Kiara Advani not playing Madhubala in Sanjay Leela Bhansali-produced biopic; reports are 'baseless'

The recent reports circulating around the long-delayed biopic of screen legend Madhubala, suggested that Kiara Advani has been cast.

The biopic on Madhubala, one of the most iconic screen actors Indian cinema has ever produced, is still in the works. However, recent reports claimed that actor Kiara Advani has finally been cast in the lead role, with Sanjay Leela Bhansali coming on board to produce. However, this casting update has been debunked by an industry source.

Kiara Advani has not been cast in the lead role in the biopic of Madhubala.

Is Kiara Advani playing Madhubala?

On Saturday, Variety India reported that the proposed biopic on Madhubala was moving forward with Kiara in the lead role and Sanjay Leela Bhansali producing.

Speaking to HT, an industry source has dismissed the report. “There is absolutely no truth to the reports currently circulating about Kiara Advani being cast in a Madhubala biopic produced by Sanjay Leela Bhansali. The claims are completely baseless and speculative,” the source clarified.

Although more details about the film are currently under wraps, it has been reported that Jasmeet K. Reen will direct. Jasmeet made her directorial debut with the black comedy-drama Darlings, starring Alia Bhatt, Shefali Shah, and Vijay Varma.

Kiara was last seen in War 2, part of the YRF Spy Universe. Apart from Kiara, the film starred Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR in lead roles. Kiara will be seen next in Toxic: A FairyTale for GrownUps, alongside Yash, Nayanthara, Tara Sutaria, Huma Qureshi, and Rukmini Vasanth.

About Madhubala

Regarded as one of the most popular and influential Indian actors, Madhubala ruled the cine screen in the 1950s. She began her acting career as a child artist at the age of eight. In 1947, at 14, Madhubala made her debut as a female lead with Neel Kamal. The film's success allowed to sign on to many more projects.

Madhubala and Dilip Kumar in a still from Mughal-E-Azam.

The actor starred in hits like Mr. & Mrs. '55, Raj Hath, Kala Pani, Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi, and Howrah Bridge. By the mid-50s, when she was just 21, she was among the highest-paid actors in India, with only three male actors - Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor, and Dev Anand - charging more than her. Madhubala then went on to star in her most successful film, Mughal-e-Azam, which was released in 1960.

However, a congenital heart defect curtailed her career. The 1964 release titled Sharabi was her final film. She succumbed to her illness in 1969. She was 36.