page_title: Madhubala
section_title: Legacy and honours
hierarchical_section_title: Madhubala / Legacy and honours
caption_attribution_description: English: Theatre &amp; Cinema (Films &amp; film stars) Category:Madhubala Category:2008 stamps of India
context_page_description: Mumtaz Jehan Begum Dehlavi, better known by her stage name Madhubala, was an Indian film actress who appeared in Hindi films. She was active between 1942 and 1964. Known for her beauty, personality, and sensitive portrayals of tragic women, she was also known as The Beauty With Tragedy and The Venus Queen of Indian Cinema. Her comparison with Hollywood actress Marilyn Monroe earned her the name Marilyn Monroe of Bollywood.
  Madhubala made her screen debut as a child artist at the age of nine with the film Basant. However, her acting career as a heroine actually began in March 1947, when she appeared in Neel Kamal with Raj Kapoor at the age of 14. During the career span of 22 years, she appeared in around 73 Hindi films. She received her only nomination for a Filmfare Award for Best Actress for her performance in Mughal-e-Azam.
  In 1951, she also caught the interest of Hollywood when ace photographer James Burke visited India and photographed her for Life Magazine. In their feature of her, Life, called her "the biggest star" in the international film industry. She was photographed extensively for this feature by James Burke.
context_section_description: Madhubala's strong presence in the public memory has been evidenced by all recent polls about top actresses or beauties of the Indian cinema. Every year, numerous articles are printed and television programmes aired to commemorate her birthday. Her posters are still in demand and sold alongside contemporary actresses such as Meena Kumari, Nargis, Waheeda Rehman and Nutan. Modern magazines continue to publish stories on her personal life and career, often promoting her name heavily on the covers to attract sales. In Rediff.com's International Women's Day 2007 special, Madhubala was ranked second in its top ten list of "Bollywood's best actresses". Many believe, however, that Madhubala remains one of the most underrated actresses as "Her beauty attracted more attention than her talent."
  In 2004, a digitally-colorized version of the original Mughal-e-Azam was released, 35 years after her death.
  On 18 March 2008, a commemorative postage stamp featuring Madhubala was issued. The stamp was produced by India Post in a limited edition presentation pack. It was launched by veteran actors Nimmi and Manoj Kumar in a ceremony attended by colleagues, friends and surviving members of Madhubala's family. The only other Indian film actress that was honoured in this manner was Nargis Dutt, at that point of time.
  In 2012, her 1962 release Half Ticket was also remastered, digitally coloured and re-released after 50 years of its original release.
  On 10 August 2017, the New Delhi center of Madame Tussauds unveiled a statue of Madhubala inspired by her look in the film Mughal-E-Azam as a tribute to her.
  In 2018 the New York Times published a belated obituary for her.
  On 14 February 2019, search engine Google commemorated Madhubala with a Doodle on her 86th birth anniversary. Google commented: "While her breathtaking appearance earned comparisons to Venus, Madhubala was a gifted actor with an understated style well suited for comedies, dramas, and romantic roles alike. Appearing in over 70 films over the course of a tragically brief career, Madhubala—who would have turned 86 today—was called "The Biggest Star in the World" in 1952 by Theatre Arts Magazine."
caption: Madhubala on 2008 stamp of India
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