil was the epitome of beauty and talent. Winner of two National Awards and recipient of Padma Shri, this Bollywood star had a promising career ahead of her. She was actively involved in causes for upliftment of women and her choice of films to act in also advocated the same to a large extent. However, at the age of 31 on 13th December 1986 her life was cut short due to childbirth complications and we lost this star forever.

Smita Patil was one of the most talented actresses representing parallel Indian cinema. Some of her best films include Manthan, Bhumika and Mirch Masala. However, Smita Patil saw a tragic death right after the birth of her son, now actor, Prateik Babbar. The Bollywood actress died in 1986, at a young age of 31.

Smita Patil was one of the brightest female stars of the late 1970s and early 1980s would be a gross understatement. She was the consummate new cinema actor who could play the complex role of an actress physically and mentally abused by her husband in Bhumika (1977) or be an unapologetic part of popular films such as Namak Halaal (1982) where she’d be a natural at prancing around in the rain singing "Aaj Rapat Jaaye" with the Amitabh Bachchan with equal ease. In fact, amongst the handful of Indian actors who could find themselves at home in any decade and any kind of cinema with just about any filmmaker, Patil’s name would be one of the first to pop up and had death not robbed us of one of our greatest actors, Patil, today, at sixty, would have only become greater still.

In a career spanning only 12 years, Smita Patil touched glories that take a lifetime to achieve.

Great is an honorific that is far too readily, and even easily, attached to anything that is halfway decent. It’s a testimony of the times that we exist in where a couple of hits or a string of medial performances are enough to warrant greatness. But in Smita Patil’s case it’s a claim that has not only been rightfully bestowed but also in one of those rare instances, felicitously bequeathed. For an actor who has been dead for almost three decades now, which incidentally is also half of what her age would have been had she been alive, Patil left such an impression on the hearts and minds of the audience that very few actors both living or dead have managed to replicate.

In a career spanning a little more than a decade, Patil worked in over 80 films, won two National Awards, one of them for Bhumika at the age of 21, making her one of the youngest recipients; a Filmfare (Chakra (1981), which also fetched her a second National Award) and was directed by filmmakers as varied as Shyam Benegal, Govind Nahilani, Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen, Ramesh Sippy, BR Chopra and Raj Khosla. Her performance in Mirch Masala (1987) continues to remain a master class in acting and it’s hardly surprising that it was voted as one of the 25 Greatest Acting Performances of Indian Cinema in the centenary year of Indian cinema.

Patil’s acting and her real life commitment to myriad social issues such as women’s rights, she was a member of the Women's Centre in Mumbai, often amalgamated and perhaps this was the reason why her commitment to both reel as well real was unfeigned.

An alumna of the Film and Television Institute, Pune, Smita Patil belonged to the golden generation of trained actors who were a part of the birth of India’s parallel cinema movement. Like the other great actress of her generation Shabana Azmi, Patil, too, went beyond the new wave when she forayed into the world of popular cinema but unlike Azmi she took a while in committing to commercial cinema. Azmi struck a fine balance between the two worlds, but Patil initially was far more dedicated to smaller cinema.
Once Patil went commercial with Shakti (1982), a film she accepted largely for the opportunity to work with Dilip Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan and Rakhee, there was no looking back and with just a few films she created a special place for herself in the eyes of the trade as well as fans. Although she enjoyed doing commercial films for the big money that it offered, she knew this wasn’t a setup that made her feel at home. She found the unnatural mode of making them an insult to the individual inside but she never made a tamasha about doing such cinema in spite of her reservations nor did she ever denigrate the people who were a part of it.

Perhaps Smita Patil was cut from the same fabric as Waheeda Rehman, the other great from a couple of generations before her, who, like Patil, was relegated to be second to Nargis or Meena Kumari even though her body of work far outdid most. Many a times cinema witnesses artists come in pairs like Satyajit Ray and Mrinal Sen, Naseeruddin Shah and Om Puri, Shabana Azmi and Smita Patil that inspire and push each other but often one of them is preordained to remain in the other’s shadow. Patil’s untimely death may have added an extra veneer of greatness to the actress when compared to Azmi, who often ended up walking off with more critical acclaim in the films the two worked together.

Patil was more adept at handling popular film outings and between the two she was the first port of call for commercial filmmakers when it came to playing layered characters. She could play the elderly love interest to men who were drawn to Lolita esque teens in Anokha Rishta (1986), she could play the silent pillar of support to her former husband whose daughter was fighting cancer in Dard Ka Rishta (1982), she could play the concerned sister of an alcoholic lawyer in Thikana (1987), a princess who wanted to break away the cast barrier in Ghulami (1985), she could play the hardened mother who wouldn’t rest till her son avenged his father’s murder in Kasam Paida Karne Waale Ki (1984), a woman whose husband abandons her for her younger sister in Akhir Kyon? (1985), and in one of her final films, Waaris (1988) she played Paro, a widow, who gets her elderly father-in-law remarried for an heir to save the ancestral land.

There are two types of rebels. One variety makes a huge ruckus about the manner in which they change the order of things, while the other kind is the silent ones whose actions end up making the loudest of sounds. Smita Patil belonged to the latter and in her roles millions of women found an icon mirroring their own trials, joys and struggles and a search for an identity.

