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Mughal E Azam (1960): title artwork
Mughal E Azam (1960): featured artwork

Introduction

Directed by K. Asif, Mughal-e-Azam is one of the most iconic films in Indian cinema, a grand historical epic set in the Mughal Empire. It tells the story of the ill-fated romance between Prince Salim (later Emperor Jahangir) and the court dancer Anarkali, set against the backdrop of the imposing rule of Emperor Akbar. Featuring a legendary cast led by Prithviraj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar, and Madhubala, the film is celebrated for its magnificent production design, music, and powerful performances. Beyond its historical grandeur, Mughal-e-Azam explores larger themes of love, duty, and power. It delves into the tension between individual desires and the demands of tradition and empire, embodying the eternal conflict between personal freedom and authoritarian rule. Akbar's stern paternalism stands in stark contrast to Salim's passionate defiance, raising questions about the nature of power, loyalty, and sacrifice. The film also serves as a metaphor for the struggles of modernity versus tradition in post-independence India, resonating with audiences far beyond its immediate historical context. Its spectacular visual maximalism, deep emotional resonance and endless quotability continue to make Mughal-e-Azam a timeless classic in world cinema.
के. आसिफ़ द्वारा निर्देशित, भारतीय सिनेमा का भव्यतम शाहकार मानी गई मुग़ल-ए-आज़म का कद हिन्दुस्तान के सिने इतिहास में सबसे ऊपर के पायदान पर खड़ी फ़िल्मों में से एक है। इस महाकाव्यात्मक भव्यता लिए फ़िल्म की कथा भारत के मध्यकालीन मुग़ल साम्राज्य में स्थित है। यह कहानी है सम्राट अकबर के शाही दरबार में मुग़लिया सल्तनत के भावी शहंशाह, शहज़ादे सलीम (बाद में सम्राट जहाँगीर) और दरबार की अदना सी कनीज़ अनारकली के बीच पनपे बदमिस्मत प्यार की, जिसे सम्राट अकबर की सत्ता बर्दाश्त नहीं कर पाती। पृथ्वीराज कपूर, दिलीप कुमार और मधुबाला जैसे दिग्गज कलाकारों के दमदार अभिनय से सजी मुग़ल-ए-आज़म अपने शानदार प्रोडक्शन डिज़ाइन, कर्णप्रिय संगीत और यादगार अभिनय के लिए जानी जाती है। जिस शान-औ-शौकत और भव्यता को इसने पर्दे पर रचा वो तो ऐतिहासिक है ही, साथ ही यह फ़िल्म प्रेम और कर्तव्य, और सत्ता और न्याय जैसे मूल्यों के बीच घमासान की भी अच्छे से पड़ताल करती है। यह व्यक्तिगत इच्छाओं के बरक्स परम्परा और कर्तव्य को खड़ा कर इनके मध्य तनाव को उजागर करती है। व्यक्तिगत स्वतंत्रता और सत्तावादी शासन के बीच चलता आ रहा शाश्वत संघर्ष यहाँ प्रेम और कर्तव्य के टकराव में ज़िन्दा हो उठता है। अकबर की कठोर पितृसत्तात्मकता छाया सलीम की प्रेम में डूबी भावुक अवज्ञा के विपरीत खड़ी है। प्यार, सत्ता, वफ़ा, बराबरी और बलिदान जैसे सभी मूल्य इस कथा के घेरे में आ जाते हैं। यह फ़िल्म स्वतंत्रता के बाद के भारत में आधुनिकता बनाम परम्परा के संघर्ष का रूपक भी बन जाती है और इस तरह अपने तात्कालिक ऐतिहासिक संदर्भ से कहीं आगे जाकर दर्शकों पर प्रभाव डालती है। इसकी शानदार दृश्यात्मकता, गहरी भावनात्मक गूँज और इसके नाटकीयता से भरे खनकदार संवादों की अपरिमित लोकप्रियता मुग़ल-ए-आज़म को विश्व सिनेमा में एक अमर उपलब्धि बना देती है।
Asif, K. (Producer), Mughal E Azam, 1960 | Photographic Still | CinemaEducation | 00798765
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Body of Work

