Meena Kumari

Often referred to as Tragedy Queen for her on-screen roles, Meena Kumari's life was no less a tragedy. The actress, whose name is firmly etched in the history of Indian Cinema as one of the early gems, worked in over 90 films in a career spanning about 30 degress.

Meena Kumari's biography could well revive conversations about men who loved and left her

Meena Kumari, Actress: Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam. Born 1933 into a poor Parsee theatre family of Ali Bux and dancer Iqbal begum in Bombay, Maharashtra, India. Entered films to support family in difficult times. She was six when hired for Leatherface (1939) in 1939 by Vijay Bhatt and named Baby Meena. Later she became Meena Kumari when cast for Bhatt's Baiju Bawra (1952). She did mythological films with Homi Wadia and then comedies like Miss Mary...

Born 1933 into a poor Parsee theatre family of Ali Bux and dancer Iqbal begum in Bombay, Maharashtra, India. Entered films to support family in difficult times. She was six when hired for Leatherface (1939) in 1939 by Vijay Bhatt and named Baby Meena. Later she became Meena Kumari when cast for Bhatt's Baiju Bawra (1952). She did mythological films with Homi Wadia and then comedies like Miss Mary (1957). She became personified as the archetypal good Hindu wife through many roles, long suffering and always true to the man. She excelled at tragedy and was often shown in a white sari carrying the film with her emotive acting. She was also thought to be the only actress who could sell a film on the strength of her name alone. Her major films are Daera (1953), Baiju Bawra (1952), 0046164, and of course her most well known film, Pakeezah (1972). She was married to Kamal Amrohi with whom she started making "Pakeezah". They separated in 1964. She was also an accompalished Urdu writer and had several poems published by Gulzar after her death. She battled alcoholism and loneliness and finally died, alone, in 1972.

On Meena Kumari's 81st birth anniversary, a look back on the making of Pakeezah, the film her estranged husband made for her the way ‘Shah Jahan made Taj Mahal for his wife’

Vinod Mehta's illuminating 1970s biography, Meena Kumari: The Classic Biography, which has been reissued recently, answer many myths and mysteries that surround the star's life and death. Exclusive excerpts from the book. | How Meena Kumari Became An Alcoholic

Meena Kumari (1 August 1933 – 31 March 1972), born Mahjabeen Bano, was an Indian film actress, singer and poet under the pseudonym "Naaz".