Editing Mughal-e-Azam

{{short description|1960 film by K. Asif}}
{{other uses|Mughal-e-Azam (disambiguation)}}
{{featured article}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = Mughal-e-Azam
| image          = Mughal-e-Azam.jpg
| alt            = Theatrical poster showing Prince Salim hugging Anarkali
| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| director       = [[K. Asif]]
| producer       = K. Asif <!-- Shapoorji Pallonji is not credited, either in the BW or colour credits -->
| writer         = Aman<br />[[Kamal Amrohi]]<br />K. Asif<br />[[Wajahat Mirza]]<br />Ehsan Rizvi
| based_on       = {{based on|Anārkalī|[[Imtiaz Ali Taj]]}}
| starring       = {{ubl|[[Prithviraj Kapoor]]|[[Dilip Kumar]]|[[Madhubala]]|[[Durga Khote]]}}
| music          = [[Naushad]]
| cinematography = R. D. Mathur
| studio         = Sterling Investment Corporation
| distributor    = 
| released       = {{Film date|df=yes|1960|08|05}}
| runtime        = 197 minutes
| country        = India
| language       = {{ubl|Hindi|Urdu}}
| budget         = {{INR}}10.5–15&nbsp;million
| gross          = {{Estimation}} {{INR}}110 million {{small|(India)}}<ref name="boi60" />
}}

'''''Mughal-e-Azam''''' ({{translation|The Great Mughal}}) is a 1960 Indian [[Epic film|epic]] [[historical drama]] film produced and directed by [[K. Asif]]. Starring [[Prithviraj Kapoor]], [[Dilip Kumar]], [[Madhubala]], and [[Durga Khote]], it follows the love affair between [[Mughal Empire|Mughal]] Prince Salim&nbsp;(who went on to become Emperor [[Jahangir]]) and [[Anarkali]], a court dancer. Salim's father, Emperor [[Akbar]], disapproves of the relationship, which leads to a war between father and son.

The development of ''Mughal-e-Azam'' began in 1944, when Asif read a 1922 play called ''Anarkali,'' by the playwright [[Imtiaz Ali Taj]], which is set in the reign of Emperor Akbar (1556–1605). Production was plagued by delays and financial uncertainty. Before its [[principal photography]] began in the early 1950s, the project had lost a financier and undergone a complete change of cast. ''Mughal-e-Azam'' cost more to produce than any previous [[Cinema of India|Indian motion picture]]; the budget for a single song sequence exceeded that typical for an entire film of the period. The soundtrack, inspired by Indian [[Music of India|classical and folk music]], comprises 12 songs voiced by playback singer [[Lata Mangeshkar]] along with [[Mohammed Rafi]], [[Shamshad Begum]], and classical singer [[Bade Ghulam Ali Khan]], and is often cited among the finest in the history of [[Hindi cinema]].

''Mughal-e-Azam'' had the widest release of any Indian film up to that time, and patrons often queued all day for tickets. Released on 5 August 1960, it broke box office records in India and became the [[List of highest-grossing Indian films|highest-grossing Indian film]], a distinction it held for 15 years. The accolades awarded to the film include one [[National Film Awards|National Film Award]] and three [[Filmfare Awards]] at the [[8th Filmfare Awards]]. ''Mughal-e-Azam'' was the first black-and-white Hindi film to be [[Film colorization|digitally coloured]], and the first in any language to be given a theatrical re-release. The colour version, released on 12 November 2004, was also a commercial success.

The film is widely considered to be a milestone for its genre, earning praise from critics for its grandeur and attention to detail, and the performances of its cast (especially that of Madhubala, who earned a nomination for the [[Filmfare Award for Best Actress]]). Film scholars have welcomed its portrayal of enduring themes, but question its historical accuracy. It was the [[List of most expensive Indian films#Historical timeline|most expensive Indian film]] made until then.

== Plot ==
Emperor [[Akbar]], who does not have a male heir, undertakes a pilgrimage to a shrine to pray that his wife [[Mariam-uz-Zamani|Jodhabai]] give birth to a son. Later, a maid brings the emperor news of his son's birth. Overjoyed at his prayers being answered, Akbar gives the maid his ring and promises to grant her anything she desires.

The son, [[Jahangir|Prince Salim]], grows up to be spoiled, flippant, and self-indulgent. His father sends him off to war, to teach him courage and discipline. Fourteen years later, Salim returns as a distinguished soldier and falls in love with [[tawaif|court dancer]] Nadira, daughter of the maid who brought the emperor news of his son's birth. Nadira was renamed by the emperor as [[Anarkali]], meaning pomegranate blossom. The relationship is discovered by the jealous Bahar, a dancer of a higher rank, who wants prince Salim to love her so that she may one day become empress. Unsuccessful in winning Salim's love, she exposes his forbidden relationship with Anarkali. Salim pleads to marry Anarkali, but his father refuses and imprisons her. Despite her treatment, Anarkali refuses to reject Salim, as Akbar demands.

Salim rebels and amasses an army to confront Akbar and rescue Anarkali. Defeated in battle, Salim is sentenced to death by his father, but is told that the sentence will be revoked if Anarkali, now in hiding, is handed over to die in his place. Anarkali gives herself up to save the prince's life and is condemned to death by being entombed alive. Before her sentence is carried out, she begs to have a few hours with Salim as his make-believe wife. Her request is granted, as she has agreed to drug Salim so that he cannot interfere with her entombment.

As Anarkali is being walled up, Akbar is reminded that he still owes her mother a favour, as it was she who brought him news of Salim's birth. Anarkali's mother pleads for her daughter's life. The emperor has a change of heart, but although he wants to release Anarkali he cannot, because of his duty to his country. He therefore arranges for her secret escape into exile with her mother, but demands that the pair live in obscurity and that Salim is never to know that Anarkali is still alive.

== Cast ==
{{Cast listing|
*[[Prithviraj Kapoor]] as [[Akbar|Emperor Akbar]]
*[[Dilip Kumar]] as [[Jahangir|Salim]]
*[[Madhubala]] as [[Anarkali]]
*[[Durga Khote]] as [[Mariam-uz-Zamani|Empress Mariam-uz-Zamani (Jodha Bai)]]
*[[Nigar Sultana (actress)|Nigar Sultana]] as Bahar
*[[Ajit Khan|Ajit]] as Durjan Singh<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bhattacharya |first=Roshmila |author-link=Roshmila Bhattacharya |date=9 March 2018 |title=This Week, That Year: Living a Mughal dream |work=Mumbai Mirror |url=https://mumbaimirror.indiatimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/this-week-that-year-living-a-mughal-dream/articleshow/63225332.cms |url-status=dead |access-date=2 May 2018 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20180502111855/https://mumbaimirror.indiatimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/this-week-that-year-living-a-mughal-dream/articleshow/63225332.cms |archive-date=2 May 2018}}</ref>
*Kumar as Sculptor<ref name="BollywoodHungama" />
*[[Murad (actor)|Murad]] as [[Man Singh I|Raja Man Singh]]<ref>{{Cite book |last=Desai |first=Meghnad |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ayRlAAAAMAAJ&q=Murad+Man+Singh |title=Nehru's Hero: Dilip Kumar, in the Life of India |publisher=Lotus Collection, Roli Books |year=2004 |isbn=9788174363114 |page=117 |author-link=Meghnad Desai, Baron Desai |access-date=17 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210312083538/https://books.google.com/books?id=ayRlAAAAMAAJ&q=Murad+Man+Singh |archive-date=12 March 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref>
*[[Jilloo|Jillo Bai]] as Anarkali's mother<ref name="BollywoodHungama">{{Cite web |title=Mughal E Azam Cast & Crew |url=https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/mughal-e-azam/cast/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20180502113643/http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/mughal-e-azam/cast/ |archive-date=2 May 2018 |access-date=2 May 2018 |website=Bollywood Hungama|date=5 August 1960 }}</ref>
*Vijayalaxmi as a maid<ref name="BWMovie" />
*S. Nazir as a general<ref name="BWMovie" />
*Sheila Dalaya (known as Sheela Delaya) as Suraiya<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bharatan |first=Raju |date=25 December 2007 |title=Composer without peer |work=[[Hindustan Times]] |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/music/composer-without-peer/story-u8karJkqNndbf8ODTklfZN.html |url-status=dead |access-date=2 May 2018 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20180502113229/https://www.hindustantimes.com/music/composer-without-peer/story-u8karJkqNndbf8ODTklfZN.html |archive-date=2 May 2018}}</ref>
*[[Surendra (actor)|Surinder]] as [[Tansen]]<ref name="BWMovie" />
*[[Johnny Walker (actor)|Johnny Walker]] as a [[tawaif]]<ref name="BWMovie" />
*[[Jalal Agha]] as Salim (young)<ref name="BWMovie" />
*[[Tabassum|Baby Tabassum]] as a tawaif<ref name="BWMovie" />
*[[Gopi Krishna (dancer)|Gopi Krishna]] as a Kathak dancer<ref name="BWMovie">{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0PJ4n16m3M |title=Mughal-e-Azam |type=motion picture |publisher=Sterling Investment Corporation |year=1960 |time=0:00 to 3:01 |time-caption=Opening credits, from |access-date=12 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200823060216/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0PJ4n16m3M |archive-date=23 August 2020 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
}}

== Production ==
=== Development ===
[[File:Sulocmov.jpg|thumb|181x181px|''Anarkali'', the 1928 silent film based on the tale of Anarkali and Salim|alt=scene from 1928 silent film Anarkali|left]]
The [[Urdu literature|Urdu dramatist]] [[Imtiaz Ali Taj]] wrote a play about the love story of Salim and Anarkali in 1922,<ref name="art">{{Cite web |last=Raheja, Dinesh |date=15 February 2003 |title=''Mughal-e-Azam'': A work of art |url=http://www.rediff.com/movies/2003/feb/15dinesh.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121017123138/http://www.rediff.com/movies/2003/feb/15dinesh.htm |archive-date=17 October 2012 |access-date=10 June 2012 |website=[[Rediff.com]]}}</ref>{{sfn|Pauwels|2007|pp=123, 125, 130}} based more on a 16th-century legend than on fact.{{sfn|Ganti|2004|p=152}} A stage version was soon produced, and screen versions followed.{{sfn|Warsi|2009|p=38}} [[Ardeshir Irani]] made a silent film, ''Anarkali'', in 1928, and remade it with sound in 1935.{{sfn|Warsi|2009|p=38}} In the early 1940s, the tale of Anarkali inspired producer Shiraz Ali Hakeem and young director K. Asif (Karimuddin Asif) to make another film adaptation which they would title ''Mughal-e-Azam''.{{sfn|Warsi|2009|p=39}} They recruited four Urdu writers to develop the screenplay and dialogue: Aman ([[Zeenat Aman]]'s father, also known as Amanullah Khan), [[Wajahat Mirza]], [[Kamaal Amrohi]], and Ehsan Rizvi.{{sfn|Warsi|2009|p=39}} It is not known how the writers collaborated or shared out their work, but in 2010 ''The Times of India'' said that their "mastery over Urdu's poetic idiom and expression is present in every line, giving the film, with its rich plots and intricate characters, the overtones of a Shakespearean drama."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kabir, Nasreen Munni |date=31 July 2010 |title=Where every line was a piece of poetry... |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/Where-every-line-was-a-piece-of-poetry-/articleshow/6240648.cms? |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170214182240/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/Where-every-line-was-a-piece-of-poetry-/articleshow/6240648.cms |archive-date=14 February 2017 |access-date=3 July 2012 |website=[[The Times of India]]}}</ref> As the script neared completion, Asif cast [[Chandra Mohan (1905–1949)|Chandra Mohan]], [[Sapru (actor)|D. K. Sapru]], and [[Nargis]] for the roles of Akbar, Salim, and Anarkali, respectively.{{sfn|Warsi|2009|p=50}}<ref name="cell">{{Cite news |last=Vijayakar, Rajiv |date=6 August 2010 |title=Celluloid Monument |work=[[The Indian Express]] |url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/celluloid-monument/656505/0 |url-status=dead |access-date=12 June 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130703045336/http://www.indianexpress.com/news/celluloid-monument/656505/0 |archive-date=3 July 2013}}</ref> Shooting started in 1946 in [[Bombay Talkies]] studio.{{sfn|Warsi|2009|p=52}}