Smita Patil died due to complications following childbirth on December 13, 1986, at the age of 31. Patil’s premature death might have made her untouchable but at the same time also subtly changed the trajectory of Azmi’s career by pushing her to a venerable position as an actor before time thereby depriving her of challenges. Patil got enough accolades for her role in Arth (1982) and she believed that hers was a far more nuanced character to play than Azmi’s but wasn’t too satisfied with the way the roles were tinkered around midway. In just a decade in cinema she showed streaks of brilliance and in that short period did roles that sometimes take a lifetime to come along. Her characters garnered praise and attention and not the reverential kind that often take away the freedom from actors to push themselves further.

Madhubala (14 February, 1933 to 23 February, 1969)

One of the most beautiful actresses of her times, the iconic actress had a successful career spanning two decades, boasting of some hit Hindi films. Apparently, Madhubala was born with a ventricular septal defect, commonly known as ‘hole in the heart’.

The actress with the million dollar smile ruled the hearts of millions in the formative years of Indian Cinema. Likened to Marilyn Monroe; Madhubala is the vintage beauty of Indian Film Industry. The Anarkali of Indian Cinema was born with a complex heart condition, which was difficult to be treated in those days. This Bollywood star eventually succumbed to her illness at the age of 36 in the year 1969 leaving a void in the Indian Celluloid Industry forever.

Madhubala was born Mumtaz Jahan Nehlavi on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 1933. Perhaps was no coincidence with such a birthday that Madhubala would grow up to become one of the most beloved romantic heroines of India. But her life could not share the happy endings of many of her films. Her premature death has likened Madhubala to iconic Hollywood greats like Marilyn Monroe, Judy Garland, Carol Lombard and even Bollywood’s own Meena Kumari–women of the silver screen who died before the world was ready. Madhubala was born on 14th February 1933 which was a Valentines Day to a Pathan family. It is a great coincidence that such a luminous beauty was born on Valentines Day.

Madhubala’s unique allure was known worldwide–she had been featured in many American magazines including LIFE magazine whose rare photographs are featured in this post. Legendary director Frank Capra was eager to bring the mysterious Indian beauty to Hollywood and launch an international career–but his efforts were halted quickly by Madhubala’s conservative father. She was sought after by every great Bollywood director and actor from Dilip Kumar to Dev Anand and even romanced and married playback singer Kishore Kumar at the height of her illustrious career. For years, Madhubala was the Queen of Bollywood and the hearts of millions.

Early life:     

It seems that those women who are born on Valentines Day and who are also very beautiful are bound to have lots of love affairs during their lifetime. Madhubalas father Attaulla Khan, an orthodox Pathan was very possessive of Madhubala. She was under his clutches all her life. Madhubalas real name was Mumtaz Jahan Begum nicknamed as Majhlee Appa. She was born in abject poverty and was 5th child of 11 children. Mumtaz was everyones favorite in her family. Because whenever she smiled, she looked like a blossoming flower. A najoomi (foreteller) who was also known as Kashmirwalle Baba, had predicted that Mumtaz will have an astonishing future. Najoomi said Badi hokar ye ladki bahot naam kamayegi, Bahot paisa aur shohorat paayegi, lekin (meaning this girl will earn prestige, money and fame but) as he paused and added that this girl will lead a very unhappy life with broken love affairs, loveless marriage and will die at an early age. All his predictions turned out to be true.

Ataullah Khan, the father of Madhubala was working in the Imperial Tobacco Company in Peshawar, Pakistan, when he lost his job and decided to come to Mumbai. Madhubala was seven at that time. Her real name was Mumtaz Begum. She was called Mazliappa, as she was the fifth child. Her father started looking for a job. He also took Madhubala to film studios. She got work in Basant (1942) at the age of nine. The leading lady’s name was Mumtaz Shanti, so Madhubala was called Baby Mumtaz, when she was a child actress.

    She got her first break in Kirdar Sharma’s Neel Kamal. Kirdar’s wife was supposed to play the lead role but she passed away. As Madhubala knew the dialogues, she became a heroine at the age of 13. From this film onwards, she was credited as Madhubala. The film did not do well, but her work was appreciated.Madhubala shot to fame in 1949 with Mahal. She was 16. At that time, no one realised that she was sick, not even my father. Madhubala was a healthy child, and very bubbly.

Her illness:

It was Madhubalas tragedy that she was diagnosed with a hole in her heart during her early childhood. Her father hid this fact from film producers. However, her heart ailment got aggravated in early 1960s and Madhubala had to abandon her film career prematurely. She even went to England for treatment. But doctors in England could not perform the surgery as her ailment was in advanced stage and she had to return back to India without any treatment. Todays medical technology could have saved her life. But back then, open heart surgery was not invented. And hence there was no cure for her illness. She was doomed to die. She was hardly 28 years old when she almost stopped acting in films due to her illness. Of course, later there was a loveless marriage with Kishore Kumar which lingered for few years until her death in 1969.

