Mughal-e-Azam - Legacy

Legacy

Mughal-e-Azam remained one of only two films K. Asif ever directed, and one of his unfinished films was released posthumously as a tribute. It is often regarded as the "crowning glory" of Madhubala's career. After this film, she could have had the best of roles, but was advised not to overwork due to her heart condition, and was unable even to finish some films that were underway. It is said that name of film itself has become a part of the Bollywood vernacular, with the words Mughal-e-Azam often being heard on sets of modern films. For example, if a craftsman takes longer than necessary on a job, the impatient art director may say something like "Finish quickly, do you think we are making Mughal-e-Azam?" This is a testament to the passion that went in to making the film. Art director Omung Kumar, who has designed sets for major Indian films such as Black (2005) and Saawariya (2007) said that he and others in his field even today look up to Mughal-e-Azam as a source of inspiration when it comes to art direction. The film has also been used as a model for the perfect love story in the years that followed. As a result, many directors have been pressured not to make a love story where there is no barrier coming between the lovers.

Filmmaker Subhash Ghai was quoted as saying that a film like this could never be repeated. "Mughal-e-Azam is an all-time classic and has been the ultimate love story in Hindi cinema at all levels. So it will always remain alive for generations to come." Also to commemorate the anniversary, actor and producer Shahrukh Khan, who is a fan of the film and a friend of Akbar Asif, had his company Red Chillies Entertainment produce a documentary on the film. It was called Mughal-E-Azam — A Tribute by a son to his father; it included interviews with K. Asif's family and Bollywood stars, and was hosted by Khan himself. In connection with the video, artist M. F. Husain created a series of paintings re-imagining some of the memorable scenes. Khan is also interested in preserving the film for future generations, and noted that his father was originally cast in the film, but did not complete it. When asked if Mughal-e-Azam should be remade he replied no, adding that "It is the mother of all films; mothers cannot be remade". Though no sequels have been made, the film Maan Gaye Mughal-e-Azam (2008), paid tribute by including in its plot a portion of the stage play, and of course with its name. It received very poor ratings from critics.

Mughal-e-Azam often ranks on lists of top Indian films, such as the 2002 British Film Institute poll of "Top 10 Indian Films", and Anupama Chopra's 2009 list, "The Best Bollywood Films". As of 2012, the film had a 100% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with an average rating of 8.5 out of 10. It is second on Box Office India's list of "Biggest Blockbusters Ever In Hindi Cinema".