ProducerK. AsifDirectorK. AsifBannerSterling Investment Corporation
Art DirectorM.K. SyedCinematographerR.D. Mathur
CastDurga Khote, Dilip Kumar, Nigar Sultana, Ajit, Jilloo, Kumar, Madhubala, Murad, Vijayalakshmi, Prithviraj Kapoor, Jalal Agha, Sheila Dalaya, Syed Hussain, Khurshid Khan, Gopi Krishna, S. Nazir, Khwaja Sabier, Gulam Sabir, Paul Sharma, Nigar Sultana, Johnny Walker, Ajit, Jago, Jilloo, Khanna, Kumar, Murad, Shahgul, Tabassum
Prithviraj Kapoor as Akbar
Prithviraj Kapoor
as Akbar
Dilip Kumar as Prince Salim
Dilip Kumar
as Prince Salim
Madhubala as Anarkali
Madhubala
as Anarkali
Durga Khote as Jodhabai
Durga Khote
as Jodhabai
Nigar Sultana as Bahar
Nigar Sultana
as Bahar
Kumar as Sangh-Tarash (Sculptor)
Kumar
as Sangh-Tarash (Sculptor)

Economics of Cinema

  1. 1960

    1. Mughal E Azam PremierPremier

      Maratha Mandir, Mumbai, India · 05 Aug 1960 to n.d.

    2. Delhi Premier at Golcha CinemaPremier

      Golcha Cinema, Delhi, India · 05 Aug 1960 to n.d.

  2. 2002

    1. Mughal E Azam Ireland Re-releaseScreening

      Ireland · 25 Oct 2002 to n.d.

    2. Mughal E Azam UK Re-releaseScreening

      United Kingdom · 25 Oct 2002 to n.d.

  3. 2004

    1. Mughal E Azam Colourise Version ReleasePremier

      India · 12 Nov 2004 to n.d.

    2. Mughal E Azam ScreeningScreening

      Golcha Cinema · Golcha Cinema, Delhi, India · 12 Nov 2004 to n.d.

  4. 2005

    1. Mughal E Azam USA Re-releaseScreening

      United States of America · 01 Apr 2005 to n.d.

    2. Mughal E Azam Kuwait Re-releaseScreening

      Kuwait · 02 Mar 2005 to n.d.

    3. Mughal E Azam UK Re-releaseScreening

      United Kingdom · 01 Apr 2005 to n.d.

    4. Retrospective to HomageRetrospective

      55th Berlin International Film Festival · Berlin · 10 Feb 2005 to 20 Feb 2005

  5. 2006

    1. Mughal E Azam Portugal Re-releaseScreening

      Portugal · 09 Jun 2006 to n.d.

    2. Mughal E Azam ScreeningScreening

      Gulistan Cinema, Karachi, Pakistan · 26 Apr 2006 to n.d.

    3. Cinema ReimaginedFilm Festival

      International Film Festival Rotterdam · Rotterdam, Netherlands · 25 Jan 2006 to 05 Feb 2006

  6. 2008

    1. Film Screening: Mughal E AzamScreening

      Machine Project · 23 Mar 2008 to n.d.

  7. 2013

    1. Centenary of Indian CinemaFilm Festival

      19th Bradford International Film Festival · National Media Museum, Bradford, England · 11 Apr 2013 to 21 Apr 2013

  8. 2014

    1. Mughal E Azam: Ruminations on a Classic SpectacleScreening

      3rd I Films · New People Cinema, San Francisco, USA · 09 Nov 2014 to n.d.

  9. 2018

    1. Epic Tales from Ancient IndiaScreening

      The San Diego Museum of Art · James S. Copely Auditorium, San Diego · 27 Jul 2018 to n.d.

    2. Mughal E Azam ScreeningScreening

      Sunset Cinema Club · Select Citywalk, Delhi · 17 Nov 2018 to n.d.

  10. 2019

    1. Film Showing - Mughal E AzamScreening

      Nootana · Joe's Movement Emporious, Mt Rainier, USA · 27 Feb 2019 to n.d.

    2. Filmi Worlds: A Festival of Indian CinemaScreening

      Eastman Museum · Dryden Theatre, New York, USA · 24 Nov 2019 to n.d.

    3. Mughal E Azam (The Great Mughal)Screening

      India International Centre · IIC, Delhi · 01 Apr 2019 to n.d.

  11. 2020

    1. Mughal E Azam - MIA Exhibition SeriesScreening

      Doha Film Institute · Doha, Qatar · 19 Jan 2020 to 20 Jan 2020

  12. 2021

    1. Community Screening of 1960s Bollywood Classic Mughal E AzamScreening

      Apne Film Club and Waltham Forest Womens Network · St. Johns Church Hall, London, UK · 19 Sep 2021 to n.d.

    2. 5th Chambal International Film FestivalFilm Festival

      Shah Alam · 09 Oct 2021 to 10 Oct 2021

    3. Mughal E Azam ScreeningFilm Festival

      Birmingham Indian Film Festival · Birmingham, UK · 19 Sep 2021 to n.d.

    4. Outdoor Screening of Mughal E AzamScreening

      Phizzical Productions · LCB Depot, Leicester, UK · 01 Oct 2021 to n.d.