The project faced multiple hurdles, which forced its temporary abandonment. The political tensions and communal rioting surrounding [[Partition of India|India's 1947 partition and independence]] stalled production. Shortly after partition, Shiraz Ali migrated to [[Pakistan]], leaving Asif without a financier.<ref name="cell" />{{sfn|Warsi|2009|p=52}} The actor Chandra Mohan suffered a heart attack and died in 1949.<ref name="how">{{Cite web |date=5 August 2010 |title=How well do you know ''Mughal-e-Azam''? |url=http://www.rediff.com/movies/report/slide-show-1-quiz-mughal-e-azam/20100805.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121201061953/http://www.rediff.com/movies/report/slide-show-1-quiz-mughal-e-azam/20100805.htm |archive-date=1 December 2012 |access-date=12 June 2012 |website=Rediff}}</ref> Shiraz Ali had previously suggested that business tycoon Shapoorji Pallonji could finance the film. Although Pallonji knew nothing about film production, in 1950 he agreed to finance the film because of his interest in the history of Akbar.{{sfn|Warsi|2009|p=53}}<ref>{{Cite news |last=Us Salam, Zia |date=31 July 2009 |title=Saga of all sagas |work=[[The Hindu]] |url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-fridayreview/saga-of-all-sagas/article659309.ece |access-date=12 June 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131021144622/http://blogs.thehindu.com/delhi/?p=26989 |archive-date=21 October 2013}}</ref> Production was then restarted with a new cast.{{sfn|Warsi|2009|p=53}}

Believing that the film had been cancelled, Kamal Amrohi, one of the scriptwriters who was also a director, planned to make a film on the same subject himself. When confronted by Asif, he agreed to shelve the project.{{sfn|Warsi|2009|pp=39–40}} Another unrelated film production based on the same stage play was Nandlal Jaswantlal's ''[[Anarkali (1953 film)|Anarkali]]'', starring [[Bina Rai]] and [[Pradeep Kumar]], which became the highest grossing Hindi film of 1953.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Box Office 1953 |url=http://www.boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=159&catName=MTk1Mw== |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131030032323/http://www.boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=159&catName=MTk1Mw%3D%3D |archive-date=30 October 2013 |access-date=25 July 2012 |website=[[Box Office India]]}}</ref>

=== Casting ===
[[File:Dilip Kumar Jwar Bhata.jpg|thumb|241x241px|Actor [[Dilip Kumar]], pictured above in 1944, plays the role of [[Prince Salim]].]]
Asif had initially rejected Dilip Kumar for the part of Prince Salim.{{sfn|Warsi|2009|p=50}} Kumar was reluctant to act in a period film, but accepted the role upon the insistence of the film's producer.<ref name="making">{{Cite news |last=Burman, Jivraj |date=7 August 2008 |title=''Mughal-e-Azam'': reliving the making of an epic |work=[[Hindustan Times]] |url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/CinemaScope/Mughal-e-Azam-reliving-the-making-of-an-epic/Article1-329459.aspx |url-status=dead |access-date=10 June 2012 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130125101345/http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/CinemaScope/Mughal-e-Azam-reliving-the-making-of-an-epic/Article1-329459.aspx |archive-date=25 January 2013}}</ref> According to Kumar, "Asif trusted me enough to leave the delineation of Salim completely to me."<ref name="kumar">{{Cite news |last=Sinha, Meenakshi |date=5 August 2010 |title=50 {{sic|nolink=y|yrs}} on, Dilip Kumar remembers magnum opus ''Mughal-e-Azam'' |work=[[The Times of India]] |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/50-yrs-on-Dilip-Kumar-remembers-magnum-opus-Mughal-e-Azam/articleshow/6258817.cms |url-status=live |access-date=24 June 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131021174613/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-08-05/india/28284062_1_mughal-e-azam-dilip-kumar-saira-banu |archive-date=21 October 2013}}</ref> Kumar faced difficulty while filming in [[Rajasthan]] owing to the heat and the body armour he wore.<ref name="kumar" /> The part of Anarkali had first been offered to [[Nutan]], who declined it;{{sfn|Bose|2006|p=202}} [[Suraiya]] was considered for the role but eventually it went to Madhubala, who had been longing for a significant role.<ref name="hinrev">{{Cite news |last=Us Salam, Zia |date=31 July 2009 |title=''Mughal-e-Azam'' (1960) |work=[[The Hindu]] |url=http://www.hindu.com/fr/2009/07/31/stories/2009073150240400.htm |url-status=dead |access-date=12 June 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090805045942/http://www.hindu.com/fr/2009/07/31/stories/2009073150240400.htm |archive-date=5 August 2009}}</ref><ref name="let">{{Cite news |last=Sharma, Rohit |date=13 February 2011 |title=Still our Valentine |work=Hindustan Times |url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/ColumnsOthers/Still-our-Valentine/Article1-662007.aspx |url-status=dead |access-date=25 June 2012 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130125125107/http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/ColumnsOthers/Still-our-Valentine/Article1-662007.aspx |archive-date=25 January 2013}}</ref> Upon signing the film, Madhubala was advancely paid a sum of {{INR}}1 lakh, which was the highest for any actor/actress at that time.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Deep |first=Mohan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DCVlAAAAMAAJ |title=The Mystery and Mystique of Madhubala |date=1996 |publisher=Magna Books |pages=65 |language=en |access-date=18 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210705015119/https://books.google.com/books?id=DCVlAAAAMAAJ |archive-date=5 July 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref> She suffered from [[congenital heart disease]],<ref name="newt" /> which was one of the reasons why at times she fainted on set; she also endured skin abrasions while filming the prison sequences, but was determined to finish the film.<ref name="decher">{{Cite news |last=Kohli, Suresh |date=25 June 2012 |title=Timeless appeal |work=[[Deccan Herald]] |url=http://www.deccanherald.com/content/147125/ipl-2012.html |url-status=dead |access-date=25 June 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121208045504/http://www.deccanherald.com/content/147125/ipl-2012.html |archive-date=8 December 2012}}</ref>

To become the character of Emperor Akbar, Prithviraj Kapoor was reported to have "relied completely on the script and director".<ref name="cell" /> Prior to make-up, Kapoor would declare, "''Prithviraj Kapoor ab jaa rahaa hai''" ("Prithviraj Kapoor is now going"); after make-up, he would announce, "''Akbar ab aa rahaa hai''" ("Akbar is now coming"). Kapoor faced difficulty with his heavy costumes, and suffered blisters on his feet after walking barefoot in the desert for a sequence.<ref name="cell" /> Lance Dane, a photographer who was on set during the filming, recalled that Kapoor struggled to remember his lines in some scenes; he mentioned one scene in particular that Kapoor required 19 [[take]]s to get right.{{sfn|Jain|2009|p=39}} At the time of filming, Kapoor who was on a diet, was told by Asif to regain the lost weight for his portrayal of Akbar.{{sfn|Jain|2009|p=39}} Durga Khote was cast as Akbar's wife Jodhabai,{{sfn|Rajadhyaksha|Willemen|1998|p=365}} and Nigar Sultana as the dancer Bahar.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Akbar |first=Irena |date=3 January 2012 |title=Where is the Muslim actress? - |work=The Indian Express |url=http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/where-is-the-muslim-actress-/895272/ |url-status=dead |access-date=2 May 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180502111333/http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/where-is-the-muslim-actress-/895272/ |archive-date=2 May 2018}}</ref> [[Zakir Hussain (musician)|Zakir Hussain]], who later became a ''[[tabla]]'' maestro, had initially been considered for the part of the young Prince Salim, but it became the debut role of [[Jalal Agha]], who later performed on the song "Mehbooba Mehbooba" from ''[[Sholay]]'' (1975).<ref name="art" />

=== Design ===
The [[production design]] of the film, led by art director M. K. Syed, was extravagant, and some sets took six weeks to erect. The film, mostly shot in studio sets designed to represent the interior of a Mughal palace, featured opulent furnishings and water features such as fountains and pools,{{Sfn|Rishi|2012|p=187}} generating the feel of a Hollywood historical epic of the period. The song "[[Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya]]" was filmed in Mohan Studios on a set built as a replica of the [[Sheesh Mahal (Lahore)|Sheesh Mahal]] in the [[Lahore Fort]]. The set was noted for its size, measuring {{Convert|150|ft}} in length, {{Convert|80|ft}} in breadth and {{Convert|35|ft}} in height.<ref name="cell" /> A much-discussed aspect was the presence of numerous small mirrors made of Belgian glass, which were crafted and designed by workers from [[Firozabad]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=17 July 2011 |title=Is it sunset for Bollywood's magnificent 'sets'? |work=The Indian Express |url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/is-it-sunset-for-bollywoods-magnificent-sets/818690/0 |url-status=dead |access-date=25 June 2012 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130126060635/http://www.indianexpress.com/news/is-it-sunset-for-bollywoods-magnificent-sets/818690/0 |archive-date=26 January 2013}}</ref> The set took two years to build and cost more than {{INR}}1.5&nbsp;million (valued at about US$314,000 in 1960),{{efn|name=exchange1960}}{{sfn|Warsi|2009|p=57}} more than the budget of an entire Hindi film at the time. The film's financiers feared bankruptcy as a result of the high cost of production.<ref name="making" />

Artisans from across India were recruited to craft the props. The costumes were designed by Makhanlal and Company,{{sfn|Warsi|2009|p=62}} and [[Delhi]]-based tailors skilled in [[zardozi]] embroidery stitched the Mughal costume.{{sfn|Warsi|2009|p=62}} The footwear was ordered from [[Agra]], the jewellery was made by [[goldsmith]]s in [[Hyderabad, India|Hyderabad]], the crowns were designed in [[Kolhapur]], and blacksmiths from [[Rajasthan]] manufactured the armoury (which included shields, swords, spears, daggers, and armour). The zardozi on costumes were also stitched by designers from [[Surat]].<ref name="making" />{{sfn|Warsi|2009|p=62}}<ref name="Best">{{Cite news |last=Saqaf, Syed Muthahar |date=1 August 2013 |title=Bollywood's best |work=The Hindu |url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/bollywoods-best/article4977521.ece |url-status=live |access-date=12 August 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130804135802/http://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/bollywoods-best/article4977521.ece |archive-date=4 August 2013}}</ref> A statue of [[Krishna|Lord Krishna]], to which Jodhabai prayed, was made of gold. In the scenes involving an imprisoned Anarkali, real chains were placed on Madhubala.<ref name="cell" /> The battle sequence between Akbar and Salim reportedly featured 2,000 camels, 400 horses, and 8,000 troops, mainly from the [[Indian Army]]'s Jaipur cavalry, 56th Regiment.{{sfn|Warsi|2009|p=64}} Dilip Kumar has spoken of the intense heat during filming of the sequence in the desert of Rajasthan, wearing full armour.<ref name="kumar" />

=== Principal photography ===
Principal photography for ''Mughal-e-Azam'' began in the early 1950s.<ref name="making" /> Each sequence was reportedly filmed three times,<ref>{{Cite news |date=30 June 2012 |title=Mughal-e-Azam was a trilingual |work=The Times of India |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/did-you-know-/Mughal-e-Azam-was-a-trilingual/articleshow/10564936.cms? |url-status=dead |access-date=14 August 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170518224839/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/did-you-know-/Mughal-e-Azam-was-a-trilingual/articleshow/10564936.cms |archive-date=18 May 2017}}</ref> as the film was being produced in [[Hindi]]/[[Urdu]], [[Tamil language|Tamil]], and English. The film was eventually [[Dubbing (filmmaking)|dubbed]] in Tamil and released in 1961 as ''Akbar'',<ref name="hundred" /><ref>{{Cite news |date=3 March 1961 |title=Sterling Investment Corpn. (Private) Ltd. Presents AKBAR |page=3 |work=The Indian Express |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=P9oYG7HA76QC&dat=19610303&printsec=frontpage&hl=en |url-status=live |access-date=3 May 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210227075606/http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=P9oYG7HA76QC |archive-date=27 February 2021}}</ref> but that version's commercial failure resulted in the abandonment of the planned English dubbing, for which British actors were considered.<ref name="making" /> Asif was accompanied by an extensive crew, which included his assistant directors S. T. Zaidi, [[Khalid Akhtar]], [[Surinder Kapoor]] (assisting primarily for the English version),<ref name="cell" /> and five others.<ref name="credits" /> Additional crew members included cinematographer R. D. Mathur, choreographer [[Lachhu Maharaj]],{{sfn|Khubchandani|2003|p=203}} production manager Aslam Noori, cameraman M. D. Ayub, editor Dharamavir, makeup artists P. G. Joshi and Abdul Hamid, and sound director Akram Shaikh.<ref name="credits">{{Cite web |title=Credits: Mughal-E-Azam |url=http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b749e8ee3 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161103132832/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b749e8ee3 |archive-date=3 November 2016 |access-date=15 August 2013 |publisher=[[British Film Institute]]}}</ref>

