1 career , life
1.1 work baby meena (1939–45)
1.2 career meena kumari (1946–52)
1.3 marriage kamal amrohi (1952)
1.4 rising star (1952-56)
1.5 tragedy queen of indian cinema (1957)
1.6 critical acclaim (1962)
1.7 sahib bibi aur ghulam (1962)
1.8 separation husband , addiction alcohol (1964)
1.9 deteriorating health , treatment in london (1968)
1.10 completion of pakeezah (1956–72)
career , life
early work baby meena (1939–45)
little mahjabeen embarked on acting career @ age of four. immersed in work on next 4 years child artist, in vijay bhatt productions; leatherface (1939), adhuri kahani (1939), pooja (1940) , ek hi bhool (1940). vijay bhatt became mentor and, on sets of ek hi bhool (1940), rechristened mahjabeen baby meena.
more films followed baby meena, namely nai roshni (1941), bahen (1941), kasauti (1941), vijay (1942), garib (1942), pratiggya (1943) , lal haveli (1944).
early career meena kumari (1946–52)
at young age of 13, baby meena became heroine meena kumari in ramnik production s bachchon ka khel (1946).
one of major blows in kumari s life death of mother, iqbal begum, 18 months after family s arrival @ new house in bandra. had lung cancer , died on 25 march 1947. in interview given filmfare magazine in 1958, meena kumari remembers mother s last days , untimely death. films duniya ek sarai (1946), piya ghar aaja (1947) , bichchade balam (1948) performed credit , won recognition in industry. phase continued several other films, including mythologicals , fantasies veer ghatotkach (1949), shri ganesh mahima (1950), lakshmi narayan (1951), hanuman patal vijay (1951) , aladdin aur jadui chirag (1952). films such magroor (1950), hamara ghar (1950), sanam (1951), madhosh (1951), , tamasha (1952) either saw in multi-starrers or in lead roles unfortunately failed leave lasting impact on audience. meena kumari desperately needed film transform sensation among audience , got 1 - mentor vijay bhatt s musical, baiju bawra (1952).
marriage kamal amrohi (1952)
on sets of tamasha, ashok kumar introduced filmmaker kamal amrohi meena kumari. later, kamal amrohi offered meena kumari lead role in upcoming film anarkali , contract signed on 13 march 1951. on 21 may 1951 meena kumari involved in serious motor car accident while returning mahabaleshwar bombay. admitted sasoon hospital in poona, severely injured around left hand, , there doubt whether able use again. kumari went through terrible bouts of depression, , kamal amrohi religiously visited during days in hospital. when not scheduled meet, both kumari , amrohi write letters each other.
— star meena kumari, deeply, terribly, frighteningly in love interview conducted filmfare magazine in 1953
for 4 months hospital affair continued , love blossomed. accident left meena kumari banded left pinky remained banded throughout life, , used cover left hand dupatta or saree during shoots. after kumari discharged hospital, famous telephoning marathon between , amrohi began during nights. shooting of film anarkali commenced unfortunately, producer makhanlaljee, suffered crippling financial disaster , film abandoned. on 14 february 1952 meena kumari, 18, , kamal amrohi, 34, secretly got married in simple nikah ceremony in presence of qadi , kumari s younger sister, mahliqa (madhu). nikah paper witnessed baqar ali (kamal amrohi s friend , assistant) , qadi s 2 sons, , signed in name of mahjabeen bano (meena kumari s real name) , syed ameen haider (kamal amrohi s real name). after ceremony amrohi planted kiss on kumari s forehead , newlyweds parted. amrohi left sion , meena , madhu returned home. marriage kept secret family , media, although kamal amrohi married , had 3 children former wife. after months, matrimony news leaked father, ali bux, cook overheard midnight phone conversations. angry father regularly hurled accusations, , recommended divorce. meena kumari remained adamant on decision, stayed in father s house. meanwhile, kamal amrohi planned film called daera in 1953. kumari asked father s permission working in film, ali bux refused on basis dates given mehboob khan film amar. reluctantly, meena kumari agreed, after shooting 5 days, instigated disagreement mehboob khan , left studios. following day disclosed father external sources off bombay talkies work daera. ali bux warned daughter if went daera doors of house permanently shut her. on 14 august 1953 meena kumari drove bombay talkies , worked in front of husband s camera, , @ night, on return, ali bux refused open door. meena kumari turned car around , left husband s residence @ sion.
