Remembering Meena Kumari :

Meena Kumari .. Khayyam, Ravi & Others Chat About the Legend
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Remembering Meena Kumari :
by Devesh Sharma | Mon, Aug 1, 2016

Meena Kumari would have turned 84 today had she lived. She will be forever enshrined in our hearts as an actress who made us cry while she smiled at grief. Presenting a short profile of the tragedy queen on her birthday…

She was born in 1932. Her father, Ali Bux was a talented musician who worked in Parsi theatre. Little Meena was forced to earn for her family since she was seven. She made her name for herself in her first film itself, Leather Face (1939), directed by Vijay Bhatt. She achieved star status with Baiju Bawra (1952). She won her first Filmfare Award for the film the same year. She was just 20.

                                                                      Baiju Bawra

Incidentally, it’s said that she met future husband Kamal Amrohi on the sets of Baiju Bawra who proposed marriage to her. The 20 year old said yes despite knowing that Amrohi was already married. The duo produced a film in 1953, called Daaera which was a fictionalized account of their love story.

                                                              Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam

She popularly came to be known as ‘tragedy queen’ after doing films wherein she played the ‘suffering woman’. Parineeta (1953), Daaera (1953), Ek Hi Raasta (1956), Sharda (1957), Dil Apna Aur Preet Parayi (1960) are a testimony to her love affair with tragedy. The choice of the films reflected her mindset. Perhaps she liked playing a victim because she felt she was a victim in real life.

                                                                        Mere Apne
She was making waves as an actor par compare in the 60s. She got the author-backed roles and her male co-stars were said to be wary of starring opposite her.  She created history during this period by being the only nominee for the Filmfare Awards in 1962, for her roles in Aarti, Main Chup Rahungi, and Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam. She won the award for Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam.

                                     She won the award for Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam.

Despite professional success or rather because of it, all wasn’t well on the home front. The initial awe she felt towards the intellectual Amrohi soon faded and the couple started having problems. The differences led to separation in 1960 and finally to divorce in 1964. She rumouredly drifted towards other men, chief among them was Dharmendra, her co-star in films like Main Bhi Ladki Hoon (1964), Kaajal (1965), Phool Aur Patthar (1966) and Baharon Ke Sapne (1968).

                   Meena_Kumari_(right_side)_with_Sisters_Khursheed_And_Mahliqa_in_1945

But slowly, with her film career drying up, friends and acquaintances drifted away. Social like Chandan Ka Palna (1967) and Majhli Didi (1967) or Bahu Begum (1967) didn’t perform well at the box office. In 1968, she fell ill and went to England and Switzerland for treatment. After her return, she had to make do with character roles in films like Jawab (1970), where she played a rape victim, Dushman (1971), where she played a widow and Mere Apne (1972), where ironically, in a role mirroring her life, she played a woman who is left neglected by her relatives.

She briefly reconciled with ex husband Kamla Amrohi to finish Paakeezah (1972) (which was started way back in 1956) but the relationship had lost its charm and they separated again. The actress died amidst penury due to complications arising from liver cirrhosis in 1972…

Meena Kumari's top 10 songs

Mohe bhool gaye sanwariya (Baiju Bawra, 1952)

Dekho ji bahar aayi (Azaad, 1955)

O raat ke musafir (Miss Mary, 1957)

Ajeeb daastaan hai yeh (Dil Apna Preet Parai, 1960)

Jyoti kalash chhalke (Bhabhi Ki Chudiyan, 1961)

Na jao saiyaan (Sahib Bibi aur Ghulam, 1962)

Ruk ja raat (Dil Ek Mandir, 1963)

Mere bhaiyaa mere chanda (Kaajal, 1965)


Duniya kare sawal to hum (Bahu Begum, 1967)

Chalte chalte yunhi koi (Pakeezah, 1972)

*****

Opinion

1. Meena Kumari as in Screen, life was also tragic, because as usual off screen life  was also emotional,

2. She could have controlled the mind, using intellect, her life was blossom,

3. She failed to use the tool aDiscrimination,

4. Many  top most rich stars became penniless at the end of their life,

5. All human being live in spiritual way, along with materialistic gains,

Emotions, attractions, possessiveness, uncontrolled senses, take any person, to disaster at the end.