Some film sequences were shot with up to 14 cameras, significantly more than the norm at that time.<ref name="cell" /> There were many difficulties with the film's [[cinematography|lighting]]; cinematographer Mathur reportedly took eight hours to light a single shot. In total, 500 days of shooting were needed, compared to a normal schedule of 60 to 125 shooting days at the time.<ref name="cell" /> Owing to the very large size of the Sheesh Mahal set, the lighting was provided by the headlights of 500 trucks and about 100 reflectors.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Archive for the 'Review' Category |url=http://devasuram.wordpress.com/category/review/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150406102252/https://devasuram.wordpress.com/category/review/ |archive-date=6 April 2015 |access-date=14 August 2013 |website=Mughal E Azam |publisher=Devasuram Word Press}}</ref> The presence of the mirrors on the set caused problems, as they sparkled under the lights. Foreign consultants, including British director [[David Lean]], told Asif to forget the idea since they felt that it was impossible to film the scene under the intense glare. Asif confined himself to the set with the lighting crew,<ref name="cuts">{{Cite news |date=5 August 2010 |title=''Mughal-e-Azam'' turns 50 |work=Hindustan Times |url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/Entertainment/Bollywood/Mughal-e-Azam-turns-50/Article1-582583.aspx |url-status=dead |access-date=12 June 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131024021711/http://www.hindustantimes.com/Entertainment/Bollywood/Mughal-e-Azam-turns-50/Article1-582583.aspx |archive-date=24 October 2013}}</ref> and subsequently overcame the problem by covering all the mirrors with a thin layer of wax, thereby subduing their reflectivity.<ref name="cell" /> Mathur also used strategically placed strips of cloth to implement "bounce lighting", which reduced the glare.<ref name="hundred">{{Cite web |last=Roy, Gitanjali |date=24 April 2013 |title=Indian cinema@100: 10 facts about Mughal-e-Azam |url=http://movies.ndtv.com/bollywood/indian-cinema-100-10-facts-about-mughal-e-azam-358135 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130427230723/http://movies.ndtv.com/bollywood/indian-cinema-100-10-facts-about-mughal-e-azam-358135 |archive-date=27 April 2013 |access-date=4 June 2013 |website=[[NDTV]]}}</ref>

{{quote box
| quote = Such was the all-round commitment that nobody saw the delay as tiresome. We were experienced enough to know that a film involving such overwhelming craftsmanship, minute detailing, massive gathering of artistes and unit hands, strenuous schedules with large units of artistes and trained animals, day and night shoots cannot be a simple affair.<ref name="kumar" />
| source = {{mdash}}Dilip Kumar, on the duration of filming
| align = right
| width = 25em
}}
A number of problems and production delays were encountered during filming, to the extent that at one point Asif considered abandoning the project.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Raheja, Dinesh |date=5 August 2010 |title=''Mughal-e-Azam'' revisited |url=http://www.rediff.com/movies/report/mughal-e-azam-revisited/20100805.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121201061948/http://www.rediff.com/movies/report/mughal-e-azam-revisited/20100805.htm |archive-date=1 December 2012 |access-date=24 June 2012 |website=Rediff}}</ref> Kumar defended the long duration of filming, invoking the massive logistics of the film and explaining that the entire cast and crew were "acutely conscious of the hard work [they] would have to put in, as well as the responsibility [they] would have to shoulder."<ref name="kumar" />

The production also suffered from financial problems, and Asif exceeded the budget on a number of occasions.<ref name="hinrev" /> The final budget of the film is a subject of debate. Some sources state that ''Mughal-e-Azam'' cost {{INR}}10.5&nbsp;million to produce<ref name="making" /><ref name="nytimes">{{Cite news |date=6 August 1960 |title=Movie Review&nbsp;– Mughal-E-Azam (1960)&nbsp;– Indian Film Opens:' Mughal-Azam,' a Spectacle, in More Than 200 Theatres |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9B02EFDE133DE333A25755C0A96E9C946191D6CF |url-status=live |access-date=1 July 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150404155448/http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9B02EFDE133DE333A25755C0A96E9C946191D6CF |archive-date=4 April 2015}}</ref> (about US$2.25&nbsp;million at the time)<ref name="nytimes" /> while others state that it cost {{INR}}15&nbsp;million (about $3&nbsp;million).<ref name="cell" /><ref name="newt" /><ref name="lat">{{Cite news |last=Thomas, Kevin |date=1 April 2005 |title=Adding some polish to the grandeur |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2005-apr-01-et-mughal1-story.html |url-status=live |access-date=1 July 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121208181129/http://articles.latimes.com/2005/apr/01/entertainment/et-Mughal1 |archive-date=8 December 2012}}</ref><ref name="et1">{{Cite news |date=24 November 2011 |title=Shapoorji Pallonji Group: The Mughal-e-Azam of realty business |work=[[The Economic Times]] |url=http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2011-11-24/news/30437557_1_tata-sons-shapoorji-pallonji-mistry-tata-group |url-status=dead |access-date=2 May 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305020705/http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2011-11-24/news/30437557_1_tata-sons-shapoorji-pallonji-mistry-tata-group |archive-date=5 March 2016}}</ref> This made ''Mughal-e-Azam'' the most expensive Indian film of the period. A number of estimates put the film's inflation-adjusted budget at {{INR}}500 million to {{INR}}2&nbsp;billion. The budget situation strained the relationship between Asif and Pallonji, while the production also faced troubled relationships among other crew members; differences crept up between Asif and Kumar when the former married the latter's sister.<ref name="hinrev" /> Another source of trouble was the romantic relationship and ultimate break-up of Kumar and Madhubala, who had been dating for nine years.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Farook, Farhana |date=31 May 2013 |title="Madhubala was sad when Dilip Kumar got married"&nbsp;– Madhur Bhushan |work=[[Filmfare]] |url=http://www.filmfare.com/interviews/madhubala-was-sad-when-dilip-kumar-got-married--madhur-bhushan-3309.html |url-status=live |access-date=4 June 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130607202633/http://www.filmfare.com/interviews/madhubala-was-sad-when-dilip-kumar-got-married--madhur-bhushan-3309.html |archive-date=7 June 2013}}</ref>

=== Post-production ===
[[Sohrab Modi]]'s ''[[Jhansi Ki Rani (1953 film)|Jhansi Ki Rani]]'' (1953) was the first Indian film to be shot in colour,<ref name="True" /><ref name="firsts">{{Cite web |last=Chakravarty, Riya |date=3 May 2013 |title=Indian cinema@100: 40 Firsts in Indian cinema |url=http://movies.ndtv.com/bollywood/indian-cinema-100-40-firsts-in-indian-cinema-362362 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130504160827/http://movies.ndtv.com/bollywood/indian-cinema-100-40-firsts-in-indian-cinema-362362 |archive-date=4 May 2013 |access-date=4 June 2013 |website=NDTV}}</ref> and by 1957, colour production had become increasingly common. Asif filmed one reel of ''Mughal-e-Azam'', including the song "Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya", in [[Technicolor]]. Impressed by the result, he filmed three more reels in Technicolor, near the story's climax. After seeing them, he sought a complete re-shoot in Technicolor, but financiers refused. Asif subsequently released ''Mughal-e-Azam'' partially coloured, although he still hoped to see the full film in colour.<ref name="guardian">{{Cite news |last=Alex von Tunzelmann |date=14 February 2013 |title=Mughal-e-Azam: royally glossing over history's true colours |work=[[The Guardian]] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2013/feb/14/mughal-e-azam-reel-history |access-date=4 June 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131114140800/http://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2013/feb/14/mughal-e-azam-reel-history |archive-date=14 November 2013}}</ref>

By the end of filming, more than a million feet of negative had been used, necessitating significant editing.<ref name="cell" /> A number of songs were edited out owing to the running time, which in the end was 197 minutes.<ref name="zulm" /> Almost half of the songs recorded for the film were left out of the final version.<ref name="cuts" />

== Themes ==
''Mughal-e-Azam'' is a family history highlighting the differences between father and son, duty to the public over family, and the trials and tribulations of women, particularly of [[courtesan]]s. According to Rachel Dwyer, author of the book ''Filming the Gods: Religion and Indian Cinema'', the film highlights religious tolerance between [[Hinduism in India|Hindus]] and [[Islam in India|Muslims]]. Examples include the scenes of Hindu Queen Jodhabai's presence in the court of the Muslim Akbar, the singing of a Hindu devotional song by Anarkali, and Akbar's participation in the [[Krishna Janmashtami|Janmashtami]] celebrations, during which Akbar is shown pulling a string to rock a swing with an idol of Krishna on it.{{Sfn|Dwyer|2006|p=116}} Film critic Mukul Kesavan has remarked that he was unable to recall a single other film about Hindu-Muslim love in which the woman (Jodhabai) is Hindu.<ref name="Publishing2008">{{Cite magazine |last=Ahmed |first=Omair |date=18 February 2008 |title=Once Upon A Fable |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UjEEAAAAMBAJ&q=jodhabai+Mughal-e-Azam&pg=PA76 |url-status=live |magazine=[[Outlook (Indian magazine)|Outlook]] |volume=48 |issue=7 |pages=76–77 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210210180658/https://books.google.com/books?id=UjEEAAAAMBAJ&q=jodhabai+Mughal-e-Azam&pg=PA76 |archive-date=10 February 2021 |access-date=17 October 2020}}</ref> Scholars Bhaskar and Allen described the film as a ''[[tableau vivant]]'' of "Islamicate culture", evidenced in its ornate sets, musical sequences such as the ''[[qawwali]]'' scene, and chaste Urdu dialogues.{{sfn|Teo|2012|p=57}} Throughout the film there is a distinct depiction of Muslims as the ruling class who not only dressed differently but also spoke in complex [[Persian language|Persianised]] dialogue. They are made to appear "distinct and separate from the mainstream."{{Sfn|Kavoori|Punathambekar|2008|p=135}}

Film scholar Stephen Teo posits that ''Mughal-e-Azam'' is a "national allegory", a stylistic way of appropriating history and heritage to emphasise the national identity.{{sfn|Teo|2012|pp=56, 59}} He believes the arrogance of Bahar represents the power of the state and that Anarkali's emotion, which is highly personal, represents the private individual.{{sfn|Teo|2012|p=59}} Teo states that the theme of romantic love defeating social class difference and power hierarchy, as well as the grandeur of the filming, contribute to the film's attractiveness.{{sfn|Teo|2012|p=57}} Author [[Ashis Nandy]] has commented on the poetic quality of the dialogue, saying that "the characters of ''Mughal-e-Azam'' do not just speak&nbsp;– they refine communication, they distil it, they crystallize it into many faceted glittering gems, they make poetry of ordinary language."{{sfn|Nandy|1998|p=26}} Gowri Ramnarayan of ''The Hindu'' has also emphasised the power of the dialogues in the film, in that they "create not only the ambiance of this period drama, but also etch character and situation. Every syllable breathes power and emotion."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ramnarayan |first=Gowri |date=20 March 2007 |title=A myth that became a classic |work=The Hindu |url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-bookreview/article2266935.ece |url-status=live |access-date=21 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171130150959/http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-bookreview/a-myth-that-became-a-classic/article2266935.ece |archive-date=30 November 2017}}</ref>

[[Philip Lutgendorf]], a scholar at the [[University of Iowa]], has stated that while the theme of the conflict between passionate individual love and family duty may be very common in Hindi film making, with endless cinematic permutations, K. Asif's "excessive elaboration of the theme remains in a class by itself."<ref name="uiowa">{{Cite web |last=Lutgendorf |first=Philip |title=Mughal-e-Azam ("The Great Mughal") |url=http://www.uiowa.edu/~incinema/mughaleazam.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141116083156/http://www.uiowa.edu/~incinema/mughaleazam.html |archive-date=16 November 2014 |access-date=4 June 2013 |publisher=South Asian Studies Program, University of Iowa}}</ref> Further, Emperor Akbar struggles between his personal desires and his duties to the nation.<ref name="uiowa" /> Ashis Nandy noted that apart from the conflict between Akbar and his son, there is also an "unwritten alliance" between Akbar and Bahar that compounds the problems of Anarkali. He also thought it highlighted the "idea of justice and the notion of unconditional love" to uphold tradition.{{Sfn|Nandy|1998|p=45}} The song "Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya" sung by Anarkali was an indication of her defiance of societal norms.{{Sfn|Pauwels|2008|p=472}} A major difference from the original story is that while the earlier Anarakali films based on Imtiaz Ali Taj's story ended as tragedies, K. Asif created a relatively happy ending in that Akbar gives amnesty to Anarkali by allowing her to escape through a secret route of tunnels below a false bottom of her prison wall, although his son is made to suffer in believing her to have perished.{{Sfn|Pauwels|2007|p=127}}

== Historical inaccuracies ==
[[File:Jahangir with portrait of Akbar.jpg|thumb|241x241px|''Jahangir with a Portrait of Akbar-the killer'', c.&nbsp;1614. Jahangir the invader (Salim) and Akbar play central characters in the film.|alt=painting of Jahangir (Salim) holding a painting of Akbar]]
The film is based on a legend, but it is given credence by at least two texts that assert Anarkali's existence during the historical period of Emperor Akbar (1556–1605). One of the books states that in 1615 [[Tomb of Anarkali|a marble tomb was built on Anarkali's grave]] in [[Lahore]] by Salim, when he had become Emperor Jehangir.{{sfn|Chakravarty|1993|pp=168–169}} On the tomb is a Persian inscription that reads: ''Ta Kiyamat shukr geom kardgate khwesh ra, Aah garman bez benaam roo-e yare khwesh ra'' ("Ah! could I behold the face of my love once more, I would give thanks to my God until the day of resurrection"). The author of the stage play on which the film is based, Imtiaz Ali Taj, believed that the legend had no historical base,{{Sfn|Pauwels|2007|pp=127–128}} but historians have suggested that Anarkali may have been a painter, a dancer, or a courtesan, or one of Akbar's wives and the mother of Salim's half-brother Prince Daniyal.<ref name="guardian" />{{sfn|Arif|2003|p=233}} While an earlier film version of the story, ''Anarkali'' (1952), contained a disclaimer stating that the story had no foundation in history, ''Mughal-e-Azam'' made no such claim.{{sfn|Chakravarty|1993|pp=168–169}}

