Bollywood's Marilyn Monroe, Mumtaz Jehan Begum Dehlavi, who embraced the screen name Madhubala, was hands down one of the most beautiful divas of the film industry yet had the ugliest fate when it came to her love life.
We have read a lot about the tragic love story of Madhubala-Dilip Kumar and how she was heartbroken when the actor left him after being engaged. While many of us have mourned over the end of this epic love story of Mughal-E-Azam couple, very few know that even after being married to iconic singer Kishor Kumar, she was left alone to die in pain.
Madhubala- Kishor Kumar love story
The love saga between Madhubala and one of Hindi films biggest musician Kishor Da began in the late 50s. As Madhubala was coping from her break-up with Dilip Kumar, she found comfort in the arms of Kishor Kumar. Though Madhubala was diagnosed with an acute heart condition (ventricular septal defect) while she was shooting for SS Vasan's Chalak in Madras 1954, Kishor Da still decided to marry her.
Madhubala's sister Madhur narrated the story to a leading magazine in which she disclosed, "On the rebound (to Dilip Kumar), Apa got involved with Kishore Kumar who was going through a divorce with Ruma Devi Guha Thakurta (actor-singer)."
She revealed that Kishor Kumar's ability to make her laugh attracted Madhubala towards him. "What attracted her to Kishore? Maybe it was his singing or maybe his ability to make her laugh. Their love affair went on for three years through Chalti Ka Naam Gadi and Half Ticket. They got married in 1960 when she was 27," she said.
But soon, things got out of hand went Kishor Da found out that Madhubala can't be cured and has only two-three years to live. And then, Kishor Kumar decided to leave Madhubala, in a dying state.
Kishor Kumar left Madhubala when she was dying
'In sickness and in health!' - These are the vows we take in different languages when we get married to someone. One of the most important qualities that we look in our partners is reliability. But Madhubala was unlucky in the marital sphere as well because when the doctors declared that she's going to die in 2-3 years, Kishor Da left her at her father's house.
As per the revelations made by Madhur, Kishor Kumar left Madhubala at her father's house, 'I can't look after her. I'm on outdoors often'. Madhur said, "Soon after that Kishore Bhaiyya left her at our home. He said that she was sick and needed care while he had to travel, work, sing and hence wouldn't be able to give her time."
"He (Kishor Da) said, 'I tried my best, I took her to London. But the doctors have said she won't survive. What's my fault?", said Madhubala's sister, as per the reports by Times Now.
You'll never see her again: Madhubala's father to Kishor Kumar
Although Madhur did affirm that she doesn't think that Kishore Kumar was a terrible human being for leaving her sister on her death bed but she also added that if he has to leave her anyway, he should not have got married to her in the first place.
"We're not saying that he was wrong. Apa was told by the doctors 'you cannot have sex, you cannot have children'... But yet a woman needs emotional support no matter what. Apa insisted that she wanted to be with him," Madhur revealed.
She disclosed that Kishor Da did buy a flat at Quarter Deck, Carter Road where they stayed for a while. But she'd be alone most of the time.
During her last days, Madhubala's father Ataullah Khan had called Kishore Da to come and meet his daughter but the singer had refused because he was going for a stage show to Kolkata and feared that cancelling the trip would make organisers incur massive losses.
Recalling the painful incident, Madhur said, "Abba told him, 'You'll never see her again'." And it came true, as Madhubala died alone, deprived of love she deserved from her husband. Madhubala died in 1969 at the tender age of 36.