K. Asif facts for kids

Quick facts for kids K. Asif
Asif on the set of Mughal E Azam (1960).
Born	Asif Karim (1922-06-14)14 June 1922 Etawah, United Provinces, British India
Died	9 March 1971(1971-03-09) (aged 48) Bombay, Maharashtra, India
Occupation	Film director film producer screenwriter
Years active	1945-1971
Spouse(s)	Akhtar Asif Sitara Devi Nigar Sultana
Children	4

K. Asif was a famous Indian film director, film producer, and screenwriter. He was born as Asif Karim on June 14, 1922. He is best known for his epic movie, Mughal-e-Azam, which came out in 1960. This film is still considered one of the greatest movies ever made in India. K. Asif passed away on March 9, 1971.

Early Life

Asif Karim was born in Etawah, Uttar Pradesh, India. His parents were Dr. Fazal Karim and Bibi Ghulam Fatima. Asif later moved to a big city called Bombay (now Mumbai). There, he started using the name K. Asif. He worked hard and became a very successful director in the film industry.

A Film Legend's Journey

K. Asif made many important contributions to Indian cinema. He was known for his grand vision and attention to detail in his films.

Starting with Phool

K. Asif's first movie as a director was called Phool. It was released in 1945. This film was very popular and earned a lot of money at the box office. This success helped him become a well-known name in the film world.

The Making of Mughal-e-Azam

In 1944, Asif started planning his biggest film, Mughal-e-Azam. This movie was based on a famous story about the Mughal Emperor Akbar the Great and a court dancer named Anarkali. The story came from an Urdu novel by Syed Imtiaz Ali Taj.

The film faced many challenges. The first actor chosen for the main male role, Chandramohan, sadly passed away in 1946. Because of this, Asif had to stop working on the film for a while. He then produced another movie called Hulchul, which came out in 1951.

Later that year, Asif decided to restart Mughal-e-Azam. He chose new lead actors: Dilip Kumar and Madhubala. The movie took a very long time to make, about twelve years! Finally, in 1960, Mughal-e-Azam was released. It was a massive hit and drew huge crowds to cinemas all over India. People loved its grand sets, beautiful songs, and powerful story.

His Last Film: Love and God

After the huge success of Mughal-e-Azam, K. Asif began working on another big film. It was called Love and God. This movie was planned to be his first film made entirely in color.

The film started with Guru Dutt and Nimmi in the main roles. However, in 1964, Guru Dutt passed away. This stopped the filming once again. Asif then cast Sanjeev Kumar in the lead role and continued making the movie.

Sadly, K. Asif himself died on March 9, 1971, when he was 48 or 49 years old. Because of his death, Love and God was left unfinished. Many years later, in 1986, Asif's wife, Akhtar Asif, helped release the film. It was shown to the public even though it was not fully completed.

Family Life

K. Asif was married four times during his life. His first wife was a lady welcomed by his family. She remained married to him and was the mother of six of his children.

Later, he married the singer and actress Sitara Devi. After that marriage ended, he married the actress Nigar Sultana. Nigar Sultana played an important role in Mughal-e-Azam. They had a daughter together named Heena Kausar.

His fourth and last wife was Akhtar Asif. She was the younger sister of the famous actor Dilip Kumar. Akhtar Asif stayed married to K. Asif until his death in 1971. She played a key role in making sure his last film, Love and God, was released in 1986, many years after he passed away.

Films K. Asif Made

Awards and Recognition

K. Asif's work, especially Mughal-e-Azam, received many important awards.

• 1960: He won the Filmfare Award for Best Film for Mughal-e-Azam.
• 1960: He was nominated for the Filmfare Award for Best Director for Mughal-e-Azam.
• 1960: Mughal-e-Azam also won the President's Silver Medal for Best Feature Film in Hindi.