When 'world's biggest star' was from India, years before Shah Rukh, Priyanka Chopra: The teenager who rejected Hollywood

A lead actor at 14 and a superstar at 17, this Bollywood diva was called the ‘biggest star in the world’ at age 19, and she even rejected Hollywood legends.

'The biggest star in the world and she's not in Beverly Hills', read the headline of the cover story of the American magazine Theatre Arts' edition in 1952. The subject of the full-page piece was Indian cine star Madhubala. Barely 19 at the time, Madhubala was not just the reigning queen of Bollywood but one of the biggest box office draws in the world. And that piece highlighted her stature, putting her over even Hollywood icons like Clark Gable, Audrey Hepburn, James Stewart. John Wayne, Natalie Wood, and Cary Grant.

The child artist who grew up to be one of the world's biggest stars.

When Madhubala was the 'biggest star in the world'

Art critic David Cort wrote the piece on Madhubala for Theatre Arts: “The story of India for the past 10 years may be condensed as follows: the war, the movie boom, and Madhubala.” Born Mumtaz Jehan Begum Dehlavi, Madhubala began her film career at age 8 with Basant in 1942. She progressed to lead roles by 14 and achieved success with Lal Dupatta, Mahal, and Dulari, all before she turned 16. In 1951, filmmaker and editor Aurbindo Mukhopadhyay reported that Madhubala charged ₹1.5 lakh per film, the highest in the country. By 1952, when the Theatre Arts piece was written, Madhubala was 19. But she already boasted of blockbusters like Badal, Saiyan, and Tarana. With Tarana, she also gained critical acclaim and was considered the top star in Bollywood, alongside the three male superstars - Raj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar, and Dev Anand. In 1959, Madhubala was featured in the Time magazine, which called her one of the biggest stars in the world.

Madhubala's rejection of Hollywood

Madhubala gained international fame through a feature in the American magazine Life in 1951, followed by the Theatre Arts piece. Her Life feature had pictures by James Cobb Burke, one of the top photographers in the world. This prompted legendary filmmaker Frank Capra to approach her and offer her a break in Hollywood. However, Madhubala's father - who also managed her - declined as he was uncomfortable with the intimacy in American films.

Madhubala was famed for her beauty as well as acting talent.

Madhubala's later career and death

In 1954, Madhubala was diagnosed with congenital heart disease, an ailment that would plague her for the rest of her life. She stepped away from films but made a glorious comeback with Mr. & Mrs. '55. After a string of hits in the late 50s, Madhubala saw the biggest hit of her career in 1960, in the form of K Asif's Mughal-e-Azam. The period epic was India's highest-grossing film at the time. Barsaat Ki Raat, another blockbuster, followed this.

A 1969 news clipping of Hindustan Times' report on Madhubala's death.

But by now, her health was fading. Madhubala retreated from films and only took on roles that required little work, playing love interest in Jhumroo, Boy Friend, and Passport. Even then, the films she starred in continued to rule the box office. Sharabi, released in 1964, was her final work. After this, the actor fell ill and was unable to work. Madhubala died in 1969 at the age of 36. Her final release was Jwala (1971), an incomplete film that was released after her death.