''Mughal-e-Azam'' takes numerous liberties with historical fact. Historian [[Alex von Tunzelmann]] says that although the real Salim was a heavy consumer of alcohol and opium from the age of 18, he was not necessarily a mischievous boy, as depicted in the film. When the film's Salim returns from his time in the military, he is depicted as a gentle and romantic hero, in contrast to the real Salim, who was documented as a brutal drunk who would often beat people to death. The real Salim did lead a rebellion against his father, tried to replace him as emperor, and had Akbar's friend [[Abu'l-Fazl ibn Mubarak|Abu al-Fazl]] murdered in 1602, but the film ascribes these actions to his desire to marry Anarkali, which is historically inaccurate.<ref name="guardian" />{{sfn|Arif|2003|p=233}} Further, there were also discrepancies in sets, costumes, and music of the film. The Sheesh Mahal, actually the royal bath of the queen, was depicted in the film as a dancing hall, and much larger. Music and dancing styles from the 19th century were depicted, although the story takes place in the 16th century. For example, ''[[thumri]]'', a semi-classical music form developed in the 19th century, is adopted in a dance sequence in [[Kathak]] style, which is a 16th-century dance form.{{sfn|Arif|2003|p=233}}

== Music ==
{{main|Mughal-e-Azam (soundtrack)}}

The soundtrack was composed by music director [[Naushad]], and the lyrics were written by [[Shakeel Badayuni]]. After conceiving the idea of the film, Asif visited Naushad and handed him a briefcase containing money, telling him to make "memorable music" for ''Mughal-e-Azam''. Offended by the explicit notion of money as a means of gaining quality, Naushad threw the notes out of the window, to the surprise of his wife. She subsequently made peace between the two men, and Asif apologised. With this, Naushad accepted the offer to compose the film's soundtrack.<ref name="music1">{{Cite news |date=2 June 2007 |title=Music mogul |work=Hindustan Times |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-1282071441.html |url-status=dead |access-date=12 June 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131105233417/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-1282071441.html |archive-date=5 November 2013}}</ref>
As with most of Naushad's soundtracks, the songs of ''Mughal-e-Azam'' were heavily inspired by [[Indian classical music]] and [[folk music]], particularly ''[[ragas]]'' such as [[Darbari Kanada|''Darbari'']], [[Durga (raga)|''Durga'']], used in the composition of "Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya",<ref>{{Cite news |date=6 May 2006 |title=The last Mughal of film music |work=Hindustan Times |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-1032836801.html |url-status=dead |access-date=25 April 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131105225445/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-1032836801.html |archive-date=5 November 2013 |quote=At the time of premiere of the coloured version of Mughal-e-Azam, he had stated that today's generation should be acquainted with the classical Indian music. In that epic film, he had used Raga Darbari and Raag Durga to compose various songs like the immortal Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya}}</ref> and [[Kedar (raga)|''Kedar'']], used in "Bekas Pe Karam Keejeye".<ref>{{Cite news |date=30 March 2007 |title=The breath of God blows through music |work=Hindustan Times |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-1247687991.html |url-status=dead |access-date=25 April 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131105225442/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-1247687991.html |archive-date=5 November 2013 |quote=I managed a song in my beloved Raag Kedar, which is Hamir Kalyani in [[Carnatic music]]. It was Bekas pe karam kijiye, Sarkar-e-Madina from Mughal-e-Azam.}}</ref>  He also made extensive use of western classical orchestras and choruses to add grandeur to the music.{{sfn|Morcom|2007|p=144}} The soundtrack contained a total of 12 songs, which were rendered by [[playback singer]]s and classical music artists. These songs account for nearly one third of the film's running time.{{Sfn|Gokulsing|Dissanayake|2013|p=273}}<!-- Infobox and track list were featured in the article for the film's soundtrack -->

== Marketing ==
The painter [[G. Kamble]] was lured away from [[V. Shantaram]]'s [[Rajkamal Kalamandir]] to paint the posters.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Janardhan |first=Arun |date=21 May 2010 |title=Bollywood's real poster boys |language=en |work=Mint |url=https://www.livemint.com/Leisure/xNxJQOy51ayjfFvCU9vveP/Bollywood8217s-real-poster-boys.html |url-status=live |access-date=23 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200723055824/https://www.livemint.com/Leisure/xNxJQOy51ayjfFvCU9vveP/Bollywood8217s-real-poster-boys.html |archive-date=23 July 2020}}</ref><ref name="posters">{{Cite news |last=Dutta |first=Ananya |date=2 February 2014 |title=Over 7,000 film posters, collectibles to go online |language=en |work=The Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/Over-7000-film-posters-collectibles-to-go-online/articleshow/29747233.cms |url-status=live |access-date=23 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210210180821/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/Over-7000-film-posters-collectibles-to-go-online/articleshow/29747233.cms |archive-date=10 February 2021}}</ref> Kamble also created cinema displays at [[Maratha Mandir]] theatre.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Film Heritage Foundation Profile B |url=https://www.facebook.com/filmheritagefoundation/photos/1804423833177879/ |url-access=limited |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/facebook/1395260657427534/1804423833177879 |archive-date=2022-02-26 |access-date=23 July 2020 |publisher=Film Heritage Foundation |language=en}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Asif needed to buy all available stocks of Winsor & Newton paint in India at a cost of {{INR}}6 lakh to enable Kamble to produce quality art for his hoardings.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sethi |first=Sunil |date=12 July 2010 |title=Hoarding Secrets |work=Outlook |url=https://www.outlookindia.com/magazine/story/hoarding-secrets/266082 |url-status=live |access-date=23 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200723073837/https://www.outlookindia.com/magazine/story/hoarding-secrets/266082 |archive-date=23 July 2020}}</ref> Kamble, who was offered a large sum of {{INR}}8 lakh for his work on the stills of ''Mughal-e-Azam'', did not receive any compensation in the end due to fraud.<ref name="posters" />

== Release ==
{{quote box
| width = 25em
| align = right
| quote="Asif's logic was very clear&nbsp;– he had made a film which everyone associated with it would be proud of for generations. And he was proved right."<ref name="star" />
| source = {{mdash}}K.K. Rai of ''Stardust'', on Asif's quoted distributor prices.
}}
At the time of the release of ''Mughal-e-Azam'', a typical Hindi film would garner a distribution fee of {{INR}}300,000–400,000 (about US$63,000–84,000 in 1960){{efn|name=exchange1960}} per territory. Asif insisted that he would sell his film to the distributors at no less than {{INR}}700,000 per territory. Subsequently, the film was actually sold at a price of {{INR}}1.7&nbsp;million (US$356,000){{efn|name=exchange1960}} per territory, surprising Asif and the producers. Thus, it set the record for the highest distribution fee received by any Hindi film at that time.<ref name="star" />

The premiere of ''Mughal-e-Azam'' was held at the then-new 1,100-capacity Maratha Mandir cinema in [[Mumbai]].<ref name="newt">{{Cite news |last=V Gangadhar |date=29 October 2004 |title=A classic resurrected in true colours |work=[[The Hindu]] |url=http://www.hindu.com/fr/2004/10/29/stories/2004102903570500.htm |url-status=dead |access-date=26 June 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029184148/http://www.hindu.com/fr/2004/10/29/stories/2004102903570500.htm |archive-date=29 October 2013}}</ref><ref name="premiere">{{Cite magazine |last=Parthasarathy, Anand |date=6–19 November 2004 |title=The colour of profit |url=http://www.frontline.in/static/html/fl2123/stories/20041119002309100.htm |url-status=dead |magazine=[[Frontline (magazine)|Frontline]] |volume=21 |issue=23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061021130052/http://www.frontlineonnet.com/fl2123/stories/20041119002309100.htm |archive-date=21 October 2006 |access-date=26 June 2012}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Karmalkar, Deepa |date=11 September 2010 |title=''Mughal-e-Azam'', 50 years later |url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2010/20100911/saturday/main2.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029191606/http://www.tribuneindia.com/2010/20100911/saturday/main2.htm |archive-date=29 October 2013 |access-date=25 June 2012 |website=[[The Tribune (Chandigarh)|The Tribune]]}}</ref> Mirroring the nature of the film, the cinema's [[foyer]] had been decorated to resemble a Mughal palace, and a {{convert|40|ft|adj=on}} cut-out of Prithviraj Kapoor was erected outside it.<ref name="cutout">{{Cite web |date=2 November 2004 |title=''Mughal-e-Azam'' mural at 24 Karat |url=http://www.sify.com/movies/mughal-e-azam-mural-at-24-karat-news-bollywood-kkfvFneecjj.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120524181617/http://www.sify.com/movies/mughal-e-azam-mural-at-24-karat-news-bollywood-kkfvFneecjj.html |archive-date=24 May 2012 |access-date=27 June 2012 |website=[[Sify]]}}</ref> The Sheesh Mahal set was transported from the studio to the cinema, where ticket holders could go inside and experience its grandeur.{{sfn|Roy|2003|p=221}} Invitations to the premiere were sent as "royal invites" shaped like [[scroll]]s, which were written in Urdu and made to look like the ''[[Akbarnama]]'', the official chronicle of the reign of Akbar.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sethia, Shruti |date=5 November 2004 |title=''Mughal-e-Azam'' dazzles... again |url=http://www.thehindubusinessline.in/life/2004/11/05/stories/2004110500100200.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120123023650/http://www.thehindubusinessline.in/life/2004/11/05/stories/2004110500100200.htm |archive-date=23 January 2012 |access-date=25 June 2012 |website=The Hindu}}</ref> The premiere was held amidst great fanfare, with large crowds and an extensive media presence, in addition to hosting much of the film industry,<ref name="cell" /> although Dilip Kumar did not attend the event owing to his dispute with Asif. The film's reels arrived at the premiere cinema atop a decorated elephant, accompanied by the music of [[bugle]]s and ''[[shehnai]]''.<ref name="kumar" /><ref name="newt" />

== Reception ==
=== Box office ===
The day before bookings for the film opened, a reported crowd of 100,000 gathered outside the Maratha Mandir to buy tickets.<ref name="cell" /> The tickets, the most expensive for a Hindi film at that time, were dockets containing text, photographs and trivia about the film, and are now considered [[collector's item]]s.<ref name="lasting">{{Cite news |last=[[Imtiaz Ali (director)|Ali, Imtiaz]] |date=31 July 2010 |title=The lasting Mughal |work=The Times of India |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/The-lasting-Mughal/articleshow/6240642.cms? |url-status=dead |access-date=24 June 2012 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130103122226/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-07-31/news-interviews/28294508_1_mughal-e-azam-love-story-film |archive-date=3 January 2013}}</ref> They sold for {{INR}}100 (valued at about US$21 in 1960),{{efn|name=exchange1960}} compared to the usual price of {{INR}}1.5 (US$0.31).{{efn|name=exchange1960}}<ref>{{Cite news |last=Mazumdar, Arunima |date=3 July 2013 |title=Anupama Chopra's 100 favourite films! |work=The Times of India |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/books/Anupama-Chopras-100-favourite-films/articleshow/20662618.cms |url-status=live |access-date=4 July 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130717005514/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/books/Anupama-Chopras-100-favourite-films/articleshow/20662618.cms |archive-date=17 July 2013}}</ref> Bookings experienced major chaos, to the extent that police intervention was required. It was reported that people would wait in queues for four to five days, and would be supplied food from home through their family members.<ref name="quote">{{Cite web |last=Patsy N |date=10 November 2004 |title=The making of ''Mughal-e-Azam'' |url=http://www.rediff.com/movies/2004/nov/10seth.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120125105208/http://www.rediff.com/movies/2004/nov/10seth.htm |archive-date=25 January 2012 |access-date=23 June 2012 |website=Rediff}}</ref> Subsequently, the Maratha Mandir closed bookings for three weeks.<ref name="cell" />

