24 Facts About Mughal-e-Azam

Development of Mughal-e-Azam began in 1944, when Asif read a 1922 play called Anarkali which is set in the reign of Emperor Akbar.

Mughal-e-Azam had the widest release of any Indian film up to that time, and patrons often queued all day for tickets.

Mughal-e-Azam was the first black-and-white Hindi film to be digitally coloured, and the first in any language to be given a theatrical re-release.

Mughal-e-Azam's father sends him off to war, to teach him courage and discipline.

Mughal-e-Azam's request is granted, as she has agreed to drug Salim so that he cannot interfere with her entombment.

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Mughal-e-Azam therefore arranges for her secret escape into exile with her mother, but demands that the pair are to live in obscurity and that Salim is never to know that Anarkali is still alive.

Mughal-e-Azam suffered from congenital heart disease, which was one of the reasons why at times she fainted on set; she endured skin abrasions while filming the prison sequences, but was determined to finish the film.

Mughal-e-Azam is a family history highlighting the differences between father and son, duty to the public over family, and the trials and tribulations of women, particularly of courtesans.

Mughal-e-Azam believes the arrogance of Bahar represents the power of the state and that Anarkali's emotion, which is highly personal, represents the private individual.

Mughal-e-Azam thought it highlighted the "idea of justice and the notion of unconditional love" to uphold tradition.

Mughal-e-Azam subsequently made peace between the two men, and Asif apologised.

Mughal-e-Azam made extensive use of symphony orchestras and choruses to add grandeur to the music.

Kamble, who was offered a large sum of 8 lakh for his work on the stills of Mughal-e-Azam, did not receive any compensation in the end due to fraud.

Premiere of Mughal-e-Azam was held at the then-new 1,100-capacity Maratha Mandir cinema in Mumbai.

Mughal-e-Azam experienced a long theatrical run, screening to full capacity at the Maratha Mandir for three years.

Mughal-e-Azam received almost universal acclaim from Indian critics; every aspect of the film was praised.

Nasreen Munni Kabir, author of The Immortal Dialogue of K Asif's Mughal-e-Azam, compared the film to the Koh-i-Noor diamond for its enduring worth to Indian cinema.

At the 1961 National Film Awards, Mughal-e-Azam won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi.

Mughal-e-Azam was the first black-and-white Hindi film to be digitally coloured and the first to be given a theatrical re-release.

The Sterling Investment Corporation, the negative rights owner and an arm of the Shapoorji Pallonji Group, undertook restoration and colourisation of Mughal-e-Azam and assigned Deepesh Salgia as Project Designer and Director.

Mughal-e-Azam became the first full-length feature film colourised for a theatrical re-release; although some Hollywood films had been colourised earlier, they were only available for home media.

Mughal-e-Azam compared it to films by Cecil B DeMille and to Gone With the Wind for its larger-than-life storytelling.

In 2006, Mughal-e-Azam became only the fourth Indian film certified for showing in Pakistan since the 1965 ban on Indian cinema, and was released with a premiere in Lahore.

Mughal-e-Azam is one of only two films directed by Asif; one of his unfinished projects was released posthumously as a tribute.