“The Venus” of the Indian screen, Madhubala is considered one of the biggest and most influential stars of Indian cinema. She was primarily active between the 1940s and mid-1960s. During this time, she worked in a number of films that went on to become classics such as Mr and Mrs 55 (1955), Tarana (1951), and K. Asif's Mughal-e-Azam (1960) to name a few.

Born in the year 1933, as Mumtaz Jahan Dehlavi, Madhubala began her film career in Hindi films with the movie Basant (1942), when her father lost his job and she needed to support a large family. As Baby Mumtaz, she worked as a child artist at the tender age of nine. Within the industry, filmmaker Kidar Sharma became her mentor. After five years of playing smaller roles, Madhubala got her first major role in Neel Kamal (1947). At the young age of 14, she was already playing a romantic lead against the newcomer Raj Kapoor. It was during this period of time that she took up the name ‘Madhubala’, at the suggestion of fellow actor Devika Rani. The film Mahal (1949) further established her as a star.

Madhubala however was best recognized for her beauty which often overshadowed any attention to her acting talent. She gained major popularity over the years and made successful on-screen pairings with singer-actor Kishore Kumar, Dilip Kumar, and Ashok Kumar. With them, she delivered a number of blockbuster hits such as Tarana (1951), Mr. and Mrs. 55 (1955), Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi (1958) and Howrah Bridge (1958). She was also the lead actress in the first Hindi film that acquired an Adults Only rating from the censor board, K B Lall's Hanste Aansoo (1950).

Madhubala also featured in the August 1952 issue of Theatre Arts, an American magazine that dealt with trends in global cinema. She was termed "The Biggest Star in the World" by the publication.

 But it was her role as Anarkali in K. Asif's Mughal-e-Azam (1960) that gave her the opportunity to be assessed for her capabilities as an actor. She immortalised the character of the lovelorn Kaneez (dancer) through her role, which was critically acclaimed and made the film one of the biggest hits of all time. But it was her love affair with the leading man, Dilip Kumar that would commemorate her role as the tragic courtesan Anarkali.  The electric chemistry between this lead pair and the ironic and tragic course of the relationship between the two captured some of the most intense moments of love, betrayal, persistence and tragedy on screen. She was nominated for a Filmfare Award for her breathtaking performance in this film.

Madhubala however suffered from a serious heart condition, and after a prolonged illness, she died in 1969 at the young age of 36. One of her final on-screen appearances was in the film Jwala (1971), which released well after her death despite having been shot in the 1950s.