Meena Kumari was one of the leading actresses of her era, who left a mark in Bollywood. Her incredible on-screen presence continues to reside in the hearts of the audience. She was known for her timeless beauty. Meena Kumari also portrayed strong and influential roles in films. Growing up in a financially unstable household, she started working at a young age, choosing acting as a means to support her parents and siblings. Initially driven by necessity, acting soon evolved into her passion. Meena Kumari soon achieved stardom, but tragedy followed her. Her untimely demise shocked the nation.
From a young age, Meena has been involved in acting, drawing her irresistibly close to the spotlight and cameras. As she neared the edge of death, she began to denounce the very Bollywood industry she had been a part of. Despite her successful career in film and acting, Meena’s personal life was marked by numerous challenges and hardships, earning her the moniker ‘tragedy queen.’ Her childhood was far from joyful, and her married life was equally unsatisfying. Today, let us take a look at her tragic life story.
Meena Kumari was born on August 1, 1933, in Mumbai. Despite not attending school, she possessed a remarkable command of multiple languages and had a deep affection for poetry. Her acting journey commenced in 1939, debuting in Vijay Bhatt’s film titled Leatherface. It was the movie Baiju Bawra, released in 1952, that catapulted her to fame.
While working together, Kamal Amrohi and Meena Kumari fell in love with each other and wanted to get married. Kamal was already married at that time. Kamal and Meena secretly tied the knot. After a few months, their relationship encountered difficulties. Kamal disapproved of Meena working late at night and placed restrictions on her. In an interview, Kamal’s son Tajdar disclosed that he had set several conditions for Meena before the marriage, including returning home before 6 pm, dressing modestly, refraining from going out with any co-stars and declining any new film offers.
As a result of Kamal’s imposed restrictions, Meena perceived her life as confined and imprisoned. Consequently, she earned the moniker ‘pinjare ka panchi’ among people. When she expressed her desire to pursue acting in films, Kamal granted permission, but with the condition that he would personally review all the scripts for his films. This led to an escalating conflict between them, culminating in their eventual separation and divorce. Despite the divorce, Meena persevered with her acting career, continuing to star in films.
Meena Kumari was addicted to alcohol. Her excessive drinking took a toll on her health, leading to a severe illness. In her final days, she found herself alone and came to acknowledge her mistake, seeking forgiveness from Kamal. Thankfully, Kamal forgave her, and she went on to finish shooting for Pakija. Despite completing the film, Meena Kumari’s health deteriorated further due to liver cirrhosis; and tragically, she resorted to drinking alcohol instead of taking her medication. She eventually passed away on March 31, 1972, at the age of 38.
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