when news of marriage became public, indian press commented: meena kumari s reputation quiet , silent girl of indian cinema aided considerably announcement of marriage, had been kept secret on year . in sponsored program broadcast on radio ceylon in 1958, meena kumari gushed enthusiastically first ever visit husband s home town, amroha, in northwest region of uttar pradesh. , kamal had been there in 1956, 4 years after married. area rich in culture, architecture, mangoes, sugarcane , fresh water fish. meena kumari exulted joy , gratitude, , referred husband high regard, love , extreme respect.
a friend, actress nadira said in interview: meena wildly in love husband whom admires, respects , fears. more, terribly possessive of him! kumari addressed amrohi chandan or kamal sahab , , amrohi called meena kumari manju .
rising star (1952-56)
1952: baiju bawra - meena kumari gained fame role heroine in vijay bhatt s baiju bawra. became huge commercial , critical success , catapulted kumari stardom. won first ever filmfare best actress award baiju bawra on 21 march 1954 @ metro theatre in bombay. film musical, set in mughal india of 16th century, classical hindustani melodies. music director, naushad, received inaugural filmfare best music director award song tu ganga ki mauj ; naushad s first , filmfare award win.
1953: parineeta - directed bimal roy, (starring ashok kumar , meena kumari leads) won kumari second filmfare best actress award. film based upon 1914 bengali novel sharat chandra chattopadhyay. version of film considered faithful adaptation of novella, particularly due meena kumari s interpretation of role of lalita. after success of parineeta, bimal roy keen cast kumari in next venture titled devdas in role of paaro . however, things kamal amrohi never materialised , audience lost golden opportunity see kumari essaying iconic role of paaro in film. bigha zamin - directed bimal roy, celebrated first indian film win international prize @ cannes in 1954. film marks maiden guest appearance of meena kumari in career spanning 33 years. foot path - directed zia sarhadi, meena s first film dilip kumar. movie featured in avijit ghosh s book, 40 retakes: bollywood classics may have missed. daera - written , directed kamal amrohi, starring meena kumari, nasir khan , nana palsikar in lead roles. other films include naulakha haar , dana paani.
1954: baadbaan- directed phani majumdar, had star cast of meena kumari, dev anand, ashok kumar , usha kiran. first ever film in india have been produced workers’ cooperative. chandni chowk - directed b. r. chopra in 1954, classic muslim social drama film, chopra s second directorial venture , success @ box office.ilzaam - directed r c talwar , rafiq anwar, starring meena kumari , kishore kumar, premiered.
1955: in azaad - directed sriramulu naidu s.m, kumari pranced gaily robin hood dilip kumar. top grossing hindi film in year of release, , 1 of biggest hit films in decade. hit songs movie include aplam chaplam sung lata mangeshkar , usha mangeshkar, , na bole na bole sung lata mangeshkar.adl-e-jehangir - hindi language historical drama film directed g.p. sippy, , became commercial success @ box office.bandish - directed satyen bose starring meena kumari, ashok kumar, , daisy irani box office hit.ruksana - directed r.c. talwar , starred meena kumari , kishore kumar.
