Madhubala, often hailed as one of the most beautiful actresses in Indian cinema, had a surprising first love—none other than a renowned villain.
Before her famous relationships with Dilip Kumar and Kishore Kumar, Madhubala had fallen for this actor, marking the beginning of her love story in Bollywood. However, their romance didn’t last long, and they eventually parted ways.
In a revealing interview, Prem Nath’s son, Monty, shared intimate details of the relationship between his father and Madhubala.
The actress's beauty quickly became the talk of the town when she entered the Hindi film industry, captivating many Bollywood personalities, including Prem Nath. The two starred together in four films, but their bond deepened during the 1951 film Baadal.
Madhubala’s sister, Madhur Bhushan, also shed light on a pivotal moment in their relationship.
According to Madhur, Madhubala boldly took the first step in their romance by proposing to Prem Nath.
On the very first day of the Baadal shoot, Madhubala walked into Prem Nath’s makeup room, offering him a love letter and a rose. The letter read, "If you love me, please accept this rose. Otherwise, please return it to me."
Prem Nath, stunned by this unexpected gesture from the most beautiful woman in the world, readily accepted her proposal.
Prem Nath, deeply in love with Madhubala, even hoped to marry her.
However, their differing religious backgrounds made it difficult for them to take that step. Some reports suggest that Madhubala even proposed converting her religion to marry him, but Prem Nath was not willing to accept this.
Eventually, their relationship came to an end.
Around the same time, Madhubala met actor Dilip Kumar, and they went on to star in several successful films together, with audiences falling in love with their on-screen chemistry. The pair became one of Bollywood’s most adored couples.
Despite the breakup, Prem Nath’s feelings for Madhubala never waned.
Even after she moved on, Prem Nath continued to hold her in his heart.
In a conversation with Filmfare, Monty revealed that his father’s love for Madhubala remained unchanged throughout his life.
After Madhubala’s father fell ill and encountered financial difficulties, Prem Nath quietly visited him and left a cheque for one lakh rupees under his pillow. When Monty asked him why he did this, Prem Nath explained, “If I had married Madhubala, I would have been her son-in-law. I was just fulfilling my duty as a son-in-law.”
Prem Nath, born on November 21, 1926, in Peshawar, defied his father’s wishes to pursue a career in films. He went on to act in over 100 films and was married to actress Beena Rai.
He regarded Prithviraj Kapoor as his mentor and appeared in numerous hit films, often featuring in major productions by RK Studios.
His sister, Krishna Raj Kapoor, was married to Raj Kapoor, and his other sister, Uma, was married to actor Prem Chopra.
After Krishna’s marriage to Raj Kapoor, Prem Nath became a regular fixture in RK Studios’ films.
Prem Nath passed away on November 3, 1992, at the age of 65 from a heart attack.
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