Madhubala first vomited blood when she was in Chennai shooting for S S Vassan’s Bahut Din Huwe (1954). She was treated, and she resumed shooting. Nobody thought she was sick until she fainted on J K Nanda’s sets while shooting with Raj Kapoor on Chalack (1957). The film never got completed. That’s when the doctor said that she had a hole in her heart. She was 24 then.

She was advised bed rest for three months, but after a month of rest, Madhubala resumed work. Looking at her, one would not say that she was sick. She, herself, was not ready to believe that she was sick. Her last film was Mughal-E-Azam, which released in 1960. People think that she worked after that too, but that’s not true. She had completed all her films in the 10 years that it took for Mughal-E-Azam to be made. Some movies released after she was bedridden but she was in no condition to work after Mughal-E-Azam. In fact, in some of the scenes, you will notice that she looks pale and sick.

Romance with Dilip Kumar:

The reason Madhubala broke up with Dilip Kumar was B R Chopra’s film Naya Daur. Madhubala had shot a part of the film when the makers decided to go for an outdoor shoot to Gwalior. The place was known for dacoits, so my father asked them to change the location. They disagreed because they wanted a hilly terrain. So my father asked her to quit the film. He was ready to pay the deficit.  Chopra asked Dilip Kumar for help. Dilip Kumar and Madhubala were engaged then. Dilip Kumar tried to mediate but Madhubala refused to disobey her father.

Chopra’s production filed a case against her, which went on for a year. But this did not spoil their relationship. Dilip Kumar told her to forget movies and get married to him. She said she would marry him, provided he apologised to her father. He refused, so Madhubala left him. That one ‘sorry’ could have changed her life. She loved Dilipsaab till the day she died.

Marriage with Kishore Kumar:

When Madhubala fell sick and was planning to go to London for treatment, Kishore Kumar proposed marriage. My father wanted her to wait and get a clean chit from the London doctors first. But Madhubala married Kishore Kumar out of stubbornness, and anger towards Dilip Kumar. They got married in 1960. She was 27 years old.

    Once the doctor gave his verdict — that she would not live for long — Kishorebhai brought her a house in Mumbai’s Carter Road and dumped her there alone, with a nurse and a driver. He would come once in about four months to see her. He did not take her phone calls. Kishorebhai was madly in love with Madhubala but once she returned from London, he dumped her.

    Madhubala was very depressed because no one came to meet her. Once upon a time, she was hot property in the industry. But when she was bedridden and dying, not a single person met her. Also, she could no longer dress up. She was in night gowns most of the time. She died at the age of 36.

ALLEGED LOVE AFFAIRS OF ACTRESS MADHUBALA

It is very tragic that Madhubala never found true love during her lifetime. Partly it was due to her fathers obsession of not allowing her to mingle with anybody. He kept a constant vigil on her movements day in and day out. He followed her right from his home to studios and back. During her lifetime, Madhubala used to keep a diary on daily basis where she used to keep accurate account of daily events of her life. This diary also had full account of her romantic involvements with different film personalities of that time. We can visualize her that lonely women, her long curly hair, framing her heartbreakingly beautiful face, bent over her diary. This diary could have unfolded many of Madhubalas secrets, especially about her love life. But unfortunately her father decided to bury her diary along with her in her grave. And now we will never know her inner thoughts. But this simple burial of diary cannot vanquish the imprint of a legend from cine-goers mind. Since Madhubala died at tender age of 36, we never saw her grow old. In our minds, she will always remain as sylph-like figure with sudden mischievous flash of smile, the girlish gurgle. Madhubala is considered to be the most beautiful Actress of Bollywood.

At times she could be compared the then Hollywood mega stars like Marilyn Monroe and Brigitte Bardot in terms of sexy looks and beauty. In the recent film era, only Madhuri Dixit can come close to Madhubalas alluring beauty and smile.
Madhubala did have some romantic moments with few great film personalities and famous persons which are listed below in chronological order until Madhubalas love affair ended. Note that in order to express her love towards a person, she always used to offer a red rose to that person and a written text message indicating her love.

Childhood - Latif:

Latif was her childhood sweetheart. Latif lived in Delhi. When Madhubala moved from Delhi to Mumbai, he was terribly depressed. Before leaving for Mumbai, Madhubala gave Latif a red rose: an indication of her Love. He had kept this rose till she died and placed on her grave 30 years later. He came all the way to Mumbai from Delhi for her farewell. Now a retired IAS officer, he still goes to her grave on 23rd February and places a red rose on it.

Director Kidar Sharma:

Kidar Sharma gave Madhubala her first break in his film. When he saw her for the first time for screen test, he had fallen in love with her. It was a love at first sight. But Madhubalas mind was very fickle. And she was too young at that time to understand about love. She figured that if she waits somewhat longer she may find a better person. So she never reciprocated her love to Kidar Sharma, although she respected him as a great director and story ended right there.

Director Kamal Amrohi: As mentioned earlier, film Mahal directed by Kamal Amrohi was a superhit at box office. The magic formula worked because the director and heroine were in deep love with each other. Amrohi would spend hours fussing around over her dupatta so as to give her a covered, virginal image, his favorite, even as she looked at her lovingly, occasionally giggling at his laborious attention to little things which really did not matter much to her. This was perhaps the happiest period of Madhubalas life. Her love affair with Amrohi continued even after Mahal was released in 1949.

