Mughal-e-Azam

Mughal-e-Azam is a 1960 Indian epic historical drama film directed by K. Asif. Starring Prithviraj Kapoor, Durga Khote, Madhubala and Dilip Kumar, it follows the love affair between Mughal Prince Salim and Anarkali, a court dancer. Released on 5 August 1960, it broke box office records in India and became the highest-grossing Indian film of all time.

About Mughal-e-Azam in brief

Summary Mughal-e-AzamMughal-e-Azam is a 1960 Indian epic historical drama film directed by K. Asif. Starring Prithviraj Kapoor, Durga Khote, Madhubala and Dilip Kumar, it follows the love affair between Mughal Prince Salim  and Anarkali, a court dancer. Released on 5 August 1960, it broke box office records in India and became the highest-grossing Indian film of all time. The film is widely considered to be a milestone of its genre, earning praise from critics for its grandeur and attention to detail. It was the first black-and-white Hindi film to be digitally coloured, and the first in any language to be given a theatrical re-release. The colour version, released in November 2004, was also a commercial success. The soundtrack, inspired by Indian classical and folk music, comprises 12 songs voiced by playback singer Lata Mangeshkar along with Mohammed Rafi, Shamshad Begum and classical singer Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, and is often cited among the finest in Bollywood cinematic history. The story is based on a 16th-century dramatist Imtiaz Ali’s play about the love story of Salim and Anarksali. A stage and screen version was soon produced, based on the fact that Salim is still alive and in fact the pair are living in obscurity in obscurity. The emperor has a change of heart, but he wants to release Anarksi because he cannot abandon his duty to his country because of his love for Salim.

He arranges for her secret escape into exile with her mother, but demands that the pair to live in obscurity and never know that Anarkski is still in fact alive. The pair live together in a secret apartment in Delhi, where they have an affair. Salim’s father, Emperor Akbar, disapproves of the relationship, which leads to a war between father and son. The relationship is discovered by the jealous Bahar, a dancer of a higher rank, who wants the prince to love her so that she may one day become queen. The son, Salim, grows up to be spoiled, flippant, and self-indulgent. His father sends him off to war, to teach him courage and discipline. Fourteen years later, he returns as a distinguished soldier and falls in love with court dancer Nadira, whom the emperor has renamed AnARKali, meaning pomegranate blossom. The prince rebels and amasses an army to confront Akbar and rescue Anarkli. SalIM is sentenced to death by his father, but is told that the sentence will be revoked if Anark Kali, now in hiding, is handed over to die in his place. Anarkala gives herself up to save the prince’s life and is condemned to death. As she is being entombed alive, she begs to have a few hours with Salim as his make-believe wife.