Madhubala’s sister threatens legal action against those planning biopic on late actor without family's approval
Madhubala’s sister Madhur Brij Bhushan has warned those, who are going ahead with a project based on her late sister’s life, insisting they would have to face legal action. She added a Madhubala biopic was her family's ‘emotional and legal right’.
An official Madhubala biopic backed by the late actor’s sister Madhur Brij Bhushan is on the way. In a recent interview, Madhur, who is co-producing the upcoming project, warned any filmmaker from attempting any project on the legendary actor without her approval. Madhur, who is almost 80, added any film on Madhubala was her ‘family’s emotional and legal right’. Read more: Madhubala, a screen goddess who was unlucky in matters of the heart
Earlier in July, it was reported that Madhubala's biopic will be made after the late actor's youngest sister Madhur Brij Bhushan had signed up with producers to kickstart the project. The biopic will be co-produced by Madhubala Ventures Pvt Ltd and Brewing Thoughts Pvt Ltd. Now, Madhur has warned those moving ahead with any project based on her late sister’s life, insisting they would have to face legal action. She also revealed that her partners are ‘already engaged in some legal processes’ against certain book publishers and producers, for attempting ‘unauthorised books or films’ based on Madhubala’s life.
“I request that no one should attempt any kind of project – based on or inspired by Madhubala – without my approval. Please don’t spoil this moment for us… If people don’t pay heed to my requests, I’ll have no other option but to take stern legal action and sue them for transgressing on my family’s rights as well as such emotional and mental harassment. All those people who deal with such a project shall be dragged to the court. I am a fighter, and will fight it out that way too,” Madhur told Pinkvilla.
She said she was going ahead with Madhubala’s biopic to continue the good, noble deeds that the late actor did in her own lifetime. She said Madhubala ‘was a very charitable person’ and added it was her family’s right to tell the legendary actor’s life story. Adding that her and her sisters were being ‘mentally and emotionally’ harassed by some people, Madhur requested them to pick up ‘other subjects and personalities’ for their films.
“Humne kya galat kiya hai (what wrong have we done)? It’s (Madhubala life story) my family’s emotional and legal right. At this age, my sisters and I are being harassed – mentally and emotionally, by some people. Kya yeh sahi hai (Is that fair)? It’s a request from my side to all those who are planning (to make any project on Madhubala’s life) to not move ahead with any such plans. There are many other subjects and personalities on whom beautiful films can be made,” she said. According to a Pinkvilla report, many actors and filmmakers are interested in Madhubala's biopic, but the producers are yet to shortlist the cast and crew.
Born as Mumtaz Jehan Begum Dehelvi, Madhubala began working in films at the age of nine – she made her debut as a child artiste in 1942 with Basant – and her first proper role was as Ganga in Neel Kamal (1947); she was only 14 at that time. From then, till her death, she was one of the most successful actors in the Hindi film industry. She acted in films like Mahal, Nirala, Tarana, Kala Pani, Howrah Bridge, Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi (1958) and Mughal-E-Azam, among many others. Madhubala died on 23 February 1969 at the age of 36.
