It was the film "Mughal-e-Azam" that marked what many consider to be Madhubala's greatest and definitive characterisation, as the doomed courtesan Anarkali. Although the film took nine years to complete, it was not until 1953 that Madhubala was finally chosen for the role. Bunny Reuben in his book "Dilip Kumar: Star Legend of Indian Cinema" claimed that Dilip Kumar's role was instrumental behind this selection. "Mughal-e-Azam" gave Madhubala the opportunity of fulfilling herself totally as an actress, for it was a role that all actresses dreamt of playing, as Nimmi acknowledges that "as an actress, one gets a lot of roles, there is no shortage of them, but there isn't always good scope for acting. With "Mughal-e-Azam", Madhubala showed the world just what she could do."