Father Attaullah Khan was aware of this affair. But he was in awe of Amrohis great personality. Khan used to say Aage chalke ein donho ki shaadi ho jaaye to mujhe koyi aitraaz nahin hai (meaning I have no objection if both will get married in near future). They may have gotten married but for possessive mind of Madhubala. Amrohi was a Muslim. And Islam allowed upto 4 wives provided that first wife gave consent to her husband for second marriage. However, Madhubala did not want to share with Amrohis first wife. Madhubala insisted that Amrohi should first take divorce from his first wife and only after that she will marry him. Amrohi was not willing to do this. Amrohi insisted that Madhubala must learn to share with his first wife. Amrohi used to say Baatne se pyar badhata hai (meaning when you share your love it expands its boundaries). Amrohi told Madhubala that she should not be jealous. Madhubala did not agree with Amrohi. On the contrary, she offered him lakhs of rupees and insisted that he leave his first wife. Amrohi remained loyal to his first wife and told Madhubala bluntly that he may be selling dialogues, stories to film industry, but he cannot sell his wife and children and nor his conscience! But Madhubala always wanted more from her men and she obviously did not agree with Amrohi and she broke off with him, never to see him again.

Actor Premnath:

FilmBadal was the first movie of Madhubala with Premnath as hero. On the first day of the shooting, before shooting started, Madhubala entered makeup room of Premnath and quickly handed him a fully blossomed red rose and a note. Puzzled Premnath read the note which said that if you love me, please accept the rose, otherwise return it. Premnath was stunned. The most beautiful woman in the country had offered him her love. Without hesitation, Premnath accepted the rose and tucked it into the button hole of his coat and said to Madhubala Kubool hai, kubool hai (meaning I accept it, accept it). Madhubal-Premnath love affair slowly started to blossom. But after few weeks, she started to distance herself from Premnath. But why she wasnt content with Premnath? Did he lack something? Was she worried that Premnath would let her down and eventually leave her? Her breaking off from Premnath remained a mystery. In the meantime, Madhubala was eyeing for a bigger fish, none other than Dilip Kumar.

Later on Premnath came to know from Ashok Kumar that few weeks back, Madhubala had offered Ashok Kumar a rose with similar note with offer of her love. Premanth got furious and decided not to see Madhubalas face again. And Madhubala-Premnath affair ended very quickly.

Actor Dilip Kumar:

Love affair of Madhubala and Dilipkumar was of melodramatic proportions with many ups and downs. It was like a Bollywood script for a romantic movie. This love affair was a major love story of her life. Like Madhubalas family, Dilip Kumar was also a Pathan. Her love affair with Dilip Kumar started when she was only 17 years old. Her father Attaullah Khan stood between her and Dilip Kumar. Khan started to worry that if Madhubala gets married to Dilip Kumar, he would loose the financial cushion that Madhubala offered to Khans entire family as she was the sole breadwinner for the Attaullah Khan family. Elder Khan was against any relationship between Dilip Kumar and Madhubala as Madhubala had just started to earn huge amounts of money for her film roles.
It has been said that Dilip Kumar had insisted that if they were to marry, Madhubala would have to severe all ties with her family. The authenticity of this statement is questionable. It would be safe to say that Dilip Kumar never liked her father Attaullah Khan and had a deep resentment towards him for his possessiveness of his daughter. Khan allowed his daughter to interact with Dilip Kumar only on the sets of the studio. Both Dilip Kumar and Madhubala had to take extreme care to keep their rendezvous hidden from the watchful eyes of Attaullah Khan. But Dilip Kumar would not take it anymore. Dilip Kumar felt it like a huge imposition.

However their relationship continued for number of years. Because of Madhubalas father they could not establish a full relationship which finally took toll in 1957 when both broke off from each other. It involved a court case drama in the presence of the press and the public. Dilip and Madhubala both signed for producer B. R. Chopras ambitious film Naya Daur which initially required 40-day location shooting in Bhopal. Both Dilip Kumar and Madhubala were paid initial signing amount. As usual Madhubalas father , the suspicious Attaullah Khan always had refused to send Madhubala on location shooting. Khan insisted upon shooting in the studios which was not acceptable to B. R. Chopra. Madhubala was caught in the middle. However, she had determined to accept what her father would finally decide. Eventually, Madhubala was dropped and was replaced by Vyjayantimala. Attaullah Khan was furious and sued B. R. Chopra for not honoring the contract. And B. R. Chopra counter sued. Whole drama was dragged into court which also became feast to the press and the general public, since during cross-examinations lots of details about Madhubala-Dilip Kumar love affair got revealed. The whole drama meant disaster for the couple. In the final days of the trial, Dilip declared in the court that he loved Madhubala and will continue to love her until his death. Finally, there was an out of court settlement. But the relationship already had come to a bitter end.