  13. 2022

    1. Celebrationg 'Ajit - The Lion' - Mughal E Azam Film ScreeningScreening

      Lamakaan - An Open Cultural Space · Lamakaan - An Open Cultural Space, Hyedrabad · 11 May 2022 to n.d.

    2. Dilip Kumar: Hero of HeroesFilm Festival

      Film Heritage Foundation · 11 Dec 2022 to n.d.

  14. 2023

    1. Mughal E Azam ScreeningScreening

      Louvre · Louvre, Abu Dhabi · 03 Mar 2023 to n.d.

    2. Bollywood Film Screening: Mughal E AzamScreening

      Whitman College · Kimball Theatre, Hunter Conservatory, UK · 26 Jan 2023 to n.d.

  15. 2024

    1. London Indian Film FestivalScreening

      Cine Lumiere, London · 26 Jun 2024 to 07 Jul 2024

Research Centre

Calendar 4

View All →
  1. A Tribute to the Greatest Epic Indian Film
    ArchivedExhibitionProject 72
    A Tribute to the Greatest Epic Indian Film
    Mughal-e-Azam
    25th - 31st March 2026
    11:00am - 7:00pm
    Bharat Mandapam, Hall-14, Ground Floor, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi - 110007
    A Tribute to the Greatest Epic Indian Film - Mughal-e-Azam - brings alive the classic film through a diverse range of memorabilia especially its world class black-and-white cinematography and still photography by masters such as R.D. Mathur, A.L. Syed and others.
    Read More →
    1_CinemaEducation
  2. The Greatest Extravaganza of Cinema's Art
    ArchivedExhibitionProject 65
    The Greatest Extravaganza of Cinema's Art
    25th - 31st March 2026
    11:00am - 7:00pm
    Bharat Mandapam, Hall-14, Ground Floor, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi - 110001
    As we near sharing the vast online India Studies knowledge base on tuliresearchcentre.org with the world, we end with our last grand archival Exhibition on the rare and vintage cinematic arts. The Expo covers over 110 years of cinematic art, created by some of the finest film directors, cinematographers, art directors, technicians and designers working in cinema from India, Hollywood, Japan, Germany, France, and Poland. It is also a key principle at the Tuli Research Centre for India Studies (TRIS) to support new and nascent International Film Festivals in whatever capacity possible. Hence it is our privilege to help the International Film Festival of Delhi (IFFD) successfully launch its first edition on 25th March 2026. In the pioneering tradition of IFFI, and as Head of the erstwhile and much respected Osian's-Cinefan Festival for Asian and Arab Cinema with my dearly departed friend and Founder of Cinefan - Aruna Vasudev - we know what energy, expertise and commitment is required to galvanise and inspire the cinematic fraternities of Delhi, India and the rest of the world. It is a very serious and difficult task. Our audiences are demanding and to attract the young and non-cinephile is also no easy task. I hope these exhibitions will help the public grasp how deeply history is living in the contemporary. That contemporary life or creativity cannot achieve its best version without knowing and respecting the work of the best who came before us, nurturing and guiding our path with their service and vision. We look forward to welcoming you to Bharat Mandapam Hall 14 in the days to come. Please register at https://www.iffdelhi.com for the films and other events, it is free to all.
    Read More →
    1_CinemaEducation
    +12 more
  3. Mughal-e-Azam & Sholay
    ArchivedTwo-Day ExhibitionProject 20
    Mughal-e-Azam & Sholay
    Vintage Art Legacies of two Cinematic Masterpieces of Bombay Cinema
    5th - 6th January 2026
    11:00am
    The Well, The Tuli Research Centre for India Studies, 14 Green Avenue, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi, 110070
    SMM Ausaja, Dr Kaushik Bhowmick, Sukhpreet Kahlon & Neville Tuli
    1_CinemaEducation
  4. Self-Discovery via Rediscovering India Series Part II India's Cinematic Heritage
    ArchivedExhibitionProject 2
    Self-Discovery via Rediscovering India Series Part II India's Cinematic Heritage
    12th - 24th August 2024
    Self-Discovery via Rediscovering India Series Part II
    Read More →
    1_CinemaEducationThe Worlds Greatest Mela Respecting Indias Cinematic Heritage 13 25 August 2024 Project 2 Cal
    +37 more

Related

14

Personalities

14

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Durga Khote
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Jalal Agha
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Johnny Walker
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Kamal Amrohi
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Lata Mangeshkar
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Madhubala
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Mohammad Rafi
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Noor Jahan
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Prithviraj Kapoor
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Shakeel Badayuni
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Shamshad Begum
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