1956: ek hi raasta - family-drama indian hindi film directed , produced b. r. chopra. starred meena kumari newcomer sunil dutt, ashok kumar , daisy irani. film proved successful @ box office , screened more 25 weeks, called jubilee hit . bandhan - directed hemchandra chunder, based on popular bengali novel mantra shakti, starred meena kumari , pradeep kumar leads , awarded certificate of merit in national film awards.mem sahib - directed r.c. talwar, featured meena kumari first time shammi kapoor. modern avatar of meena kumari received audiences , film became box office hit.halaku - historical hindi movie directed d.d. kashyap included meena kumari, pran (actor), minoo mumtaz, raj mehra , helen. 1 of box office hits , celebrated silver jubilee.naya andaz - directed k. amarnath, starring meena kumari , kishore kumar in lead roles, musical hit.
tragedy queen of indian cinema (1957)
in late 1950s , 1960s, meena kumari essayed roles in films mirrored own unhappy life, due tensions , later separation (never formal divorce) husband kamal amrohi. intensity , power in these celluloid tragedies derived own personal situation , emotional makeup in years. conviction , strength of characters portrayed, in series of films, earned repute great tragedienne , endearing crown of tragedy queen of indian cinema popularly bestowed on her.
1957: sharada - directed l.v. prasad, meena kumari s first venture raj kapoor. difficult role essay, refused leading actresses of day until meena kumari agreed. finesse meena vested in role earned best actress @ bengal film journalists association award. film gained great critical success. film ninth highest grossing film @ indian box office in 1957 , noted 1 of best performances of meena kumari.miss mary - comedy film directed l.v. prasad, starred meena kumari , gemini ganesan. film 1 of biggest hits of year.
1958: sahara - directed lekhraj bhakri, meena kumari received filmfare best actress nomination.yahudi - directed bimal roy starred meena kumari, dilip kumar, sohrab modi, nazir hussain , nigar sultana. based on play yahudi ki ladki agha hashar kashmiri, classic in parsi - urdu theatre, persecution of jews in roman empire. film box office hit famous song yeh mera diwanapan hai sung mukesh.farishta - starred ashok kumar , meena kumari lead protagonist. film rated above average.savera - directed satyen bose, meena kumari , ashok kumar in lead roles.
1959: chirag kahan roshni kahan - directed , produced devendra goel, stars meena kumari newcomer rajendra kumar , honey irani. film huge hit in box office , meena kumari received filmfare nomination best actress performance.char dil char rahen - directed khwaja ahmad abbas, star cast meena kumari, raj kapoor, shammi kapoor, kumkum , nimmi. film received warm reviews critics.shararat - 1959 romantic drama film written , directed harnam singh rawail, starring meena kumari, kishore kumar, raaj kumar , kumkum in lead roles, memorable song hum matwaley naujawan sung kishore kumar , tragedy queen matched boisterous kishore kumar.
1960: dil apna aur preet parai - hindi romantic drama written , directed kishore sahu. film starred meena kumari, raaj kumar , nadira leads. film tells story of surgeon obligated marry daughter of family friend, while in love colleague nurse, played meena kumari. 1 of noted acting performances of lead actress meena kumari s career. film s music shankar jaikishan, , features hit song, hawaiian-themed ajeeb dastan hai yeh sung lata mangeshkar. @ 1961 filmfare awards created upset beating popular musical epic mughal-e-azam of naushad best music director category.kohinoor - directed s. u. sunny featured meena kumari, dilip kumar, leela chitnis , kumkum. tone light , lacked intense characterisations of earlier films of both dilip kumar , meena kumari, otherwise known tragedy king , tragedy queen respectively. film 1 of biggest hindi film hits in decade.bahaana - directed kumar, had star cast inclusive of meena kumari, sajjan, anwar, kumar, pramila, azurie , sheela vaz.