''Mughal-e-Azam'' was released on 5 August 1960 in 150&nbsp;cinemas across the country, establishing a record for the widest release for a Hindi film.<ref name="making" /> It became a major commercial success, earning {{INR}}4&nbsp;million (US$839,000){{efn|name=exchange1960}} in the first week,<ref>''Mughal-e-Azam'' documentary by Sterling Investment Corporation. From 17:11 to 17:41.</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=6 August 2004 |title=Shapoorji Pallonji to rewrite Mughal-e-Azam |url=http://www.rediff.com/money/2004/aug/06films.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131021191713/http://www.rediff.com/money/2004/aug/06films.htm |archive-date=21 October 2013 |access-date=21 October 2013 |website=Rediff}}</ref> eventually earning a net revenue of {{INR}}55&nbsp;million (US$11,530,000),{{efn|name=exchange1960}} and generating a profit of {{INR}}30&nbsp;million for the producers. ''Mughal-e-Azam'' also experienced a long theatrical run, screening to full capacity at the Maratha Mandir for three years.<ref name="cutout" /> The film thus became the [[List of highest-grossing Hindi films|highest-grossing Hindi film]] by surpassing ''[[Mother India]]'' (1957), and retained this record until ''Sholay'' (1975) surpassed its net revenue.<ref name="making" /><ref name="newt" /> In terms of gross revenue, ''Mughal-e-Azam'' earned {{INR|110 million}} ({{US$|{{#expr:110/4.76 round 2}} million|long=no}}).<ref name="boi60">{{Cite web |title=Box Office 1960 |url=http://boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=166&catName=MTk2MA== |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120922021750/http://boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=166&catName=MTk2MA== |archive-date=22 September 2012 |website=[[Box Office India]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |year=1960 |title=Official exchange rate (LCU per US$, period average) |url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/PA.NUS.FCRF?end=1961&locations=IN&start=1960 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201106155240/https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/PA.NUS.FCRF?end=1961&locations=IN&start=1960 |archive-date=6 November 2020 |access-date=10 December 2018 |website=[[World Bank]]}}</ref>

According to [[Ziya Us Salam]] of ''[[The Hindu]]'' in 2009, ''Mughal-e-Azam'' was the highest-grossing Hindi film of all time if adjusted for inflation.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Blast from the Past: Mughal-e-Azam (1960) |url=http://www.hindu.com/fr/2009/07/31/stories/2009073150240400.htm |access-date=12 June 2012 |archive-date=5 August 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090805045942/http://www.hindu.com/fr/2009/07/31/stories/2009073150240400.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> According to the online box office website [[Box Office India]] in January 2008, the film's adjusted net revenue would have amounted to {{INR|1327 million}}, ranking it as an "All-Time Blockbuster".<ref name="boi">{{Cite web |title=Top earners 1960–1969 (Figures in Ind Rs) |url=http://boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=123&catName=MTk2MC0xOTY5 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080118030710/http://www.boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=123&catName=MTk2MC0xOTY5 |archive-date=18 January 2008 |access-date=28 August 2011 |website=Box Office India}}</ref> According to Box Office India in June 2017, ''Mughal-e-Azam'' may have had more than 100 million footfalls at the domestic box office more than films like ''[[Hum Aapke Hain Koun]]'' (1994) and ''[[Baahubali 2]]'' (2017).<ref name="hindi">[https://boxofficeindia.com/report-details.php?articleid=2988 Bahubali 2 Is The Biggest Hindi Blockbuster This Century] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170824133203/http://www.boxofficeindia.com/report-details.php?articleid=2988 |date=24 August 2017 }}, [[Box Office India]], 8 June 2017</ref> According to financial newspaper ''[[Mint (newspaper)|Mint]]'', the adjusted net income of ''Mughal-e-Azam'' is equivalent to {{INR|13 billion}} ({{US$|{{To USD|13000|IND|year=2017|round=yes}} million|long=no}}) in 2017.<ref>{{Cite news |date=18 August 2017 |title=70 iconic films of Indian cinema |work=[[Mint (newspaper)|Mint]] |url=http://www.livemint.com/Consumer/bQ0uThQTjybnvoYe13twlJ/70-iconic-films-of-Indian-cinema.html |url-status=live |access-date=25 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171026163502/http://www.livemint.com/Consumer/bQ0uThQTjybnvoYe13twlJ/70-iconic-films-of-Indian-cinema.html |archive-date=26 October 2017}}</ref> In 2011, it was ranked as the highest grossing Hindi film by a distance, when adjusted to [[gold]]-price inflation by [[Box Office India]] with adjusted nett gross of ₹1234.95 crore. The list was compiled using the relative price of gold in different years to arrive at a hypothetical current value of box-office collections of past films, which as per the trade magazine was a more appropriate measure of comparison as compared to official ticket-price inflation rates.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2012-03-17 |title=Top 50 Film of Last 50 Years {{!}} Box Office India : India's premier film trade magazine |url=http://www.boxofficeindia.co.in/top-50-film-of-last-50-years/ |access-date=2023-02-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120317110155/http://www.boxofficeindia.co.in/top-50-film-of-last-50-years/ |archive-date=17 March 2012 }}</ref>

=== Critical reception ===
''Mughal-e-Azam'' received universal acclaim from Indian critics; every aspect of the film was praised.<ref name="bh1">{{Cite web |last=Adarsh, Taran |date=11 November 2004 |title=''Mughal-e-Azam'' |url=http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/moviemicro/criticreview/id/504755 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029190832/http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/moviemicro/criticreview/id/504755 |archive-date=29 October 2013 |access-date=1 January 2012 |website=[[Bollywood Hungama]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Pillai |first=Jitesh |author-link=Jitesh Pillai |date=2004 |title=Mughal-E-Azam |work=[[Filmfare]] |url=http://movies.indiatimes.com/articleshow/923452.cms |url-status=dead |access-date=18 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041117130930/http://movies.indiatimes.com/articleshow/923452.cms |archive-date=17 November 2004}}</ref> A review dated 26 August 1960{{sfn|Akbar|2011|p=105}} in ''[[Filmfare]]'' called it a "history-making film&nbsp;... the work of a team of creative artists drawn from different spheres of the art world". It was also described as "a tribute to imagination, hard work and lavishness of its maker, Mr. Asif. For its grandeur, its beauty, and then performances of the artists it should be a landmark in Indian films."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Yesterday once more: From the Filmfare files...reviews from the 1960s |url=http://downloads.movies.indiatimes.com/site/jan2002/ifocus3.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070907040152/http://downloads.movies.indiatimes.com/site/jan2002/ifocus3.html |archive-date=7 September 2007 |access-date=16 August 2013 |publisher=Filmfare Print Edition}}</ref> Another contemporary review from ''[[The Indian Express]]'' focused on the acting and dancing "gifts" of Madhubala.<ref name="IEPaper">{{Cite news |date=12 August 1960 |title=Mughal-E-Azam |page=3 |work=The Indian Express |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=P9oYG7HA76QC&dat=19600812&printsec=frontpage&hl=en |url-status=live |access-date=28 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210210180953/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=P9oYG7HA76QC&dat=19600812&printsec=frontpage&hl=en |archive-date=10 February 2021}}</ref>

Since 2000, reviewers have described the film as a "classic", "benchmark", or "milestone" in the history of Indian cinema.<ref name="art" /><ref name="kumar" /> In 2011, [[Anupama Chopra]] called it "the best Hindi film ever made" and "the apotheosis of the Hindi film form", noting specifically the performances, father-son drama and song sequences.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chopra, Anupama |date=5 March 2011 |title=The Eternal Five |url=http://www.openthemagazine.com/article/voices/the-eternal-five |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029202651/http://www.openthemagazine.com/article/voices/the-eternal-five |archive-date=29 October 2013 |access-date=15 August 2013 |website=[[OPEN (Indian magazine)|OPEN Magazine]]}}</ref> [[Dinesh Raheja]] of [[Rediff.com|Rediff]] called the film a must-see classic, saying "a work of art is the only phrase to describe this historical whose grand palaces-and-fountains look has an epic sweep and whose heart-wrenching core of romance has the tenderness of a feather's touch."<ref name="art" /> Sujata Gupta of ''Planet Bollywood'' gave the film nine out of ten stars, calling it a "must see" that "has captured interest of people over generations".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gupta, Sujata |date=20 August 1996 |title=Film Review&nbsp;– Mughal-E-Azam |url=http://www.planetbollywood.com/Film/Mughal-E-Azam/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029202556/http://www.planetbollywood.com/Film/Mughal-E-Azam/ |archive-date=29 October 2013 |access-date=13 July 2012 |website=Planet Bollywood}}</ref>

K. K. Rai, in his review for ''[[Stardust (magazine)|Stardust]]'' stated, "it can be said that the grandeur and vintage character of ''Mughal-e-Azam'' cannot be repeated, and it will remembered as one of the most significant films made in this country."<ref name="star">{{Cite web |last=Rai, K. K. |date=4 January 2008 |title=''Mughal-e-Azam'' (1960) |url=http://www.magnamags.com/content/view/584/95/lang,english/ |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120718071753/http://www.magnamags.com/content/view/584/95/lang%2Cenglish/ |archive-date=18 July 2012 |access-date=24 June 2012 |website=[[Stardust (magazine)|Stardust]]}}</ref> Ziya Us Salam of ''The Hindu'' described ''Mughal-e-Azam'' as a film people will want to watch over and over again.<ref name="hinrev" /> Raja Sen of Rediff compared the film to ''[[Spartacus (film)|Spartacus]]'' (1960) and said, "''Mughal-e-Azam'' is awesomely, stunningly overwhelming, a magnificent spectacle entirely free of CGI and nonlinear gimmickry, a gargantuan feat of&nbsp;... of&nbsp;... well, of Mughal proportions!"<ref name="senraj">{{Cite web |last=Sen, Raja |date=12 November 2004 |title=Immortal''-e-Azam'' |url=http://www.rediff.com/movies/2004/nov/12mughal.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111104034823/http://www.rediff.com/movies/2004/nov/12mughal.htm |archive-date=4 November 2011 |access-date=24 June 2012 |website=Rediff}}</ref> Laura Bushell of the [[BBC]] rated the film four out of five stars, considering it to be a "benchmark film for both Indian cinema and cinema grandeur in general", and remarking that ''Mughal-E-Azam'' was an epic film in every way.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bushell, Laura |date=11 October 2002 |title=''Mughal-e-Azam'' (The Mogul) (1960) |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2002/10/11/mughal_e_azam_1960_review.shtml |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090215232442/http://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2002/10/11/mughal_e_azam_1960_review.shtml |archive-date=15 February 2009 |access-date=25 June 2012 |website=BBC}}</ref> Naman Ramachandran, reviewing the film for the [[British Film Institute]], noted the depiction of religious tolerance and said the film had a tender heart.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ramachandran, Naman |title=Mughal-E-Azam |url=http://old.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/review/1533 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203053511/http://old.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/review/1533 |archive-date=3 December 2013 |access-date=1 December 2013 |website=British Film Institute}}</ref>

[[Nasreen Munni Kabir]], author of ''The Immortal Dialogue of K. Asif's Mughal-e-Azam'', compared the film to the [[Koh-i-Noor]] diamond for its enduring worth to Indian cinema.<ref name="kumar" /> ''[[Outlook (Indian magazine)|Outlook]]'', in 2008, and ''[[Hindustan Times]]'', in 2011, both declared that the scene in which Salim brushes Anarkali with an ostrich feather was the most erotic and sensuous scene in the history of Indian cinema.<ref name="let" /><ref name="Outlook: Fallen Veil">{{Cite journal |last=Patel |first=Bhaichand |date=19 May 2008 |title=The Fallen Veil |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XDEEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA62 |url-status=live |journal=Outlook |volume=48 |issue=20 |page=54 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210210182808/https://books.google.com/books?id=XDEEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA62 |archive-date=10 February 2021 |access-date=17 October 2020}}</ref>

=== Accolades ===
At the 1961 [[National Film Awards]], ''Mughal-e-Azam'' won the [[National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=8th National Film Awards |url=http://iffi.nic.in/Dff2011/Frm8thNFAAward.aspx?PdfName=46NFA.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928071859/http://iffi.nic.in/Dff2011/Frm8thNFAAward.aspx?PdfName=46NFA.pdf |archive-date=28 September 2011 |access-date=28 August 2011 |website=International Film Festival of India}}</ref> In the 1961 [[Filmfare Awards]], ''Mughal-e-Azam'' was nominated in seven categories: [[Filmfare Award for Best Film|Best Film]], [[Filmfare Award for Best Director|Best Director]] (Asif), [[Filmfare Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]] (Madhubala),<ref name="let" /> [[Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer|Best Playback Singer]] (Mangeshkar), [[Filmfare Award for Best Music Director|Best Music]] (Naushad),<ref>{{Cite web |date=8 May 2006 |title=Naushad: Composer of the century |url=http://www.rediff.com/movies/2006/may/08sl7.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131021150755/http://www.rediff.com/movies/2006/may/08sl7.htm |archive-date=21 October 2013 |access-date=30 July 2012 |website=Rediff}}</ref> [[Filmfare Award for Best Cinematographer|Best Cinematography]] (Mathur), and [[Filmfare Award for Best Dialogue|Best Dialogue]] (Aman, Wajahat Mirza, Kamaal Amrohi, and Ehsan Rizvi), winning the awards for Best Film, Best Cinematography, and Best Dialogue.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Filmfare Award Winners 1961&nbsp;– 8th (Eighth) Filmfare Popular Awards |url=http://www.awardsandshows.com/features/filmfare-awards-1961-163.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120730231654/http://www.awardsandshows.com/features/filmfare-awards-1961-163.html |archive-date=30 July 2012 |access-date=30 July 2012 |website=Awardsandshows.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Filmfare Best Cinematography Award&nbsp;– Filmfare Award Winners For Best Cinematography |url=http://www.awardsandshows.com/features/best-cinematography-award-154.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131021143301/http://www.awardsandshows.com/features/best-cinematography-award-154.html |archive-date=21 October 2013 |access-date=30 July 2012 |website=Awardsandshows.com}}</ref>

