In his just-released autobiography "Dilip Kumar: The Substance And The Shadow", Kumar, 91, reveals details about his relationship with Madhubala that continues to intrigue cinema fans even today.
The screen icon fondly remembers Madhubala as a great artiste and "vivacious and spirited person" with whom he attained an ease while working in 1951 film "Tarana".
"I must admit that I was attracted to her (Madhubala) both as a fine co-star and as a person who had some of the attributes I hoped to find in a woman at that age and time... She, as I said earlier, was very sprightly and vivacious and, as such, she could draw me out of my shyness and reticence effortlessly," Kumar says in the book, published by Hay House.
But unfortunately things soured badly during the long production of the classic.
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"I sensed, Asif was seriously trying to mend the situation for her when matters began to sour between us, thanks to her father's attempt to make the proposed marriage a business venture," Kumar recalls.
Their relationship worsened during the shooting of the film. Kumar reveals that the feather scene, described as one of the most sensuous moments in Hindi cinema, was shot when they had stopped speaking to each other.
The actor says the tribute for that scene should go to "the artistry of two professionally committed actors" for keeping aside their personal differences to carry out the vision of the director.
Madhubala's father Ataullah Khan had his own production company and he was only to glad to have two stars under the same roof.