1961: bhabhi ki chudiyan - family drama directed sadashiv j. row kavi meena kumari , balraj sahni in lead roles. 1 of noted acting performances meena kumari. film 1 of highest-grossing films of year @ indian box office famous song jyoti kalash chhalke lata mangeshkar.zindagi aur khwab - directed s. bannerjee, starring meena kumari , rajendra kumar, hit @ indian box office.pyaar ka saagar - directed devendra goel meena kumari , rajendra kumar.
critical acclaim (1962)
the year 1962 proved watershed. on 13 june 1963, meena kumari created history in filmfare, remains unique day, being sole leading lady have been nominated slots 10th filmfare best actress award (in 1963). nominations roles in sahib bibi aur ghulam, aarti , main chup rahungi. kumari won third best actress filmfare sahib bibi aur ghulam. bengal film journalists association conferred best actress award on meena kumari aarti.
sahib bibi aur ghulam (1962)
sahib bibi aur ghulam film produced guru dutt , directed abrar alvi featured meena kumari iconic chhoti bahu. based on bengali novel shaheb bibi golam bimal mitra. film stars meena kumari, guru dutt, rehman, waheeda rehman , nazir hussain. film s music hemant kumar , lyrics shakeel badayuni. film noted brilliant cinematography v. k. murthy , famous songs na jao saiyaan chhuda ke baiyan , piya aiso jiya mein sung geeta dutt.
sahib bibi aur ghulam perhaps perilous mix of reel , real. meena kumari played character of chhoti bahu, dangerously close own tragic life. kumari adept in using artifacts make acting more appealing. sahib bibi aur ghulam, in order support drooping heavy associated immoderate consumption of liquor, used apply concentrated eau de cologne under nose deliberately. irritation caused such action helped in achieving perfect role of alcoholic.
—the legend , enigma
by shoma chatterji
the film major critical , commercial success. meena kumari s performance chhoti bahu regarded 1 of best performances of hindi cinema. quote review featured in upperstall: while each of performances spot on, if there 1 person heart , soul of film, meena kumari. portrayal of chhoti bahu perhaps greatest performance ever seen actress on indian screen.
the film won 4 filmfare awards, including best actress award. movie nominated golden bear @ 13th berlin international film festival, meena kumari selected delegate. sahib bibi aur ghulam chosen india s official entry oscars.
1962: aarti - directed phani majumdar, stars meena kumari in title role of aarti, ashok kumar, pradeep kumar , shashikala appearing in pivotal roles. bengal film journalists association acknowledged aarti ninth-best indian film of year , conferred best actress award on meena kumari. main chup rahungi - directed a. bhimsingh meena kumari , sunil dutt in lead roles 1 of biggest hits of year , meena kumari received filmfare nomination best actress performance.
1963: dil ek mandir, directed c. v. sridhar, stars meena kumari, rajendra kumar, raaj kumar , mehmood. film s music shankar jaikishan. film big hit in box office , film s music famous songs ruk jaa raat , hum tere pyar mein sara alam , sung lata mangeshkar. akeli mat jaiyo - directed nandlal jaswantlal, romantic comedy meena kumari , rajendra kumar in leads. kinare kinare - directed chetan anand meena kumari, dev anand , chetan anand.
1964: sanjh aur savera - romantic drama film directed hrishikesh mukherjee, starring meena kumari, guru dutt , mehmood. marked final film appearance of guru dutt, died later in year of film s release. benazir - muslim social film directed s. khalil, starring meena kumari, ashok kumar, shashi kapoor , tanuja. chitralekha directed kidar sharma, starring meena kumari, ashok kumar , pradeep kumar, based on 1934 hindi novel same name bhagwati charan verma, bijgupta serving under maurya empire, , king chandragupta maurya (340 bce–298 bce) , love courtesan chitralekha. film s music , lyrics roshan , sahir ludhianvi , noted songs such sansaar se bhaage phirte ho , man re tu kaahe . gazal directed ved-madan, starring meena kumari , sunil dutt, muslim social film right of young generation marriage of choice. had music madan mohan lyrics sahir ludhianvi, featuring notable filmi-ghazals such rang aur noor ki baraat , performed mohammed rafi , naghma o sher ki saugaat performed lata mangeshkar. main bhi ladki hoon directed a. c. tirulokchandar. film stars meena kumari newcomer dharmendra.
separation husband , addiction alcohol (1964)
after marriage, kamal amrohi allowed meena kumari continue acting career, on 3 conditions.
