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Mughal-E-Azam (1960, India) (aka
The Great Mughal)
In K. Asif's lengthy war-time drama and epic love story
(part color and part B/W) set in the late 16th century - one of the
costliest Indian films of all time (approx. $3 million) that took
16 years to film, and one of the most enduring and blockbuster Bollywood
films ever made - and it was historically the first vintage film
digitally colorized for theatrical release:
- the legendary story of India's autocratic Great
Mughal (Ruler of Hindustan) Akbar (Prithviraj Kapoor) who was finally
able to produce an heir - an infant (the future Emperor Jahangir);
the boy turned out to be a spoiled, drunken, playboyish, pampered
and misbehaving son Prince Saleem (Dilip Kumar) - who had to be
sent away to join the ranks of the Mughal military to toughen him
up: ("By God, I'll not see that day when our empire will become
the toy of a rake prince! Man Singh, remove the veil of his mother's
love on his head and put an iron cover on his head. Take him, raise
and teach him in the hot deserts of war. Today, I hand over to
you the future of the Mughals")
- upon Prince Saleem's return, the sequences of his
growing forbidden love for commoner palace slave girl-courtesan and
beautiful court dancer Nadir/Anarkali (Madhubala) - the name meaning "pomegranate
blossom"
- the great Anarkali dance sequence when she twirled
like a top in the royal Palace of Mirrors (with both an overhead
shot and a kaleidoscopic shot) - a set completely covered by hundreds
of pieces of fragmented colored mirrors
- the seductive, passionate and erotic moments including
the love scene when the returning military hero-soldier Prince caressed,
fondled, stroked and tickled Anarkali with a large white ostrich
feather and they hid their faces behind it
- the patriarch Akbar's conflict with his son Saleem
for choosing to marry below his status, for disobedience and defiance,
and for not disavowing his obsessive love for Anarkali - to make
her Queen of Hindustan ("You want a beautiful maid to dance
upon the Throne of Hindustan...I cannot change the destiny of Hindustan
for my son's love"); in desperation, Akbar ordered Anarkali
to be sent away and imprisoned
- the disobedient Prince Saleem arranged Anarkali's
escape (and placed her in a secret hiding place) and incited a open
revolt against Akbar, that led to a declaration of war; the 'treasonous'
Prince was defeated in a massive and colossal battle against his
oppressive and tyrannical father and sentenced to be executed; Saleem
was tied to a tower with a huge cannon aimed at him
Conflict Between Prince and His Father
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Akbar vs. Saleem
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Open Revolt and Civil War
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- the Prince was saved when Anarkali arrived at the
last moment - and invoked a holy decree; she appeared before Akbar
and offered to take Saleem's place (and suffer the consequences
of being walled up and buried alive); she agreed to renounce her
own life, and after begging for one dying wish, she was allowed
one final night of ecstasy with Saleem, acting as his wife
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Public Execution - Cannon Aimed at Saleem Standing
on Tower
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Anarkali Begging to Take Saleem's Place
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One Final Night of Ecstasy with Saleem Before
She Was Secretly Exiled
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- the scene of their heart-wrenching parting the
next morning when he melodramatically reached out for her as she
was taken away by guards
- Akbar was forced to honor a previous promise to Anarkali's
mother, who was pleading for her daughter's life; without officially
releasing Anarkali, Akbar arranged for her escape (into exile) with
her mother, without Saleem's knowledge: (Akbar: "This plan must
work, for if the Prince finds out you are still alive, I will not
let you live and he will not let you die!")
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Great Mughal Akbar
Prince Saleem with Slave Girl Nadir-Anarkali
Dance in Royal Palace of Mirrors
Anarkali Tickled with Ostrich Feather
Anarkali Debased
Anarkali's Escape Into Exile With Her Mother
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