Mughal-E-Azam

K. Asif was the Indian "Cecille B. Demille" (who was known as CB, in the industry)conceived and executed his vision on a grand Scale. There will only be one "Ben-Hur", one "Lawrence of Arabia", one "Sound of Music", one "Sangam", one "Gadar-Ek Prem Katha" and only one "Mughal-E-Azam". The grand scale is evident in the lyrical poetry set into music by music maestro Naushad, which laid the rich tapestry for this Magnum Opus. Prithviraj Kapoor, was the doyen, who started Prithvi theaters and was the patriarc of the Kapoor Clan, which included The older Raj Kapoor, Shammi Kapoor, and Sashi Kapoor. The most talented was Raj kapoor, who was the "Barnum" of the Indian Cinema. He made countless movies and everyone of them a masterpiece, but the best was "Sangam" (1963). Baritone voiced Prithviraj Kapoor, was in the same genre as Charlston Heston,Laurence Olivier and Richard Burton, an actor's actor; a style that was unique and patented. After I watched the movie after three decades, few things stood out-the ornate settings for the Madhubala's (Born as Mumtaz Begum, was married to singer/actor Kishore Kumar, and died at age of 36, from a congenital heart problem), dance sequence, the rich music, the beauty of the yesteryear actresses and the devotion of the directors to make a statement-not just a movie. For current tastes and standards("Dabaang" "Three Idiots" "Housefull 2" produced by the Bollywood suvvar scum maggots,) the movie is a drag, but for the masses in the bygone years that starved for class and elegance, this was a treat. I was not too impressed with Dilip Kumar, as young Prince, most of the time he looked distant and lost. Suffice to say he matured to be good actor ("Ram aur Shyam") in the later years. The two that carried the mantle were Kapoor and Madhubala.

Mughul-E-Azam boasts of some of the highest production values employed in filmmaking in India up to that point, and the result is astounding, to say the least. The film is a true cinematic experience in terms of aesthetics, and be it the black-and-white or the colour version, it is an unforgettable visual treat. The sets, the costumes, are stunningly lavish, almost to the point of casting a gloom over the story itself. And then we have the story, an epic, poetic one, which involves a most subtle love story. The dialogue is stupendous, with many lines having a memorable, larger-than-life quality which enhances the narrative beyond imagination. The music is similarly fantastic, with spectacularly performed dance numbers. Needless to say, "Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya" is the high-point of the film and the story it tells. Prithviraj Kapoor is excellent in a wonderfully dramatic and appropriately theatrical performance as Emperor Akbar. Dilip Kumar seems to enjoy his own, mere presence, while underplaying his role to great effect. It is Madhubala, however, who walks away with the most fully-realised part of Anarkali, a slave girl whose dignity cannot be taken away at any cost. I found the film a greatly entertaining watch, and while I had a problem with its overlong running time, as well as some faulty sequences, such as the less convincing battle between the father and son, Mughul-E-Azam remains a meticulous piece of art, and a rightly-touted all-time classic of Indian cinema.

Mughal-e-Azam is indeed a colossal of a movie and its spell binding appeal and courtly grandeur has been further enhanced by the recently released color version.

Dilip Kumar, the icon of Indian Cinema and its first super star as well, has rendered complete resonance to the hedonistic persona of prince Saleem. The love travails of the myth of Anarkali have been splendidly captured on the tinsel screen through the superb portrayal by both, Madhu Bala and legendary Dilip Kumar. Besides, Pirthvi RajKapoor has also projected the required prestige and magnitude to the role of Emperor Akbar. It is worth watching, another time in color scope.

When one thinks of great movies they remember the classics such as gone with the wind, Ben hur etc... but let us not forget one of the greatest cinematic triumphs of Hindi Cinema Mughal-e-Azam a film set in the times of the great Moughul Empire. Having seen both the part B/W and Colour and the remastered full colour version I can truly say that the colourised version truly brings out the true glory of this amazing classic putting it in a league way beyond the Classics of today. The dialogue is simply superb and the acting truly amazing modern filmmakers could learn thing or two about acting. The cinematography is simply stunning for a movie of its time. the grandeur and opulence of the sets really comes out in full colour. The story though not very relevant for modern times shows the views and attitudes of India's past. a truly great film to watch...

Some films are popular only in their own time and some films continue to fascinate successive generations that is the essential difference between a good film and a classic one Mughal-e-Azam