1. return home 6:30 every evening.
2. allow no 1 in makeup room except makeup man.
3. sit in own car take work , fetch back.
meena kumari agreed terms, passing time kept breaking them. said kumari felt oppressed feudal attitude , high-handed behavior kamal amrohi brought relationship. kamal amrohi s lavish productions daera , pakeezah, , kamalistan studios (1958) financed kumari s earnings. meena kumari watched over. kamal amrohi had issued strict instructions , had deployed assistant baqar ali prevent other man meeting meena kumari on sets. in 1972 kamal amrohi told vinod mehta (writer of meena kumari - classic biography) didn t mean that. these ground rules. mean, if returned home @ 7 instead of 6:30 acceptable me. wanted appreciate besides having responsibilities career, had responsibilities home , husband . amrohi further said prepared overlook meena bending conditions, have loved if herself confessed when such bendings took place. pained me learn of these incidents outside sources .
kamal amrohi said in interview filmfare magazine used advise meena against accepting assignments harm reputation. used little harsh sometimes, admitted, in interest.
— meena kumari know actress nadira 1962
khursheed explained loved children. kamal sahab never wanted child meena . kamal denied it: manju never wanted baby because felt harm screen image . nargis dutt relates how once questioned meena: haven t ever wanted become mother? - there woman not want become mother? meena replied tears in eyes. kumari raised kamal amrohi s son, tajdaar, attached chhoti ammi (younger mother).
abrar alvi, director of sahib bibi aur ghulam, recounts how kamal amrohi have spy , right-hand man baqar ali present in makeup room while meena s makeup being done, , 1 awful evening, when working beyond schedule complete shot, had face heroine dissolving in tears.
in 1963, sahib bibi aur ghulam selected indian entry berlin film festival , meena kumari selected delegate. minister of information & broadcasting, mr. satya narayan sinha, arranged 2 tickets, 1 meena kumari , 1 husband, kamal amrohi refused accompany wife , said: not want tag along merely meena kumari s husband. berlin trip never materialized.
— vinod mehta(writer of meena kumari - classic biography) interview 2013
during premiere @ eros cinema, sohrab modi introduced meena kumari , kamal amrohi governor of maharashtra. sohrab modi said renowned actress meena kumari, , husband kamal amrohi . whereupon before greetings exchanged, kamal amrohi interjected: no, kamal amrohi , wife, renowned actress meena kumari . saying this, kamal amrohi left auditorium. meena kumari saw premiere alone.
on 5 march 1964, @ mahurat of film pinjre ke panchhi, kamal amrohi s assistant, baqar ali slapped meena kumari when insisted on letting budding poet-lyricist gulzar makeup room.
meena kumari never returned home , never stepped pali naka home thereafter. kumari stayed in actor mehmood s house while, married sister, mahliqa (madhu), before moving 1 in janaki kutir, juhu. kamal amrohi rushed mehmood s house reconcile differences , escort back, kumari refused.
meena kumari wrote in poetry amrohi:
دل سا ساتھی جب پايا
بے چينی بھی ساتھ ملی
दिलसा साथी जब पाया
बेचैनी भी साथ मिली
dil saa saathi jab paya
bechaini bhi saath mili
(when found partner heart
restlessness found him)
meena kumari patient of chronic insomnia , on sleeping pills long time since days of telephoning conversations kamal amrohi. during 1963, dr. saeed timurza, physician, prescribed small peg of brandy sleeping pill alternative , officially how came contact habit kill her. somehow prescribed peg of brandy turned heavy drinking after separation husband. meena kumari , kamal amrohi never formally divorced, separated in 1964. during years of separation husband, kumari s name associated rahul, gulzar, dharmendra , sawan kumar tak.
