Did you know Dilip Kumar slapped Madhubala with ‘full force’ after break-up, Mughal-e-Azam director said it ‘proves he still...'

Dilip Kumar and Madhubala's relationship went from being a love story to a painful breakup during the filming of Mughal-e-Azam. The reasons for their separation were complex, involving interference from Madhubala's father and the Naya Daur case, where BR Chopra sued Madhubala and called Dilip Kumar as a witness.

This was the final blow to their relationship. Despite their personal turmoil, the filming of Mughal-e-Azam continued.

One memorable incident during the shoot occurred when there was a scene where Dilip Kumar’s character, Salim, was supposed to slap Madhubala’s Anarkali. In most films, such scenes are staged, and the actors don't actually hit each other. However, in this case, Dilip Kumar took it a step further and slapped Madhubala for real, turning a screen slap into an actual one.

The incident is recounted in the book I Want To Live: The Story Of Madhubala, written by Khatija Akbar, through the perspective of Ajit, their co-actor in Mughal-e-Azam. Ajit, who also worked with Dilip Kumar in Naya Daur, shared that Dilip Kumar "let go" and slapped Madhubala with "full force." Although the shot was approved, it created an awkward silence on the set, as no one expected the slap to be real. This moment reflected the tension between the two during the filming of Mughal-e-Azam, which had already been marked by their personal fallout.

Ajit recounted that after the slap, Madhubala stood there, stunned. K Asif, the director of Mughal-e-Azam, quickly approached her and tried to console her by saying that the slap was proof that Dilip Kumar still had feelings for her, despite their breakup. He reportedly told Madhubala, “I am very happy today for it is apparent he still loves you. Who, but a man in love, could have done something like this? It only proves he loved you and continues to love you whatever you may think.”

However, this comment from the director had no effect on Madhubala. She was deeply shocked and hurt, feeling that the man who once professed his love for her had slapped her in the name of acting.