{|class= "wikitable"
! Award
! Category
! Nominee
! Result
|-
| [[8th National Film Awards]]
| [[National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi|Best Feature Film in Hindi]]
| rowspan="3"|[[K. Asif]]
| rowspan="2" {{won}}
|-
| rowspan="8"|[[8th Filmfare Awards]]
| [[Filmfare Award for Best Film|Best Film]]
|-
|[[Filmfare Award for Best Director|Best Director]]
| rowspan="5" {{nom}}
|-
|[[Filmfare Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]]
| [[Madhubala]]
|-
|[[Filmfare Award for Best Music Director|Best Music Director]]
| [[Naushad]]
|-
|[[Filmfare Award for Best Lyricist|Best Lyricist]]
| [[Shakeel Badayuni]] for "Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya"
|-
|[[Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer|Best Playback Singer]]
| [[Lata Mangeshkar]] for "Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya"
|-
|[[Filmfare Award for Best Dialogue|Best Dialogue]]
| Aman, [[Wajahat Mirza]], [[Kamal Amrohi]], Ehsan Rizvi
|rowspan="2" {{won}}
|-
| [[Filmfare Award for Best Cinematography|Best Cinematography (B/W)]]
| R. D. Mathur
|-
|}

== Colourisation ==
[[File:Mughal-e-Azam BW Colour comparison.jpg|thumb|left |alt=black-and-white film scene above a colourised version of the same scene |A comparison between the original (''above'') and colourised version]]
''Mughal-e-Azam'' was the first black-and-white Hindi film to be [[Film colorization|digitally coloured]] and the first to be given a theatrical re-release.<ref name="Hindu colour">{{Cite web |title=The colour of profit |url=http://www.frontline.in/static/html/fl2123/stories/20041119002309100.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061021130052/http://www.frontlineonnet.com/fl2123/stories/20041119002309100.htm |archive-date=21 October 2006 |access-date=21 October 2013 |website=The Hindu}}</ref> The Sterling Investment Corporation, the negative rights owner<ref>{{Cite web |date=22 April 2006 |title=Mughal-e-Azam beats Taj Mahal to be 1st Indian film in Pak in 41 yrs |url=http://www.oneindia.com/2006/04/22/mughal-e-azam-beats-taj-mahal-to-be-1st-indian-film-in-pak-in-41-yrs-1145687717.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304035020/http://www.oneindia.com/2006/04/22/mughal-e-azam-beats-taj-mahal-to-be-1st-indian-film-in-pak-in-41-yrs-1145687717.html |archive-date=4 March 2016 |access-date=12 May 2015 |website=OneIndia}}</ref> and an arm of the [[Shapoorji Pallonji Group]], undertook [[Film preservation|restoration]] and colourisation of ''Mughal-e-Azam'' and assigned Deepesh Salgia as Project Designer and Director.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Raghavendra, Nandini |date=14 October 2004 |title=Mughal-e-Azam to rule hearts in multi-colour |work=The Economic Times |url=http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2004-10-14/news/27373127_1_rule-hearts-love-story-colour |url-status=dead |access-date=12 May 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160822225405/http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2004-10-14/news/27373127_1_rule-hearts-love-story-colour |archive-date=22 August 2016}}</ref> They initially approached Hollywood executives for help, but found the sales quotations, ranging from $12–15&nbsp;million, too high.<ref name="Hindu colour" /> In 2002, Umar Siddiqui, managing director of the Indian Academy of Arts and Animation (IAAA), proposed to enhance it digitally at a fraction of the cost.<ref name="Hindu colour" /> To convince the Shapoorji Pallonji Group, one of India's wealthiest companies,<ref name="et1" /> of the commercial viability of the project, the IAAA colourised a four-minute clip and showed it to them. They approved and gave the project the go-ahead. Shapoorji Mistry, grandson of producer Shapoorji Pallonji Mistry, thought it a fitting tribute to complete his grandfather's unfinished dream of colourising the entire film.<ref name="color1">{{Cite news |last=Firdaus Ashraf, Syed |date=29 October 2004 |title=Coloring a classic |work=[[India Abroad]] |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-104816901.html |access-date=26 June 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131105225356/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-104816901.html |archive-date=5 November 2013}}</ref>

The first step towards colourisation was the restoration of the original [[original camera negative|negatives]], which were in poor condition owing to extensive [[release print|printing]] of the negative during the original theatrical release.<ref name="color1" /> Costly and labour-intensive restoration was essential before colourisation could be carried out. The negative was cleaned of fungal growth, damaged portions were restored, and missing parts of frames were re-instated.<ref name="colrer">{{Cite web |date=6 October 2004 |title=The colourful re-entry of ''Mughal-e-Azam'' |url=http://www.sify.com/movies/the-colourful-re-entry-of-mughal-e-azam-news-bollywood-kkfvHnjdhgf.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150205114536/http://www.sify.com/movies/the-colourful-re-entry-of-mughal-e-azam-news-bollywood-kkfvHnjdhgf.html |archive-date=5 February 2015 |access-date=27 June 2012 |website=[[Sify]]}}</ref> After cleaning, each of the 300,000 [[film frame|frames]] of the negative was scanned into a 10 [[megabyte]]s-sized file and then was digitally restored.<ref name="cell" /> The entire restoration work was undertaken by Acris Lab, Chennai.<ref>{{Cite web |date=11 September 2010 |title=Mughal-e-Azam, 50 years later |url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2010/20100911/saturday/main2.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029191606/http://www.tribuneindia.com/2010/20100911/saturday/main2.htm |archive-date=29 October 2013 |website=The Tribune, Saturday Extra}}</ref> The dialogues in the original soundtrack were also in a bad state of preservation, which necessitated having the sound cleaned at Chace Studio in the United States. The background score and the entire musical track was recreated by Naushad and Uttam Singh.<ref name="True">{{Cite journal |last=Unnithan, Sandeep |date=19 July 2004 |title=In its true colours |url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/epic-movie-mughale-azam-returns-in-colour-digital-sound/1/195868.html |journal=[[India Today]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140130064532/http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/epic-movie-mughale-azam-returns-in-colour-digital-sound/1/195868.html |archive-date=2014-01-30 |access-date=15 August 2013}}</ref> For the songs, the original voices of the singers like Lata Mangeshkar, Bade Ghulam Ali Khan and Mohammed Rafi were extracted from the original mixed track and the same were recreated with re-recorded score in 6.1 surround sound.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mughal-E-Azam Website |url=http://www.mughaleazam.in/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150621094302/http://www.mughaleazam.in/ |archive-date=21 June 2015 |access-date=17 June 2015 |publisher=Shapoorji Pallonji & Co. Ltd}}</ref>

The process of colourisation was preceded by extensive research. The art departments visited museums and studied the literature for background on the typical colours of clothing worn at that time. Siddiqui studied the technology used for the colourisation of black-and-white Hollywood classics. The team also approached a number of experts for guidance and suggestions, including Dilip Kumar, production designer [[Nitin Chandrakant Desai]], and a historian from the [[Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi|Jawaharlal Nehru University]] in Delhi.<ref name="color1" /> To undertake the colourisation, Siddiqui brought together a team of around 100 individuals, including computer engineers and software professionals, and organised a number of art departments. The entire project was co-ordinated by Deepesh Salgia, who partnered with companies including Iris Interactive and Rajtaru Studios to execute the colourisation.<ref name="cell" /> The task was controlled and supervised by the producers, who received daily updates and progress reports.<ref name="color1" />

The colourisation team spent 18 months developing software for colouring the frames, called "Effects Plus", which was designed to accept only those colours whose [[hue]] would match the shade of grey present in the original film. This ensured that the colours added were as close to the real colour as possible;<ref name="colrer" /> the authenticity of the colouring was later verified when a costume used in the film was retrieved from a warehouse, and its colours were found to closely match those in the film. Every shot was finally hand-corrected to perfect the look.<ref>{{Cite web |last=K Jha, Subhash |date=2 November 2004 |title=''Mughal-e-Azam'' goes colour |url=http://www.sify.com/movies/mughal-e-azam-goes-colour-news-bollywood-kkfvFoegiag.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120524181601/http://www.sify.com/movies/mughal-e-azam-goes-colour-news-bollywood-kkfvFoegiag.html |archive-date=24 May 2012 |access-date=27 June 2012 |website=[[Sify]]}}</ref> The actual colourisation process took a further 10 months to complete.<ref name="colrer" /> Siddiqui said that it had "been a painstaking process with men working round the clock to complete the project."<ref name="reellink" /> The exact cost of the colourisation is disputed, with a wide variety of estimates ranging from {{INRConvert|20|m|nolink=yes}}<ref name="reellink">{{Cite web |last=Doval, Nikita |date=23 November 2004 |title=''Mughal-e-Azam'', reel link to past |url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2004-11-23/news-interviews/27164695_1_naya-daur-colour-mughal-e-azam |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130103095516/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2004-11-23/news-interviews/27164695_1_naya-daur-colour-mughal-e-azam |archive-date=3 January 2013 |access-date=27 June 2012 |website=[[The Times of India]]}}</ref> to {{INR}}50 million,<ref name="et1" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=August 2004 |title=Resurrection of ''Mughal-e-Azam'' |url=http://specials.rediff.com/money/2004/aug/07wk1.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131021150755/http://specials.rediff.com/money/2004/aug/07wk1.htm |archive-date=21 October 2013 |access-date=2 May 2013 |website=Rediff}}</ref> or {{INR}}100 million.<ref name="color1" />

== Re-releases ==
The film's colour version was released theatrically on 12 November 2004, in 150<ref name="cell" /> prints across India, 65 of which were in [[Maharashtra]]. The new release premiered at the [[Eros Cinema]] in Mumbai. Dilip Kumar, who had not attended the original premiere, was in attendance.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Malani, Gaurav |date=7 August 2008 |title=Saira Banu was Dilip Kumar's fan in Mughal-e-Azam's first premiere and wife in second |work=The Times of India |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/did-you-know-/Saira-Banu-was-Dilip-Kumars-fan-in-Mughal-e-Azams-first-premiere-and-wife-in-second/articleshow/3334335.cms |url-status=live |access-date=2 September 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170518224843/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/did-you-know-/Saira-Banu-was-Dilip-Kumars-fan-in-Mughal-e-Azams-first-premiere-and-wife-in-second/articleshow/3334335.cms |archive-date=18 May 2017}}</ref> The colour version was edited to a running time of 177 minutes,<ref name="colrer" /><ref name="newrt">{{Cite web |title=Mughal-E-Azam |url=https://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/mughal-e-azam-1970 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029191625/http://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/mughal-e-azam-1970 |archive-date=29 October 2013 |access-date=17 August 2013 |website=[[British Board of Film Classification]]}}</ref> as compared to the original version's 197 minutes.<ref name="zulm">{{Cite web |title=Mughal-E-Azam DVD preview |url=http://www.zulm.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=414&mode=&order=0 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120810210614/http://www.zulm.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=414&mode=&order=0 |archive-date=10 August 2012 |access-date=17 August 2013 |website=zulm.net}}</ref> The new release also included a digital reworked soundtrack, produced with the assistance of Naushad, the original composer.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Asthana |first=Arun |date=5 August 2004 |title=Technology &#124; Bollywood classics go colour |work=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/3534886.stm |url-status=live |access-date=1 July 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131021190849/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/3534886.stm |archive-date=21 October 2013}}</ref> The release on the festive [[Diwali]] weekend came with three other major releases: ''[[Veer-Zaara]]'', ''[[Aitraaz]]'', and ''[[Naach (2004 film)|Naach]]''. It became the 19th highest grossing Hindi film of the year, behind ''Aitraaz'' and ''Veer-Zaara'' (the top grosser), but ahead of ''Naach''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Box Office 2004 |url=http://www.boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=210&catName=MjAwNA== |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131014132208/http://boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=210&catName=MjAwNA%3D%3D |archive-date=14 October 2013 |access-date=25 July 2012 |website=Box Office India}}</ref>

