She was the brightest thing in the old town of Jhalarpatan, Rajasthan. To the Banyan tree, the centuries old sun temple, the blacksmiths, silversmiths, pot makers and, most of all, the oil lamps fashioned out of Chelpark ink bottles, she brought a life of vivid blue and yellow. Mine for all of two rupees, she also turned out to be a celebration of Naushad’s song that really catapulted Mohd Rafi to fame, in the forgotten film Dulaari (1949). She could be either of the two not-at-all forgotten heroines of the film, Madhubala or Geeta Bali, couldn’t she?
Best of Bollywood in art form
On your next Rajasthan trip, get hold of these art works celebrating the heroines and famous songs of the yesteryears