Madhubala was born Mumtaz Jahan Nehlavi on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 1933. Perhaps was no coincidence with such a birthday that Madhubala would grow up to become one of the most beloved romantic heroines of India.
Indian actress Madhubala as photographed by James Burke for LIFE magazine in 1951.
The young beauty shot to fame in 1949 at the age of 16 in Kamal Amrohi’s Mahal with Bollywood veteran Ashok Kumar.
The lovely Madhubala in an unscripted moment in her room in Bombay.