''Mughal-e-Azam'' became the first full-length feature film colourised for a theatrical re-release; although some Hollywood films had been colourised earlier, they were only available for home media. It was subsequently selected for seven international film festivals, including the [[55th Berlin International Film Festival]].<ref name="cell" /><ref>{{Cite news |date=18 February 2005 |title=For Berlin fest |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-fridayreview/for-berlin-fest/article28579157.ece |url-status=live |access-date=31 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210208221107/https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-fridayreview/for-berlin-fest/article28579157.ece |archive-date=8 February 2021}}</ref> Upon release, the film drew crowds to the cinemas,<ref name="kumar" /> with an overall occupancy of 90 per cent.<ref name="reellink" /> Subsequently, it completed a 25-week run.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chanchal, Anu |date=8 November 2012 |title=Top 12: Bollywood Diwali Releases |url=http://www.indiatimes.com/bollywood/top-12-bollywood-diwali-releases-46448-2.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130610044432/http://www.indiatimes.com/bollywood/top-12-bollywood-diwali-releases-46448-2.html |archive-date=10 June 2013 |access-date=4 June 2013 |website=The Times of India}}</ref> While some critics complained that the colours were "psychedelic" or "unnatural", others hailed the effort as a technological achievement.<ref name="reellink" /> Film critic Kevin Thomas of the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' remarked that while colourising was not a good idea for most black-and-white classics, it was perfect in this particular instance. He compared it to films by [[Cecil B. DeMille]] and to ''[[Gone with the Wind (film)|Gone With the Wind]]'' (1939) for its larger-than-life storytelling.<ref name="lat" /> ''[[The Guardian]]'' said that although the new version was an improvement, "the fake colours tend to look flat and brash, detracting from cinematographer RD Mathur's elegantly composed shots."<ref name="guardian" /> The BBC's Jaspreet Pandohar, observing that the film was "restored in appealing candy-colours and high quality sound", considered it a "cross between ''Gone With the Wind'' and ''[[Ben-Hur (1959 film)|Ben-Hur]]''".<ref name="BBC">{{Cite web |last=Pandohar, Jaspreet |date=29 March 2005 |title=Mughal-E-Azam (The Great Mughal) (2005) |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2005/03/21/mughal_e_azam_2004_review.shtml |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121106180938/http://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2005/03/21/mughal_e_azam_2004_review.shtml |archive-date=6 November 2012 |access-date=12 August 2013 |website=BBC Home}}</ref> Other critics have said that they prefer the black and white version.<ref name="Outlook: Fallen Veil" /><ref>{{Cite news |last=Bhaskaran, Gautaman |date=19 November 2004 |title=Mughal-e-Azam |work=[[The Hindu]] |url=https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-fridayreview/mughal-e-azam/article28577584.ece |url-status=live |access-date=3 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210430201209/https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-fridayreview/mughal-e-azam/article28577584.ece |archive-date=30 April 2021}}</ref>

In 2006, ''Mughal-e-Azam'' became only the fourth Indian film certified for showing in Pakistan since the [[Cinema of Pakistan#The Golden Era (1959–1977)|1965 ban on Indian cinema]], and was released with a premiere in [[Lahore]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Adarsh |first=Taran |date=13 February 2006 |title='Mughal-E-Azam' censored in Pakistan |url=http://www.sify.com/movies/mughal-e-azam-censored-in-pakistan-news-bollywood-kkfvtdefjcd.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161103131938/http://www.sify.com/movies/mughal-e-azam-censored-in-pakistan-news-bollywood-kkfvtdefjcd.html |archive-date=3 November 2016 |access-date=1 July 2012 |website=[[Sify]]}}</ref> It was distributed by Nadeem Mandviwala Entertainment, at the request of Asif's son, Akbar Asif.<ref>{{Cite web |last=[[United News of India|UNI]] |date=23 April 2006 |title=Mughal-e-Azam releases in Pakistan: will others follow suit? |url=http://www.oneindia.com/2006/04/23/mughal-e-azam-releases-in-pakistan-will-others-follow-suit-1145777672.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303234820/http://www.oneindia.com/2006/04/23/mughal-e-azam-releases-in-pakistan-will-others-follow-suit-1145777672.html |archive-date=3 March 2016 |access-date=1 July 2012 |website=OneIndia}}</ref>

== Legacy ==
''Mughal-e-Azam'' is one of only two films directed by Asif; one of his unfinished projects was released posthumously as a tribute.<ref name="making" /> Over time the title has become part of Hindi film vernacular, used to describe a project that is taking too long to complete.<ref name="lasting" /> Art director Omung Kumar, who has designed sets for major Indian films such as ''[[Black (2005 film)|Black]]'' (2005) and ''[[Saawariya]]'' (2007), said that he and others in his field look to ''Mughal-e-Azam'' as a source of inspiration for art direction.<ref name="fifty">{{Cite news |date=5 August 2010 |title=Fifty years on, 'Mughal-e-Azam' still inspires awe |work=Deccan Herald |agency=Indo-Asian News Service |url=http://www.deccanherald.com/content/86262/fifty-years-mughal-e-azam.html |url-status=live |access-date=2 July 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110511111832/http://www.deccanherald.com/content/86262/fifty-years-mughal-e-azam.html |archive-date=11 May 2011}}</ref> It has also been used as a model for the perfect love story, requiring directors to ensure lovers overcome obstacles.<ref name="lasting" /> Following her success in the film, Madhubala could have gone on to land further major roles, but she was advised not to overwork owing to her heart condition, and had to withdraw from some productions that were already underway.<ref name="art" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Raheja, Dinesh |date=18 October 2002 |title=Madhubala: a sweet seduction |url=http://www.rediff.com/entertai/2002/oct/18dinesh.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120707065755/http://www.rediff.com/entertai/2002/oct/18dinesh.htm |archive-date=7 July 2012 |access-date=29 July 2012 |website=Rediff}}</ref>

''The Guardian'' in 2013 cited ''Mughal-e-Azam'' as a "landmark of cinema" despite its historical inaccuracies,<ref name="guardian" /> and the BBC stated in 2005 that it is "widely considered one of Bollywood's most iconic films".<ref name="BBC" /> Imtiaz Ali of ''The Times of India'' in 2010 called it the "most proto-typical, high involvement, expensive, passionate piece of work that Hindi cinema has ever produced", one that "set the standard for everything that will ever come after it".<ref name="lasting" /> It continues to be regarded by critics as the Indian equivalent of ''Gone with the Wind''.{{sfn|Mahbubani|2009|p=171}} Filmmaker [[Subhash Ghai]] was quoted in 2010 as saying that a film like this could never be repeated: "''Mughal-e-Azam'' is an all-time classic and has been the ultimate love story in Hindi cinema at all levels. So it will always remain alive for generations to come."<ref name="fifty" /> To commemorate the film's anniversary, the actor and producer [[Shah Rukh Khan]] had his company [[Red Chillies Entertainment]] produce a documentary video titled ''Mughal-E-Azam&nbsp;– A Tribute by a son to his father''. Hosted by Khan, it includes interviews with Asif's family and Hindi film stars.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Shah, Kunal M |date=18 February 2011 |title=King Khan makes documentary on Mughal-E-Azam, Entertainment&nbsp;– Bollywood |work=Mumbai Mirror |url=http://mumbaimirror.indiatimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/King-Khan-makes-documentary-on-Mughal-E-Azam/articleshow/16103019.cms |url-status=dead |access-date=4 June 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161103132243/http://mumbaimirror.indiatimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/King-Khan-makes-documentary-on-Mughal-E-Azam/articleshow/16103019.cms |archive-date=3 November 2016}}</ref> Artist [[M. F. Husain]] created a series of paintings for the video, in which he re-imagined some memorable scenes.<ref>{{Cite news |date=25 February 2011 |title=M.F. Husain revives 'Mughal E Azam' through paintings |work=Deccan Herald |agency=Indo-Asian News Service |url=http://www.deccanherald.com/content/140935/mf-husain-revives-mughal-e.html |url-status=live |access-date=3 July 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110830231755/http://www.deccanherald.com/content/140935/mf-husain-revives-mughal-e.html |archive-date=30 August 2011}}</ref> Interested in preserving the film for future generations, Khan noted that his father was originally cast in the film but did not complete it. When asked if ''Mughal-e-Azam'' should be remade, he retorted: "It is the mother of all films; mothers cannot be remade".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ahmed, Afsana |date=25 February 2011 |title=SRK dons new role with Mughal-E-Azam |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/SRK-dons-new-role-with-Mughal-E-Azam/articleshow/7569361.cms? |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170519011343/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/SRK-dons-new-role-with-Mughal-E-Azam/articleshow/7569361.cms |archive-date=19 May 2017 |access-date=3 July 2012 |website=The Times of India}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=25 February 2011 |title=Classics like 'Mughal-e-Azam' cannot be remade: SRK |work=The Indian Express |url=http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/classics-like-mughaleazam-cannot-be-remade-srk/754723/0 |url-status=live |access-date=3 July 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305225709/http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/classics-like-mughaleazam-cannot-be-remade-srk/754723/0 |archive-date=5 March 2016}}</ref> No sequels have been made, but ''[[Maan Gaye Mughal-e-Azam]]'' (2008) paid tribute with its title and by including in its plot part of the original stage play; it received very poor ratings from critics.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Mohamed, Khalid |date=22 August 2008 |title=Review: Maan Gaye Mughall-e-Azam |work=Hindustan Times |url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/movie-reviews/review-maan-gaye-mughall-e-azam/story-SgnDBnm2x4rmV82UX8P44K.html |url-status=live |access-date=13 July 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151005112056/http://www.hindustantimes.com/movie-reviews/review-maan-gaye-mughall-e-azam/story-SgnDBnm2x4rmV82UX8P44K.html |archive-date=5 October 2015}}</ref> In October 2016, producer [[Feroz Abbas Khan]] premiered a ''[[Mughal-e-Azam (musical)|stage play]]'' based on the film with a cast of over 70 actors and dancers at Mumbai's [[National Centre for the Performing Arts (India)|NCPA theatre]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chhabra, Aseem |date=27 October 2017 |title=''Mughal-e-Azam'': A world class Indian production at last |url=http://www.rediff.com/movies/report/mughal-e-azam-a-world-class-indian-production-at-last/20161027.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170908141720/http://www.rediff.com/movies/report/mughal-e-azam-a-world-class-indian-production-at-last/20161027.htm |archive-date=8 September 2017 |access-date=24 October 2017 |website=[[Rediff.com]]}}</ref>

''Mughal-e-Azam'' ranks on the lists of top Indian films, including the 2002 British Film Institute poll of Top 10 Indian Films,<ref name="bfipoll">{{Cite web |year=2002 |title=Top 10 Indian Films |url=http://www.bfi.org.uk/features/imagineasia/guide/poll/india |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110515101729/http://www.bfi.org.uk/features/imagineasia/guide/poll/india/ |archive-date=15 May 2011 |access-date=12 July 2012 |website=British Film Institute}}</ref> and Anupama Chopra's 2009 list The Best Bollywood Films.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Anupama Chopra |date=24 February 2009 |title=The Best Bollywood Films |url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2009/02/24/the-best-bollywood-films.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120724164748/http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2009/02/24/the-best-bollywood-films.html |archive-date=24 July 2012 |access-date=13 July 2012 |website=[[The Daily Beast]]}}</ref> It is also included in [[IBN Live]]'s 2013 list of the "100 greatest Indian films of all time".<ref>{{Cite web |date=17 April 2013 |title=100 Years of Indian Cinema: The 100 greatest Indian films of all time |url=http://www.news18.com/photogallery/movies/100-years-of-indian-cinema-the-100-greatest-indian-films-of-all-time-903065.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130425234818/http://ibnlive.in.com/photogallery/13200-56.html |archive-date=25 April 2013 |access-date=12 February 2014 |website=[[IBN Live]] |page=36}}</ref> [[Rotten Tomatoes]] has sampled 10 reviewers and judged 91% of them to be positive, with an average rating of 7.9 out of 10.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mughal E Azam |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/mughal-e-azam/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161103132958/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/mughal-e-azam/ |archive-date=3 November 2016 |access-date=22 August 2013 |website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]}}</ref> It was named the greatest Bollywood film of all time by a poll celebrating 100 years of Indian cinema by [[British Asian]] weekly newspaper ''[[Eastern Eye]]'' in July 2013.<ref>{{Cite news |date=18 July 2013 |title='Mughal-e-Azam' named greatest Bollywood film in UK poll |work=CNN-News18 |agency=[[Press Trust of India]] |url=http://www.news18.com/news/india/mughal-e-azam-named-greatest-bollywood-film-in-uk-poll-624565.html |url-status=live |access-date=18 July 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160508195215/http://www.news18.com/news/india/mughal-e-azam-named-greatest-bollywood-film-in-uk-poll-624565.html |archive-date=8 May 2016}}</ref> It belongs to a small collection of films including ''[[Kismet (1943 film)|Kismet]]'' (1943), ''[[Mother India]]'' (1957), ''[[Sholay]]'' (1975), and ''[[Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!]]'' (1994), that are watched repeatedly throughout India and are viewed as definitive Hindi films of cultural significance.{{sfnm|1a1=Mishra|1y=2002|1p=66|2a1=Morcom|2y=2007|2pp=139–144}} Books and documentaries made about the film include Shakil Warsi's ''Mughal-E-Azam&nbsp;– An Epic of Eternal Love'', published by Rupa in 2009.<ref name="bh2">{{Cite web |last=Tuteja, Joginder |date=14 September 2009 |title=Book Review: Mughal-E-Azam&nbsp;– An Epic of Eternal Love |url=https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/news/features/book-review-mughal-e-azam-an-epic-of-eternal-love/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161104035614/http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/news/features/book-review-mughal-e-azam-an-epic-of-eternal-love/ |archive-date=4 November 2016 |access-date=19 August 2013 |website=Bollywood Hungama}}</ref><!-- The name ''Mughal-e-Azam'' has been adopted by businesses, including restaurants.{{Citation needed|date=November 2021}} -->

