39: The Great Epic: Mughal-e-Azam

Bollywood is For Lovers

We discuss the lavish 1960 epic Mughal-e-Azam

Show notes:

Mughal-e-Azam (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mughal-e-Azam)

Erin is nervous to discuss this film

Comparisons to Gone With The Wind (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GonewiththeWind(film)) and Cleopatra (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleopatra(1963film))

K. Asif (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K._Asif) and production setbacks

Every individual production element cost more than the entire budget of most other films

Intolerance (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intolerance(film)), Foolish Wives (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FoolishWives), and Greed (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greed_(film))

Beautiful Ruins (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beautiful_Ruins)

Filmed thrice

The set was too glittery (https://media.giphy.com/media/Kd9IQloZWxEEU/giphy.gif)

Huge cast

Technicolor (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technicolor), “Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya (https://youtu.be/6AuJ6jHKE0),” and colourisation (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filmcolorization)

Unknown Armies (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unknown_Armies)

“Ae Mohabbat Zindabad (https://youtu.be/u0CIZv9Y5n4)”

Dilip Kumar (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dilip_Kumar) and Madhubala (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madhubala)

Bollywood Parks Dubai’s Mughal-e-Azam (https://www.bollywoodparksdubai.com/en/attractions/mughal-e-azam)

Historical accuracy (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anarkali)

(INTERVAL (“Teri Mehfil Mein” (https://youtu.be/TC7LyI1GVYw)” from Mughal-e-Azam)

We still can’t speak Hindi

Lean narrative, no excess characters

There actually was a stage play before the film, and a film adapted from it (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anarkali(1953film))

Poetic dialogue

“Impossible Dreams (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impossible_Dreams)”

Spectacle and narrative

Father/son tension

The film as metaphor for India

Execution methods

NEXT TIME: Variant Edition (https://twitter.com/VariantEdmonton) owner and prolific podcaster Brandon Schatz (https://twitter.com/soupytoasterson) joins us to discuss the Krrish franchise

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