But as the fate would have it, Madhubala had already signed a contract with K. Asifs forthcoming epic Mugal-e-Azam. Madhubala had to fulfill this contract despite her broken relationship with Dilip Kumar as she always respected producer K. Asif. And she had to keep her word. The film took an incredible 10 years to complete from the years 1950 to 1960. The film production schedule ironically followed the graph of the Madhubala Dilip Kumar romantic affair. By the end of filming, the pair had already gone through their break-up. Dilip Kumar was very bitter and was not even talking to Madhubala except when shooting required a dialogue delivery with Madhubala. Under these conditions, it is remarkable that Madhubala maintained her composure and gave her best for the film with her superb acting. Ironically, life imitates art. As in the story Madhubala's character Anarkali is compelled into convincing Dilip Kumar's character Salim that she really does not love him.

The character of Anarkali was Madhubala's best role of lifetime. It was her greatest role ever and was also one of the greatest of Indian films ever made. Although during the shooting of the film Mughal-e-Azam, Madhubala was plagued by ill health and a broken heart, she did manage to complete the film. Film Mughal-e-Azam immortalized Madhubala. The role of Anarkali in Mugal-e-Azam is considered to be one of the greatest portrayals and beautifully crafted role of Indian film history.

Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto:

 Very few Indians know that Zulfikar Ali Bhutto lived both in India and Pakistan until late 1950s. Bhutto was a very rich man and owned lots of real estate in Mumbai at that time. He also owned a sprawling Mansion named as My Nest at Bandra, Mumbai which was later confiscated by Indian Government during 1965 Indo-Pak War along with his other assets in Mumbai. In 1950s, Bhutto used to visit the sets of Mughal-e-Azam in Mumbai studios just to see Madhubala. Especially, on the sets when the song Mohe Panghat Pe Nandlal Ched Gayo Re was being picturized, Bhutto was present and he was completelymesmerizedby the song composition and the picturization. Maestro Music Director Naushad was also present at the time of this picturization and Bhutto complimented Naushad Saab for composing such a melodious song based on RagaPilu. Bhutto was considered a special guest of Madhubala. Madhubala liked Bhuttos charm. Sometimes they used to have lunch together and Bhutto used to make her laugh with his wit. In those days Bhutto used to live at Worli, Mumbai and used to practice law as a barrister in Mumbai High Court. However, Bhutto was not part of Mumbais film world. Bhutto was obsessed with Madhubalas beauty. He used to come to the sets of Mughal-e-Azam and used to sit in the studio for hours watching Madhubala. But Bhutto had already wedded Shirin Begum, daughter of a rich landlord of Larkana, Sind and he was also married to Nusart, an attractive young Irani girl (mother of Benazir Bhutto). As a result Bhutto used to shuttle between Larkana and Karachi. And now with Madhubala in mind, he started three-way shuttle to Larkana, Karachi and Mumbai. But Bhutto had different plans. In the meantime, he had decided to plunge in Pakistani politics and left Mumbai for good to settle down permanently in Sind, Pakistan. Thus Anarkali Madhubala could not become the first lady of Pakistan (Note: Bhutto became Prime Minister of Pakistan in 1972). Exact relationship betweenMadhubala and Bhutto remains shrouded in mystery. Only Madhubalas diary could have thrown some light on this subject. However, her diary was buried by her father with Madhubala in her grave.

After the break up with Dilip Kumar, Madhubala already knew from her Doctors that she had a severe heart ailment and she would not survive too long. She realized that during her last phase of life, she definitely needed some company. And she thought of Kishore Kumar who was her hero in the film Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi. She thought probably Kishore Kumar will give her stability if she married him.

Actor/Singer Kishore Kumar: Soon after Madhubala's break up with Dilip Kumar she married actor/singer Kishore Kumar. This was a marriage of convenience. Actually Kishores parents never approved this marriage. Madhubala needed stability in her life and Kishore at that time needed financial help. At the time of this marriage, Kishore already had financial problems. He owed huge amount of Tax arrears to Income Tax Department. Income Tax Department had already assessed his Juhu House for selling in auction towards the payment of his Tax arrears. Kishore thought that Madhubala will help him out financially. But Madhubala had severe health problems and had no time to take care of Kishores financial problems. (Note: Later in 1969, after the song Mere Sapnon ki rani from the film Aradhana clicked, Kishore Kumar never looked back. His fortunes changed drastically and he remained topmost singer until his death in 1987. At the time of his death he left behind Rs. 4 crores worth of assets).

Madhubala-Kishore Kumar marriage after its initial bliss turned out to be stormy and unfulfilling. Madhubala's terminal illness confined her to her house which caused huge amounts of tension between the married couple. By now, Madhubalas heart and spirit were greatly weakened. Madhubala knew that she will not survive too long. She existed only because of visits by her close family members and friends. In the last few years of her life, she was confined to her bed. Madhubala passed away on February 23, 1969 on a Sunday morning when she had just turned 36 years old.
After her death, Madhubala became a legend. To her fans she was like an ethereal queen as in the film Mahal and also as a tragic Anarkali of Mughal-e-Azam watching with terrified eyes before brick wall started to mount around her. Later, many clones of Madhubala appeared in Hindi film world like Preeibala, her sister Chanchal etc. But none of them had that charm of Madhubala. Nobody had that mischievous smile.

