Kishore Kumar-Madhubala biopics may see same fate

Both legends beyond all definition, Kishore Kumar and Madhubala, once married, are now joined together in an unexpected way — The biopics on their lives are stuck due to the intervention of their respective families.

Anurag Basu has been trying to make the Kishore Kumar biopic in which Ranbir Kapoor was to play Kishore Kumar, for four years. But the iconic singer’s son Amit Kumar had other plans; he wouldn’t allow a film on his father to be made without his consent on every matter. Finally, Basu gave up in exasperation.

Now, it is Imtiaz Ali’s turn to feel the full impact of familial intervention: His proposed biopic on Madhubala, approved by one of the deceased star’s sisters, has just been legally halted by another sister.

A source in the know says it’s a no-win situation. “You can’t make a film on any well-known figure without extraneous interference in this country. The only option at Imtiaz’s disposal is to fictionalise the screenplay and leave out all references to Madhubala,” says the source. But that’s another story.