Mughal-e-Azam : Restoration-cum-Colorization for 35mm Release

Mughal-e-Azam¹ is an all-time classic of Indian cinema. It is the most expensive (in inflation-adjusted cost) and biggest blockbuster of Bollywood. It cost $3 million in the 1950s, when most of Indian films were made at 5–10 percent of this cost. Every film director in India dreams of making a film of the stature of Mughal-e-Azam, but there has been no other film like it. Almost every historical/mythological topic (be it the Ramayana, Mahabharata, Devdas, or the story of the Taj Mahal) has experienced multiple remakes in India. Even Salim Anarkali had four remakes. But after Mughal-e-Azam, there have been no remakes on the Salim–Anarkali theme. Such has been the impact of this film that there is not even a successful television miniseries on the Emperor Akbar. (Akbar is one of the greatest Indian emperors. In Indian history, we read about Alexander [or Ashoka] the Great and about Akbar the Great.) Indians cannot imagine any actor as Akbar except Prithviraj Kapoor; they cannot imagine any heroine as Anarkali other than Madhubala; no Salim except Dilip Kumar. The scale of the film was so grandiose that even today in the Indian film industry, if someone attempts to make something really big, he or she is asked, "Are you making a Mughal-e-Azam?"

The story the film tells is as follows: more than four hundred years ago, a man named Jalaluddin Mohammed Akbar was born in the land of Hindustan in India. History has recorded that this Mughal emperor sprinkled the dust of the motherland with his blood. Jalaluddin Mohammed Akbar was a lover of Hindustan. His son, Nuruddin Mohammad Salim, loved a frightened little palace maid, Anarkali, leading to a conflict with the father. The destiny of Hindustan trembled and the future of the country was imperiled.

On one side was the emperor's responsibility toward an ever-growing empire, his plans, his problems, and his political complications. On the other side were perfumed silken tresses kissing the broad shoulders of a prince in love. On one side, the iron laws of state; on the other, the sighs of love, the madness of romance. On this side, the duties of an emperor; on that the rebellion of an heir apparent. On this side, the love of a father; on that, the disobedience of a son. On this side, the dream of Akbar the Great. On that side, the vibrant desire of Salim: Anarkali. It was an epic that changed filmmaking in India.

The film's production history is long and tortured, running from 1944 to 1960. When director K. Asif saw the Salim–Anarkali play, he was very impressed. He realized that the story had the potential to be a magnum opus. With this in mind, he shifted his base to Mumbai (as Bombay is now known). In Mumbai, Asif was asked by his relative to join the family tailoring business. But Asif's interests were different. He wanted to make this film.

He started the film in 1944 with Chandramohan, Sapru, and Nargis as the lead artists. The name of the film then was Anarkali (not Mughal-e-Azam), and it was financed by Shiraz Ali. After few reels of shooting, in 1946, Chandramohan (who was playing the role of Akbar) died. In 1947, with the partition of India, Shiraz Ali shifted to Pakistan, and Asif had to search for a new financier to help him produce his magnum opus. Because the budget for the film was so large, no regular financier would touch it. Asif then approached Shapoorji Pallonji Mistry, a construction giant (and owner of Sterling Investment Corporation, Pvt. Ltd.), and a great fan of Emperor Akbar. Asif's production was further complicated by the death of Chandramohan, which meant the film had to be reshot from the beginning. Shapoorji was not deterred and agreed to finance the film under the banner of...