Not Dilip Kumar, Kishore Kumar, Madhubala's first love was this famous villain, actress proposed to him, his name is..., he was Raj Kapoor's..

The Hindi film industry has many such examples of love stories between actors that never succeeded despite shared passion and admiration. In the list of incomplete love stories, Madhubala and Dilip Kumar deserve a place at the top. Madhubala began a relationship with Dilip Kumar in 1951, after previously working with him in Jwar Bhata (1944). Their affair garnered wide media attention throughout the decade, but disparities in their ideologies and family differences eventually led to them breaking up, despite being in love. 

Madhubala then went on to marry Kishore Kumar in 1960 and remained his wife till her death in 1969. While Madhubala's relationship with both Dilip Kumar and Kishore Kumar is well-documented, many are unaware that before them, Madhubala, often regarded as one of the most beautiful actresses of Indian cinema, was madly in love with a well-known villain. Madhubala was head-over-heels for none other than her Badal co-star Prem Nath. It was Madhubala's first relationship, and it began in early 1951.

Madhubala’s sister, Madhur Bhushan, once revealed that her sister was so in love with Prem Nath that she even took the bold step of proposing to him. During the filming of Badal, Madhubala walked into Prem Nath’s makeup room, giving him a love letter and a rose. She wrote, "If you love me, please accept this rose. Otherwise, please return it to me." 

Prem Nath was initially taken aback by the proposal from one of the most beautiful women, but he accepted it, and thus, their relationship began. Prem Nath and Madhubala were eager to marry one another after dating for six months, however, religious differences between the two ruined the relationship. Prem Nath was a Hindu, and Madhubala belonged to an orthodox Muslim family. She was also deeply religious and had practiced Islam since her childhood. 

Religion came in the way of their love, and soon Madhubala and Prem Nath's relationship fizzled out. Despite this, Prem Nath always remained close to Madhubala and her father, Ataullah Khan, for the rest of their lives.

In 1951, after their breakup, Madhubala fell in love with Dilip Kumar. The actress had moved on, but Prem Nath, throughout his life, remained in love with Madhubala. 

In an interview with Filmfare, Prem Nath's son, Monty, once shared how his father's love for Madhubala never subsided. After Madhubala’s father fell ill, Prem Nath secretly visited him, leaving him a Rs 1 lakh check. When asked by Monty about the reason behind this gesture, Prem Nath explained, "If I had married Madhubala, I would have been his son-in-law. I was just fulfilling my duty as a son-in-law."

Prem Nath worked in some of the most illustrious films during his long career. Prem Nath also shared a close relationship with the Kapoor family and the Chopra family, as his sister Krishna Raj Kapoor was married to Raj Kapoor, and his other sister, Uma, got married to actor Prem Chopra.

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