In real life, Madhubala always desired to be an ideal wife of a caring husband. She was selfless and self-centered. Madhubala was a possessed woman. She was constantly haunted by her own insecurities. On the screen, she captivated her fans with her happy-go-lucky light-hearted performances. But in real life she was an extremely unhappy woman. Because of her heart ailment, she always lived under the shadow of death. In the end, she had realized that the fame, adulation, wealth was only momentary. At times she was whimsical and very difficult to control, yet she always remained charming who rose from ordinary to extraordinary.

With her personal diary buried in her grave, we will never know what real Madhubala was. In the end, one can sum up her life as an unfinished melody.

DILIP KUMAR - In his own words about his relationship with Madhubala
— (Extract taken from the actor’s autobiography Dilip Kumar: The Substance and the Shadow 2014)

“Was I in love with Madhubala as the newspapers and magazines reported at that time? As an answer to this oft-repeated question straight from the horse’s mouth, I must admit that I was attracted to her both as a fine co-star and as a person who had some of the attributes I hoped to find in a woman at that age and time. We had viewers admiring our pairing in Tarana and our working relationship was warm and cordial. She, as I said earlier, was very sprightly and vivacious and, as such, she could draw me out of my shyness and reticence effortlessly. She filled a void that was crying out to be filled — not by an intellectually sharp woman but a spirited woman whose liveliness and charm were the ideal panacea for the wound that was taking its own time to heal.

“The announcement of our pairing in Mughal-i-Azam made sensational news in the early 1950s because of the rumours about our emotional involvement. In fact, K. Asif (the film’s director) was ecstatic with the wide publicity and trade enquiries he got from the announcement. 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. As was his wont, 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.

“In retrospect, 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. Also, I sensed Asif was seriously trying to mend the situation for her when matters began to sour between us, thanks to her father’s attempt to make the proposed marriage a business venture.

“The outcome was that half way through the production of Mughal-i-Azam, we were not even talking to each other. The classic scene with the feather coming between our lips, which set a million imaginations on fire, was shot when we had completely stopped even greeting each other. It should, in all fairness, go down in the annals of film history as a tribute to the artistry of two professionally-committed actors who kept aside personal differences and fulfilled the director’s vision of a sensitive, arresting and sensuous screen moment to perfection.

“Contrary to popular notions, her father, Ataullah Khan, was not opposed to her marrying me. He had his own production company and he was only too glad to have two stars under the same roof. Had I not seen the whole business from my own point of view, it would have been just what he wanted, that is, Dilip Kumar and Madhubala holding hands and singing duets in his productions till the end of our careers. When I learned about his plans from Madhu, I explained to both of them that I had my own way of functioning and selecting projects and I would not show any laxity even if it were my own production house.

“It must have tilted the apple cart for him and he successfully convinced Madhu that I was being rude and presumptuous. I told her in all sincerity and honesty that I did not mean any offence and it was in her interest and mine as artistes to keep our professional options away from any personal considerations. She was naturally inclined to agree with her father and she persisted in trying to convince me that it would all be sorted out once we married.

“My instincts, however, predicted a situation in which I would be trapped and all the hard work and dedication I had invested in my career would be blown away by a hapless surrender to someone else’s dictates and strategies. I had many upfront discussions with her father and she, not surprisingly, remained neutral and unmoved by my dilemma. The scenario was not very pleasant and it was heading inevitably to a dead end. In the circumstances, therefore, it seemed best that we did not decide to marry or even give each other a chance to rethink because my resolve by then had become strongly against a union that would not be good for either of us.”

THE MYSTERY BEHIND MADHUBALA'S DEATH

Death at the young age of 36 is surely tragic and it is more painful if it happens to a film celebrity who is at the peak of his/her career. Hence when Madhubala died the film industry was taken aback and multiple rumors were circulated for her sudden and untimely demise.

Some film magazines alleged her death to the irrepressible grieve that she underwent due to her failed love affair with her heartthrob thespian Dilip Kumar. Reports claimed after Dilip Kumar kicked Madhubala out of his life and married Saira Banu, Madhubala was heartbroken and in utter melancholy she went into depression.
 
Others media reports claimed Madhubala had died due to the utter hardship that she endured during the shooting of K.Asif’s classic MUGHAL-E AZAM. According to reports K.Asif to explore authenticity had used genuine iron chains for the shooting of the song Bekas Pe Karam Kijiye...the burden of these chains played havoc as the amount of physical exertion made Madhubala weak and pale and ultimately took her life.

However Madhubala’s elder sister Madhur Bhushan turns down all these reports and revealed the real truth about Madhubala’s death in an interview.

She said, "It may stun readers but the fact is that Madhubala lived a life more than she was expected to live because at birth she was detected of Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD), a disorder colloquially referred to as a ‘hole in the heart.’" "What was most disturbing is that when she was born of this disease there was no medication but thankfully she survived and it was only during the shooting of BAHUT DIN HUE (1954) when Madhubala vomited blood on the set doctors came to know about her dreadful disease."

