Of beauty

 'Of beauty' is the phrase you utter, and in India, the only name that would pop up is Madhubala! Unbelievably beautiful she was! Why only her? Well, there was minimal make-up to her image. These days anybody, even in the non-celluloid world, in the daily lived real life mode,  can be as much or infact more beautiful  than she could be!

How? Well, these days, the janta goes to any extent to 'appear' beautiful. It can be the  surgeon's scalpel, people use botox, apply layers of make-up thick enough to paint all the walls of their respective houses. Such artificial look was not hers. She was simply naturally authentically beautiful.

There seemed no vanity in her either. People who are attractive, especially film stars and models, are very conscious of their looks. They would present only a particular profile, for example, which would present them the best way. As for Madhubala, if you watch her films, she pulls the weirdest faces, especially in the comedies, and it is this natural honest face which makes her look real attractive as if she is least concerned with her own looks.

May be, her beauty is more appealing because of the myth which includes her heart ailment, her very early death, her unhappy love life, her sadly being used by her own near and dear ones, et al. That adds to her mystique. She appears vulnerable which adds a humane aspect to her looks. She never seems a hard-hearted, harsh harridan. 

Gloss never is grand, right? It is that soft gentle goodness which seems to shimmer in her portrayals, and may be, that makes her a beauty! What say?

Pratima@ In those days, there were no crops and blurs and filters, 'the' special effects,  which 'make up' a 'star'. Most film personalities were 'actors' first and foremost. As they were good at their work, they looked great. Want proof? Watch Nutan in 'Bandini' or 'Sujata'. In neither film is she to be gorgeous. Yet in both the films, she is the most beautiful because she makes the characters come alive,  right? So, in the final analysis, it is authentic art that makes sincere beauty!