World · India Bureau
Madhubala's Father Mourned at Actress's Grave for Years, Sister Reveals
The late Bollywood icon's family maintained an unconventional vigil at her tomb, with her father reportedly spending hours at the gravesite. The marble mausoleum was later dismantled following her father's death.
LSN India ·
Madhubala's sister Madhur Bhushan has shared emotional accounts of the legendary actress's burial site and her family's long grieving process. According to Bhushan, their father Ataullah Khan regularly visited Madhubala's grave, where he would apply fragrant oils and spend extended periods in mourning, a practice he maintained for several years following the actress's death in 1969.
The actress's grave, constructed from marble, held significant sentimental value for the Khan family. Madhubala, born Mumtaz Begum, was one of Hindi cinema's most celebrated leading ladies, known for her work alongside actors like Ashok Kumar and Dilip Kumar during the 1950s and 1960s.
Following Ataullah Khan's death, the marble mausoleum at the gravesite was dismantled. The decision marked a departure from the family's earlier devotion to maintaining the burial site as a place of remembrance. Madhur Bhushan's recollections offer rare insights into the private grief of one of Indian cinema's first families and their approach to honoring the legacy of the celebrated star.