1965: kaajal directed ram maheshwari, stars meena kumari, dharmendra, raaj kumar, padmini, helen, mehmood , mumtaz. film declared hit in box office , listed in top 20 films of 1965. meena kumari won fourth , last filmfare award kaajal. film based on novel maadhavi gulshan nanda. bheegi raat, directed kalidas, meena kumari, ashok kumar , pradeep kumar in lead roles 1 of biggest hits of year famous song dil jo na ke saka sung lata mangeshkar , mohd rafi. film purnima, directed narendra suri, featured meena kumari , dharmendra in lead roles.
1966: phool aur patthar, directed o. p. ralhan, starred meena kumari , dharmendra in lead roles. movie went on become golden jubilee hit, catapulting dharmendra stardom , highest-grossing movie year 1966. meena kumari s performance in film ensured nomination in best actress category in filmfare awards year. film pinjre ke panchhi directed salil choudhury, meena kumari, balraj sahni , mehmood in main roles.
1967: majhli didi directed hrishikesh mukherjee. majhli didi stars meena kumari , dharmendra. film india s entry 41st academy awards best foreign language film. film bahu begum directed m. sadiq, starring meena kumari, pradeep kumar , ashok kumar. film has music roshan , lyrics sahir ludhianvi , known songs hum intezaar karenge tera qayamat tak , sung mohammad rafi , asha bhonsle , duniya kare sawal hum lata mangeshkar. noorjehan, directed mohammed sadiq, historical film starring meena kumari , pradeep kumar, helen , johnny walker in minor roles. dramatised epic love story of empress nur jehan , husband, mughal emperor jehangir. film chandan ka palna directed ismail memon, starring meena kumari , dharmendra.
1968: baharon ki manzil suspense thriller, directed yakub hassan rizvi, stars meena kumari, dharmendra, rehman , farida jalal. film 1 of major hits of year. film abhilasha directed amit bose. cast includes meena kumari, sanjay khan , nanda.
deteriorating health , treatment in london (1968)
heavy drinking had badly damaged meena kumari s liver. in 1968, fell ill diagnosed cirrhosis of liver. medical advice kumari needed more advanced , permanent cure.
—meena kumari classic biography 1972
she taken london , switzerland in june 1968 treatment. months of june august, meena kumari in safe hands of dr. sheila sherlock.
upon recovery, kumari returned india in september 1968 , on fifth day after arrival, meena kumari, contrary doctors instructions resumed work. suffering cirrhosis of liver, although meena kumari temporarily recovered weak , thin. lost looks , shifted focus on more acting oriented or character roles. out of last 6 releases namely jawab, saat phere , mere apne, dushman, pakeezah & gomti ke kinare, had lead role in pakeezah. director sawan kumar tak said not did not drink, not let me drink either. did not touch drop after london . after returning london, kumari first time, purchased own home, on eleventh floor of building called landmark , situated @ carter road, bandra.
1970: jawab directed ramanna, starring meena kumari, jeetendra, leena chandavarkar , ashok kumar. saat phere directed sudhir sen, meena kumari, pradeep kumar , mukri in pivotal roles.
1971: mere apne written , directed gulzar, first directorial venture. film stars meena kumari, vinod khanna , shatrughan sinha in lead roles along deven verma, paintal, asit sen, asrani, danny denzongpa, keshto mukherjee, a. k. hangal, dinesh thakur, mehmood , yogeeta bali. mere apne declared above average in box office, meena kumari s performance noted 1 of best performances critics. dushman, directed dulal guha, stars meena kumari, rehman , rajesh khanna mumtaz in lead roles. film became super-hit @ box office.
