Actress Zubaida Begum and Maharaja Hanwant Singh's story is infamous in history as a tragic tale. While it is said that they died in a plane crash, some believe their deaths were part of a conspiracy.
In 2001, a film titled Zubaida was made on her life, written by her son Khalid Mohammed. The film suggested a different reason for her death. To this day, the mystery of their deaths remains trapped within the walls of the Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur, where some claim to sense her presence as they say her spirit still haunts the royal families.
Let's take a look at her life:
Zubaida Begum's father disapproved of her acting career and made all her decisions, including arranging her marriage and later her divorce. Despite being confined at home, she found solace in her son and enjoyed parties with her aunt. At a royal wedding in Jodhpur, she impressed Maharaja Hanwant Singh with her beauty and grace.
Their romance blossomed, and though Zubaida returned to Mumbai, the Maharaja tracked her down and proposed marriage. Despite her mother’s initial objections, she agreed on the condition that Zubaida’s son would live with them. Zubaida moved to Jodhpur, converted to Hinduism, and married the Maharaja in December 1950. However, she was never fully accepted by the royal family.
On January 26, 1952, Zubaida and the Maharaja died in a plane crash. Some say it was a conspiracy. In 2001, Zubaida's son, Khalid Mohammed, made a film about her life, portraying her love for the Maharaja as so deep that she chose to die with him. It is said that her spirit still haunts the Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur.
After her death, her son Rao Raja Hukum Singh aka Tutu was raised by the Rajmata of Jodhpur and later attended Mayo College in Ajmer. He married Rao Rani Rajeshwari Kumari, daughter of Rao Raja Daljit Singh of Alwar. They had a son, Parikshit Singh (b. 1974), and a daughter, Jainandini Kanwar (b. 1975).
On April 17, 1981, Tutu was found beheaded on the streets of Jodhpur. Legends suggest that Zubaida's restless spirit still haunts Umaid Bhawan Palace and the nearby royal family school. Some rooms in the school are reportedly locked with large locks, supposedly to contain her wandering spirit.
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