Madhubala began her career playing juvenile roles in the early 1940s, first of which was in "Basant" (1942). At the age of 14, she switched to lead roles with 1947 drama film "Neel Kamal". Her rise to prominence came after starring in the thriller "Mahal" (1949), following which she became one of the most bankable Bollywood stars of the subsequent decade. In 1952, Madhubala received offers from Hollywood but her father refused. The same year, she appeared in the Theatre Arts Magazine where, in its August 1952 issue, she was featured in an article with a full page photograph under the title: "The Biggest Star in the World – and she's not in Beverly Hills".