== Footnotes ==
{{notes
| notes =
{{efn
| name = exchange1960
| The exchange rate in 1960 was 4.77 [[Indian rupee]]s ({{INR}}) per 1 US dollar (US$).{{sfn|Statistical Abstract of the United States|1961|p=937}}
}}}}

== See also ==
* [[List of historical drama films set in Asia]]
* [[100 Crore Club]]
* [[1000 Crore Club]]
* [[List of highest-grossing films in India]]
* [[1960 in film]]
* [[List of Hindi films of 1960|Hindi films of 1960]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== Bibliography ==
{{refbegin|25em}}
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*{{Cite book |last=Arif |first=Salim |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8y8vN9A14nkC |title=Encyclopaedia of Hindi Cinema |publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica, Popular Prakashan |year=2003 |isbn=978-81-7991-066-5 |editor-last=Gulzar |chapter=Costumes: The Essence and Fabric |access-date=5 November 2015 |editor-last2=Nihalani |editor-first2=Govind |editor-last3=Chatterjee |editor-first3=Saibal |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190405040645/https://books.google.com/books?id=8y8vN9A14nkC |archive-date=5 April 2019 |url-status=live}}
*{{Cite book |last=Bose |first=Mihir |url=https://archive.org/details/bollywood-a-history/page/n103 |title=Bollywood: A History |date=2006 |publisher=Tempus |isbn=978-0-7524-2835-2 |language=en}}
*{{Cite book |last=Chakravarty |first=Sumita S. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=l8T0uwJtMxkC&pg=PA168 |title=National Identity in Indian Popular Cinema, 1947–1987 |publisher=University of Texas Press |year=1993 |isbn=978-0-292-78985-2 |access-date=5 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160504165501/https://books.google.com/books?id=l8T0uwJtMxkC&pg=PA168 |archive-date=4 May 2016 |url-status=live}}
*{{Cite book |last=Dwyer |first=Rachel |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZsKR1RKoJKUC&pg=PA116 |title=Filming the Gods: Religion and Indian Cinema |date=7 June 2006 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-134-38070-1 |access-date=5 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160511214548/https://books.google.com/books?id=ZsKR1RKoJKUC&pg=PA116 |archive-date=11 May 2016 |url-status=live}}
*{{Cite book |last=Ganti |first=Tejaswini |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GTEa93azj9EC |title=Bollywood: a Guidebook to Popular Hindi Cinema |publisher=Taylor & Francis |year=2004 |isbn=978-0-415-28854-5 |access-date=5 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170320134221/https://books.google.com/books?id=GTEa93azj9EC |archive-date=20 March 2017 |url-status=live}}
*{{Cite book |last1=Gokulsing |first1=K. Moti |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QwGgF-rDucEC&pg=PT359 |title=Routledge Handbook of Indian Cinemas |last2=Dissanayake |first2=Wimal |date=17 April 2013 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0-415-67774-5 |access-date=5 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160511130332/https://books.google.com/books?id=QwGgF-rDucEC&pg=PT359 |archive-date=11 May 2016 |url-status=live}}
*{{Cite book |last=Jain |first=Madhu |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=l3heZ8I-k9AC&pg=PT39 |title=Kapoors: The First Family of Indian Cinema |date=17 April 2009 |publisher=Penguin Books Limited |isbn=978-81-8475-813-9 |access-date=5 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160624073603/https://books.google.com/books?id=l3heZ8I-k9AC&pg=PT39 |archive-date=24 June 2016 |url-status=live}}
*{{Cite book |last1=Kavoori |first1=Anandam P. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2CqERCzWn5gC&pg=PA135 |title=Global Bollywood |last2=Punathambekar |first2=Aswin |publisher=NYU Press |year=2008 |isbn=978-0-8147-2944-1 |access-date=5 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160529125337/https://books.google.com/books?id=2CqERCzWn5gC&pg=PA135 |archive-date=29 May 2016 |url-status=live}}
*{{Cite book |last=Keswani |first=Rajkumar |title=Dastan-e-Mughal-e-Azam |date=February 2020 |publisher=Manjul Publishing House |isbn=9789389647389 |location=Bhopal, India |language=Hindi }}
*{{Cite book |last=Khubchandani |first=Lata |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8y8vN9A14nkC |title=Encyclopaedia of Hindi Cinema |publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica, Popular Prakashan |year=2003 |isbn=978-81-7991-066-5 |editor-last=Gulzar |chapter=Song and Dance: Song Picturization and Choreography |access-date=5 November 2015 |editor-last2=Nihalani |editor-first2=Govind |editor-last3=Chatterjee |editor-first3=Saibal |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190405040645/https://books.google.com/books?id=8y8vN9A14nkC |archive-date=5 April 2019 |url-status=live}}
*{{Cite book |last=Mahbubani |first=Kishore |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zdw3hyNPj34C&pg=PA171 |title=The New Asian Hemisphere: The Irresistible Shift of Global Power to the East |publisher=PublicAffairs |year=2009 |isbn=978-1-58648-628-0 |access-date=5 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160427110901/https://books.google.com/books?id=zdw3hyNPj34C&pg=PA171 |archive-date=27 April 2016 |url-status=live}}
*{{Cite book |last=Mishra |first=Vijay |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8Q8Z9Ukwn6EC |title=Bollywood Cinema: Temples of Desire |publisher=Routledge |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-415-93015-4 |access-date=5 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160617214223/https://books.google.com/books?id=8Q8Z9Ukwn6EC |archive-date=17 June 2016 |url-status=live}}
*{{Cite book |last=Morcom |first=Anna |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kfVdxiSm-aYC&pg=PA212 |title=Hindi Film Songs and the Cinema |publisher=Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. |year=2007 |isbn=978-0-7546-5198-7 |access-date=5 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160517041801/https://books.google.com/books?id=kfVdxiSm-aYC&pg=PA212 |archive-date=17 May 2016 |url-status=live}}
*{{Cite book |last=Nandy |first=Ashis |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5-mFd5pfgNsC&pg=PA24 |title=The Secret Politics of Our Desires: Innocence, Culpability and Indian Popular Cinema |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan |year=1998 |isbn=978-1-85649-516-5 |access-date=5 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160502054949/https://books.google.com/books?id=5-mFd5pfgNsC&pg=PA24 |archive-date=2 May 2016 |url-status=live}}
*{{Cite book |last=Pauwels |first=Heidi R.M. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Y0EcXUpwMgUC&pg=PA127 |title=Indian Literature and Popular Cinema: Recasting Classics |publisher=Routledge: Taylor & Francis Group |year=2007 |isbn=978-0-203-93329-9 |access-date=5 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160611050904/https://books.google.com/books?id=Y0EcXUpwMgUC&pg=PA127 |archive-date=11 June 2016 |url-status=live}}
*{{Cite book |last=Pauwels |first=Heidi R.M. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BSRXu4pcyCsC&pg=PA472 |title=The Goddess as Role Model: Sita and Radha in Scripture and on Screen |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2008 |isbn=978-0-19-970857-4 |access-date=5 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160427060726/https://books.google.com/books?id=BSRXu4pcyCsC&pg=PA472 |archive-date=27 April 2016 |url-status=live}}
* {{Cite book |last1=Rajadhyaksha |first1=Ashish |title=Encyclopaedia of Indian Cinema |last2=Willemen |first2=Paul |publisher=[[British Film Institute]] and [[Oxford University Press]] |year=1998 |isbn=0-19-563579-5 |author-link=Ashish Rajadhyaksha |author-link2=Paul Willemen |orig-date=1994}}
*{{Cite book |last=Rishi |first=Tilak |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=r623sWyGm0sC&pg=PA187 |title=Bless You Bollywood!: A Tribute to Hindi Cinema on Completing 100 Years |date=May 2012 |publisher=Trafford Publishing |isbn=978-1-4669-3963-9 |access-date=5 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160624212514/https://books.google.com/books?id=r623sWyGm0sC&pg=PA187 |archive-date=24 June 2016 |url-status=live}}
*{{Cite book |last=Roy |first=Sharmishta |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8y8vN9A14nkC |title=Encyclopaedia of Hindi Cinema |publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica, Popular Prakashan |year=2003 |isbn=978-81-7991-066-5 |editor-last=Gulzar |chapter=Art Direction: Sets, Reality, and Grandeur |access-date=5 November 2015 |editor-last2=Nihalani |editor-first2=Govind |editor-last3=Chatterjee |editor-first3=Saibal |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190405040645/https://books.google.com/books?id=8y8vN9A14nkC |archive-date=5 April 2019 |url-status=live}}
*{{Cite book |last=Teo |first=Stephen |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6Lc0L9IyDccC&pg=PA57 |title=The Asian Cinema Experience: Styles, Spaces, Theory |publisher=Routledge |year=2012 |isbn=978-1-136-29608-6 |access-date=5 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160510212220/https://books.google.com/books?id=6Lc0L9IyDccC&pg=PA57 |archive-date=10 May 2016 |url-status=live}}
*{{Cite book |last=Warsi |first=Shakil |url=https://www.google.com/search?q=isbn:9788129113214 |title=Mughal-E-Azam |publisher=Rupa & Company |year=2009 |isbn=978-81-291-1321-4 |access-date=17 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220826091445/https://www.google.com/search?q=isbn:9788129113214 |archive-date=26 August 2022 |url-status=live}}
*{{Cite book |url=http://www2.census.gov/prod2/statcomp/documents/1961-14.pdf |title=Statistical Abstract of the United States: 1961 |publisher=US Bureau of the Census |year=1961 |ref={{sfnRef|Statistical Abstract of the United States|1961}} |access-date=7 June 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029202740/http://www2.census.gov/prod2/statcomp/documents/1961-14.pdf |archive-date=29 October 2013 |url-status=live}}
{{refend}}

==Further reading==
* {{Cite book |last1=Asif, K. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dSEcAQAAIAAJ |title=The Immortal Dialogue of K. Asif's Mughal-e-Azam |last2=Kabir, Nasreen Munni |last3=Akhtar, Suhail |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2007 |isbn=978-0-19-568496-4 |author-link=K. Asif |author-link2=Nasreen Munni Kabir}}

== External links ==
* {{IMDb title}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20160310003619/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b749e8ee3 ''Mughal-e-Azam''] at the [[British Film Institute]] (archived){{better source needed|reason=Help request: a live link can be searched for at https://collections-search.bfi.org.uk/web/search/expert - if available, replace the archive URL with the live link. Or if none found, remove this 'better source needed' template. | date=October 2023}}
* {{TCMDb title}}
* {{Bollywood Hungama movie}}

{{National Film Award Best Feature Film Hindi}}
{{FilmfareAwardBestFilm 1961–1980}}
{{Portal bar|Bollywood|Film|India}}

[[Category:1960 films]]
[[Category:1960 romantic drama films]]
[[Category:1960s Hindi-language films]]
[[Category:1960s historical drama films]]
[[Category:1960s historical romance films]]
[[Category:1960s Urdu-language films]]
[[Category:Best Hindi Feature Film National Film Award winners]]
[[Category:Biographical films about royalty]]
[[Category:Cross-dressing in Indian films]]
[[Category:Cultural depictions of Akbar]]
[[Category:Films about courtesans in India]]
[[Category:Films about royalty]]
[[Category:Films adapted into plays]]
[[Category:Films directed by K. Asif]]
[[Category:Films partially in color]]
[[Category:Films scored by Naushad]]
[[Category:Films set in the 16th century]]
[[Category:Films set in the Mughal Empire]]
[[Category:Films shot in Mumbai]]
[[Category:Historical epic films]]
[[Category:Indian biographical drama films]]
[[Category:Indian epic films]]
[[Category:Indian films based on plays]]
[[Category:Indian historical drama films]]
[[Category:Indian historical romance films]]
[[Category:Indian romantic drama films]]
[[Category:Romantic epic films]]
[[Category:Urdu-language Indian films]]
[[Category:Films set in Lahore]]