1972: gomti ke kinare directed saawan kumar tak, in directorial debut, stars meena kumari, sanjay khan , mumtaz.
gomti ke kinare released on 22nd november 1972, after meena kumari s demise , touted tribute legendary actress.
completion of pakeezah (1956–72)
— kamal amrohi s pr man
in 1954, during shooting of azaad (1955 film), meena kumari , kamal amrohi in south india, , here kamal amrohi began outlining plot of next film wife , decided call pakeezah . movie, title has fascinating history too; title changed many times due superstitious reasons, original stayed. after failure of daera in 1953, pakeezah idea, roaming around in amrohi s mind. concept, said, irretrievably fixed love wife. hoped create film worthy of actress, , worthy of love felt woman. kamal declared every line wrote, had meena in mind. wished present on screen no 1 had before: beautiful, sad, sanguine, dejected, calculating, sexy - ambitioned capture many dimensions of knew of. pakeezah took 16 years reach silver screen. first planned amrohi in 1956 black , white venture, film transformed colour cinemascope venture. went on studio floors in 1964, shooting came standstill after separation (never formally divorced), in march 1964, when more halfway complete.
kamal amrohi wrote letter estranged wife on 24 august 1968.
pakeezah completion remains unsettled. have made condition unless give divorce not complete pakeezah. knot can untied... free marital ties. after this, if wish complete pakeezah, happy so. request, pakeezah on fortune of many people depends, , had wishes of many people, should not left uncompleted if possible. have better means. have box office appeal, , of pakeezah needs personally... pakeezah sinking ship reach shore under care.
meena kumari wrote husband kamal amrohi in 1969
in regard working in pakeezah, have been willing , clamoring work. pakeezah life dream , greatest pleasure see completed. remuneration, glad have given me opportunity prove regards , respect you. shall accept 1 guinea token of goodwill entire work in pakeezah.
on 16 march 1969, 5 years , twelve days after left husband, gravely ill, meena kumari reported work again on pakeezah. kamal amrohi organized great reception. gave wife peda (sweet) peace offering , made documentary film on arrival @ studio. meena kumari determined complete film and, aware of limited time left live, went out of way complete @ earliest. despite rapidly deteriorating health, gave finishing touches performance. vinod mehta (writer of meena kumari - classic biography) shared incident occurred during last days of shooting of pakeezah: on outdoor shooting kamal amrohi s unit travelled in 2 cars near place called shivpuri in madhya pradesh, cars ran out of petrol, , miles around there nothing except long, deserted, straight road. discovered bus passed on route every morning fuel purchased. kamal amrohi decided spend night in desert; ordered unit roll windows of cars , hope best. little after midnight occupants of vehicles surrounded dozen armed men. men knocked on closed windows , forced way in. when armed gang leader learned 1 of people in car meena kumari, attitude changed. turned out meena kumari fan, , welcomed guests in true fan tradition. organized music, dancing, , food. provided place sleep. instructed juniors next morning fetch petrol unit. meena kumari, wanted special favor. sharpened knife , took her. please autograph hand , requested. meena not new signing autographs had never attempted ambitious knife. nervously, wrote name on man s hand. said grateful favor. once unit left, found @ next town had spent night in camp of madhya pradesh s renowned , dangerous dacoit - amrit lal.
khursheed said: work between them, meena had no feeling left kamal, , if thinks else, fooling himself.
—meena kumari pakeezah (1972)
pakeezah had grand premiere on 3 february 1972, @ maratha mandir theatre, in central mumbai, , prints being carried on decked-up palanquin. meena kumari arrived attend last premiere of life. kumari let raaj kumar, benefit of press, kiss hand , went in see film. meena kumari sat next kamal amrohi during premiere. when mohammed zahur khayyam complimented meena kumari shahkar ban gaya. (it s priceless.), in tears. after watching whole film, kumari told friend convinced husband finest film-maker in india. kumari regarded film kamal amrohi s tribute her. film released general masses following day. idea once lingered in creator s mind 18 years reached silver screen on 4 february 1972. pakeezah enjoyed successful run of 33 weeks , celebrated silver jubilee. film has since gained cult , classic status, , meena kumari s performance golden-hearted lucknow nautch girl drew major praise.
she posthumously received twelfth , last filmfare nomination pakeezah. bengal film journalists association awards bestowed special award meena kumari pakeezah in 1973.
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