Mughal-e-Azam is often hailed as one of the most glorious films of Indian cinema. Released in 1960, the magnum opus was made across nearly a decade by director K Asif, starring Dilip Kumar, Madhubala and Prithviraj Kapoor in lead roles. The film was a period piece based on a play set during the reign of Emperor Akbar and continues to be the benchmark for period films made in India. In a recent interview, veteran Bollywood screenwriter Kamlesh Pandey spoke about the making of the film, where Asif demanded real pearls and gold statues on set, but faced a lot of opposition from producer Shapoorji Pallonji Mistry. K Asif returned Rs 1 lakh, demanded real pearls for a scene In a significant scene in the film, when Dilip Kumar’s Salim returns home after being on the battlefield for 14 years, his mother Jodha Bai, played by Durga Khote welcomes him in a grand fashion. The way Asif had envisioned the scene required a lot of pearls as he imagined that Jodha bai would shower pearls on Salim, instead of flowers.…