Luckily by than Dr. Clarence Walt Lillehei, an American surgeon who pioneered open-heart surgery, had operated a baby suffering from VSD successfully, she informed. She added, "Hence we took Madhubala to London for treatment but surgeons declined to operate her as the operation was successful only for kids and for adults research was in progress. Thus we returned disappointed." She spent her last nine years on bed, but still managed to finish her work. Kishore Kumar wasn’t ready to take her responsibilities due to his work pressure. In 1969, she also set out to direct a movie Farz aur Ishq, which was never made. According to doctors, critical heart surgeries also could not save her live but it was not practised on the adults.

The breathtaking beauty breathed her last on 23 February 1969 at a premature age of 36. She was buried at the Santa Cruz cemetery along with her diary, but the last remnant of the beauty, her grave, was wiped away due to religious reasons in 2010.

Thus Madhubala–the immortal woman with a mischievous smile and a mystical aura to the present day resides in the heart of millions.

Divya Bharti’s Death (25 February, 1974 to 5 April, 1993)

Divya was just a teenager when hailed as one of the most vivacious and gifted female stars to watch out for in years to come. Also being touted as the future reigning queen of Bollywood; Divya Bharati; had indeed attained incredible heights of success at a very young age. Unfortunately destiny had other plans and she fell to her death from her fifth floor apartment in a Mumbai suburb on April 5th 1993. She was just nineteen and the cruel shackles of mortality nipped her life in the bud leaving a lot of unanswered questions about her terrible end.

Bollywood witnessed a dramatic transformation during the 90’s. It started with a promising beginning of another decade with a gush of surprises and talents emerging within the industry. One such gifted talent was Divya Bharti.


Who can ever forget this mesmerizing beauty dancing to the tunes of “Saat Samundar?”

Divya Bharti belonged to the league of the few actors who set off their career at a very tender age. She first appeared on screen in the year 1990, at the age of 16 when she was casted in a Telegu movie, ‘Bobbili Raja’.

Divya is remembered for her invincible performances in commercially successful motion pictures like Shola aur Shabnam, Vishawtma, Dil Aashna hai and Deewana. Her soaring and glorious career however faced an abrupt end owing to her mysterious death at the age of 19.

Here’s telling you things you might know about her perpelxing death:

Divya Bharti’s Death: Suicide or Murder?

It was the fateful night of April 5, 1993, when Divya took her last breath. Reportedly, she fell to her death from a five storied building named Tulsi Apartment in Versova Mumbai. Speculations following her sudden demise floated all around – many conclude the possibility of her committing suicide. Other thought it was conspiracy, accidental death or even a gruesome murder. The Mumbai police however failed to gather enough evidences behind the main cause of her death and eventually closed further investigations in the year 1998.

Conspiracy Theories Behind Divya Bharti’s Death
The sudden demise of the super star left hundreds of hearts grief stricken. While many people were in a shock of disbelief, many others came out with different conspiracy theories behind the death of their beloved actress. One such theory that evolved after the actress’s death accused Sajid Nadiadwala, her husband to be the main culprit involved in plotting her murder. While according to another theory, it was the involvement of Sajid with the underworld and Divya’s turmoil relationship with her mother that completely devastated the actress, which led her to commit suicide. But the main cause of her death till date remains a mystery.

The Unfortunate Night
Date: April 5, 1993,
Place: 5th floor, Tulsi Apartments, Versova, Andheri West, Mumbai and
Time: 11.00 pm

On the day of her death, Divya had finalized a new apartment deal for herself. Considering the fact that it was pretty hard to own a good flat in a place like Mumbai, the actress was exceptionally happy and kept describing her newly purchased 4 BHK apartment to Kunal, her brother. However, he soon left the apartment.

Divya had returned from Chennai after finishing with her movie shoot and was supposed to fly off to Hyderabad that very day for another project. But as she had to finalize her new apartment deal and she postponed her Hyderabad visit by one day. Divya was roaming with a bandaged foot that day and also informed her producers about her injury.

Soon Divya was supposed to meet her friend and dress designer Neeta Lulla and her husband at her Versova flat. The Versova flat where Divya was staying was somehow not registered on her name.

Moments before Divya Bharti’s Death
Neeta along with her husband arrived around 10pm at Divya’s place. All three of them sat in the living room, chatting and consuming alcohol. Her maid was also present in the same room with them. She was actually having a continuous conversation with Diyva all that while. It was when Amrita went back to the kitchen that Divya moved towards the window while still talking to her maid, loudly.

Neeta along with her husband was engrossed in watching a video on television and as such was not participating in the conversation.

Divya Bharti’s Final Moments
Divya’s living room did not have any balcony but had an open window. Unlike other windows in the building, this was the only window that was deprived of grills. There was a parking lot beneath the window, but that unfortunate day there was not even a single car parked there.

Divya climbed over the window and rested on a narrow ledge that was located below the open window. She had her back facing the living room. It was in an attempt when Divya tried to turn around to get on a proper hold of the window frame that she slipped off the ledge and fell straight onto the concrete below.

Divya Bharti’s Last Breath

Right after the fall, Divya was found drowned in a pool of her own blood. Though she was still alive on her way to the hospital, her pulse rate had dropped rapidly. Divya finally took her last breath in the emergency department of Cooper Hospital in Mumbai.

Though the superstar is no more with us today, but we still memorize and commemorate her for her short but remarkable career!

