Mughal-E-Azam (1960) was a gargantuan feat of costume design. Zardozi embroiderers from Delhi and Surat, goldsmiths and jewellery designers from Hyderabad and Kolhapur, and shoemakers from Agra–extraordinary measures were taken to ensure this period drama paid homage to the opulence of the Mughal courts of India. Madhubala, in her resplendent Anarkali and Nigar cap, was the ultimate tawaif–nuanced performer and quite the authority in social etiquette (tehzib). It was no wonder the noblemen frequented the kotas for respite from loveless marriages.
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