Mughal-e-Azam

Mughal-e-azam poster for sale.

Featured here is an extremely are original vintage two sheet Bollywood poster of the epic 1960 Hindi black and white film that is unanimously considered as one of the greatest Indian films ever made.

Directed by K. Asif and produced by Shapoorji Pallonji under the Sterling Investment Corporation banner, Mughal-e-Azam (1960) starred Prithviraj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar, Madhubala and Durga Khote in key roles. Nigar Sultana, Ajit, Johnny Walker, Jalal Agha and Baby Tabassum played supporting roles in the epic.

This rare vintage two sheet Mughal-e-Azam poster was originally designed for publicity of the film during it’s first original theatrical release (somewhere in 1960) but never ended up being used.

Originally hand painted on canvas by one of the finest Bollywood poster artists in Indian cinema, Gopal Balwant Kamble (G. Kamble), this rare original Mughal-e-Azam poster features stunning artwork.

“Emperor of Acting” and the “First Khan” of Indian Cinema, Dilip Kumar is seen hugging Bollywood’s eternal beauty queen, Madhubala in a striking illustration at the center. A bloody hand holding a dagger has been painted alongside the couple, signifying the disapproval of their relationship and the epic battle that ensues between father and son.

The royal decree or “farman” written in Urdu affixed with the emperor’s seal is seen in the background. The dagger seems to be resting its sharpest tip on the scroll on the left of this original Mughal-e-azam poster. Actor Prithviraj Kapoor is seen in a smaller full length rendition at the bottom holding a fire torch in one hand, about to light a canon that is aimed at the castle mount where Dilip Kumar has been tied to be executed. An explosion and several flames are seen in the illustration, narrating a vivid tale.

A royal Mughal palace is seen on the top left, along with several subjects of the kingdom painted in striking detail below. An announcement on the top reads, “Sterling Investment Corporation Private Limited presents K. Asif’s Mughal-e-Azam.” The bottom credits director K. Asif again as well as music director Naushad.

The dramatic background and strong color tones of red and gold hues give this vintage Mughal-e-Azam poster a stunning appearance. Lettering used in this rare Bollywood poster is entirely in Devanagari Hindi.

The printed signature of master Bollywood poster painter Gopal Balwant Kamble is seen on the bottom center of the poster as “G. Kamble Kolhapur (India).” The title of the film appears in white, set against a black background.

Mughal-e-Azam tells the story of Mughal Prince “Salim” (played by Dilip Kumar) who falls in love with court dancer “Anarkali” (played by Madhubala) and wants to make her his queen. The relationship is disapproved by his father, King “Akbar” (played by Prithviraj Kapoor), leading to a war between father and son.

Mughal-e-Azam (1960) is the first full length black and white feature film in the history of Indian cinema to be colorized for a theatrical re-release. The film’s color version was released theatrically on 12 November 2004, with a digital reworked soundtrack.

Mughal-e-Azam has the distinction of being the most expensive Hindi film ever made in Indian cinema. It is consistently ranked in polls as the greatest Hindi film ever made in Indian cinematic history. The film held the coveted title of ‘highest grossing Hindi film of all time’ for a full 15 years after its first black and white release in 1960, making this Madhubala poster photo, highly collectible!

A milestone in Indian cinema, the soundtrack album of the film is credited as one of the best in the history Bollywood and continues to be played till today. The film ranks on the lists of top Indian films, including the 2002 British Film Institute poll of “Top 10 Indian Films.”  The soundtrack album of the film was composed by legendary music director Naushad and lyrics were written by Shakeel Badayuni. “Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya” sung by Lata Mangeshkar has become an eternal classic, which continues to be played till today.

At a vintage Bollywood movie memorabilia auction in September 2014, the same original first release two-sheet Mughal-e-Azam poster featured here was consigned by Indian Hippy – Bollywood Movie Posters. It sold for $4,164.49, while a three sheet Mughal-e-Azam poster at the same auction sold for $4,737.11. Combined together in one single lot, the two posters were sold for $8,901.60 to the biggest superstar of Bollywood, Shah Rukh Khan. The auction established a world record of most expensive unsigned vintage Bollywood poster lot ever sold, which remains unbroken till today.