James Dean Death (1931-1955)

For 50 years, since his death in a car crash on September 30, 1955, Dean has been portrayed as a daredevil driver whose speeding and recklessness on the road caused his own death.

Now, new evidence has emerged proving that not only was Dean driving safely, but at a much lower speed than was believed at the time.

It has long been part of Hollywood lore that Dean, with his passion for fast cars and reputation for rebellious behaviour, was driving his high-powered Porsche Spyder 550 when he and Rolf Weutherich, a mechanic, smashed into another car on a Californian highway.

A ground-breaking discovery has unearthed evidence that Dean, contrary to what was said at the inquest into his death, was travelling at just over 70mph, up to 20mph slower than was claimed. It reveals that Dean braked hard, trying to avoid the car that cut across him, rather than using the throttle to accelerate around it, as was alleged at the time.

Using sophisticated computer technology, the documentary concludes that it was indeed Dean who was behind the wheel. But while the evidence seems concrete, the last surviving witness to the crash, Don Dooley, still insists that it was Weutherich, the mechanic, who was driving, not Dean himself.

Dean, who died from a broken neck and massive internal injuries, had made just three films before he died and only East of Eden had been released. But his tragic death made him front page news and when Rebel Without a Cause came out a month after his death he became - and remains - an American icon, his moody good looks and his rebellious disdain for authority defining the youth of post-war America. He died while still filming Giant but its release confirmed his star status.

Mr Dooley, now 65, was 15 when he saw Dean's frail Porsche demolished, leaving it little more than a mangled mass of metal. It was so badly damaged that police officers at the scene described it as "looking like it exploded". Mr Dooley and his brother-in-law narrowly avoided being caught up in the crash. When Dean's car finally came to a standstill Mr Dooley ran over to help.

"James Dean was sitting on the left side facing us, on the passenger side," he insists "The man in the plaid shirt, the mechanic, was doing the driving." The programme makers, however, using sophisticated modern technology, have now determined that Dean's body, which took the full force of the impact, was pushed into the passenger's seat by the other car in the collision, Donald Turnupseed's coupe.

At the inquest Mr Dooley's account was discounted; he was told he had an "untrained eye". But despite the new evidence, he is still convinced it was not the Hollywood legend who was driving that day. "That is what I saw," he says. "The things I say, I say truthfully out of memory. I have nothing to gain by lying about it."

The inquest findings were confusing, complicated by conflicting testimonies. But Mr Turnupseed was exonerated, leaving Dean as the one who most likely caused the crash.

The one person who could have solved the enduring mystery, the mechanic Weutherich, was too badly injured to attend the inquest. When he recovered he returned to his native Germany and never spoke of the crash. He died in another car crash in 1981.

Dean's death transformed his status from that of a promising young actor into an enduring icon. But he is often remembered as much for his reckless passion for speed as for his film career.

Many at the time thought the Porsche Spyder was too high-powered for him and, indeed, days before he died Alec Guinness, the actor, had a premonition that he would die behind its wheel. Dean had bumped into Guinness at the Villa Capri, a local Hollywood hangout. He was so proud of the car that he insisted upon showing it to Guinness.

Dean, a self-confessed speed freak, laughed off the suggestion. There was no way he could have known that Guinness's warning would become a chillingly reality.

THE CASE: Jury Finds Dean Death Accidental

October 11, [1955]
After deliberating only 24 minutes a verdict of “accidental death with no criminal intent” was returned in the coroner’s inquest into the death of movie star James Dean here this morning.
Returning the verdict was Don Orcutt Sr., foreman.
The Jury went out at 12:27p.m. to deliberate after hearing testimony of California highway patrolman O. Hunter of Bakersfield. Hunter made the arrest of Dean near Bakersfield on highway 99 for speeding at 3:30 p.m., two hours before the fatal accident occurred.
Hunter fixed the distance from the place where he had given Dean a speeding ticket to the intersection of highway 41 and 466 where the movie star collided with the car of Harold Turnupseed, 24-year-old Cal Poly student of Tulare, at 108 miles.
telegram-tribune-10-11-1955.JPGTom Frederick of Shandon told of driving in back of the Turnupseed car which was coming off highway 41.
Fredericks, a Shandon bee keeper and his brother-in-law, Donald Dooley, were traveling east when Turnupseed passed them at 60 miles an hour, the testimony brought out. Turnupseed slowed down to less than 40 miles an hour before he came to the intersection where the accident occurred.
Fredericks said that Turnupseed appeared to attempt to get out of the path of the oncoming sports car.
Dooley, who took the stand at his own request and Fredericks testified that Wuetherich had been the driver of the car. They said that Wuetherich had on a red tee shirt while Dean was wearing a white tee shirt.
Wuetherich, now in a Glendale hospital, is unable to speak English but his statements were taken through an interpreter the Rev. M.J. Galle of the First Mennonite church of Paso Robles.
Wuetherich said they had stopped at Blackwell’s corner for a soft drink and an apple while coming over 466 from Bakersfield. He said they stopped for Approximately 15 minutes.
According to the coroner’s inquest this fixed the speed of Dean’s car at 85 to 86 miles per hour.