Madhubala (1933–1969) was an Indian actress and producer who appeared in 73 Hindi-language films in a career spanning from early 1940s to mid-1960s. She made her debut at age 9 playing an uncredited role in the romantic musical Basant (1942). In 1944, she signed a contract with Ranjit Movietone, under which she featured in minor roles for the next two years. The contract ended in 1947, prompting director Kidar Sharma to cast Madhubala as the leading lady in the drama Neel Kamal (1947). Although a commercial failure, the film garnered her critical praise, and she subsequently rose to prominence after playing key characters in the drama Lal Dupatta (1948) and the horror film Mahal (1949). For a brief period, Madhubala continued starring in a number of successful productions, including the ro