"The Biggest Star in the World - and she was not in Beverly Hills"
She was MADHUBALA


Mumtaz Jehan Dehalvi 
A child artist was she,
Supporting her poor family 
Where five more siblings
Looked upto her 
For food, clothing and shelter.

At the tender age of nine,
She stepped out to shine,
When children played games,
She was changing names,
Enacting tiny roles, 
Acting taking control.

Noticed by Devika Rani, the actress,
She saw in her the, charmer, the seductress,
Was impressed with the girl's performance,
Talent and potential immense, 
Christianed her 'Madhubala',
The star of many extravaganzas.

The honey belle
Danced away like a gazelle,
Her mesmerising eyes did the talking,
The well known smile, seductive and charming,
Romancing the top heroes 
In the Bollywood milieu, she was the elegant rose.

Starring in Basant, Neelkamal, Badal, 
Dulari, Tarana, Mahal, 
Mughal e Azaam, Half Ticket, Chalti ka naam Gadi,
Mr and Mrs 55, Yahudi ki Ladki, Kala Pani, 
Many many more,
She was one like never before. 

Love knocked on her doors,
She was happy to the core,
Dilip sahab and she, both made a lovely couple,
But in her father's eyes, they were not suitable,
About their separation there are many a story,
But my heart breaks at the love story gone awry.

On the rebound
She got married
To Kishore, the renowned singer
And her co-star, 
Together they made a picture pretty,
But the honey belle, fell sick, twas such a pity.

She had a hole in her heart,
As if pierced by love's dart,
She oozed blood from the nose and mouth,
To the bed, she was confound,
The smile that breathed life into many, was now listless,
Without oxygen, at times she went breathless.

Once compared to Marilyn Monroe ,
Her life lamp the  burnt low,
 "The Venus of Indian Cinema",
She is still a mystery, an enigma,
 "The Beauty with Tragedy",
Was moving away from the real, the reality.

Screamed the American magazine Theatre Arts
In which Madhubala featured,
"The Biggest Star in the World - and she's not in Beverly Hills",
Read the article,
Frank Capra was keen to cast her,
Her father playing spoil sport even there.

She remained a wife to Kishore Kumar for nine years,
Wherein they both suffered, 
She was reduced to a bundle of skin and bones,
He her condition mourned, 
Finally at the age of thirty six, she left the world
To be enshrined inside a tomb.

She will always remain my favourite 
With the smile sweetest,
That curl on her forehead
Always haunted
Me, as did she when she danced to 'aayiye meherbaan',  
Madhubala, forever my 'jaanejaan'.

©Madhumita

*Titles source: Wikipedia