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The person

Meena Kumari: Lesser known facts

The Times of India

Meena Kumari ruled celluloid until her death in 1972. Her seductive voice and charismatic screen presence captured millions of hearts. Her life was nothing less than a roller coaster ride. From passion, romance, love, success to tragedy - she witnessed all of these in her real life too. Director Tigmanshu Dhulia has roped in Kangana Ranaut to essay the role of Meena Kumari in her biopic. On her death anniversary, let's take a look at the lesser known aspects of her life.

Debut at the age of 4: Because of her strikingly good looks, Meena Kumari started working at the age of 4, to help support her family. She became a common face at various studios. Meena made her acting debut at the age of 7, as a child actor in Farzande Watan. She played the daughter of Jairaj Singh in the movie. In the year, 1950, she also played Jairaj Singh's love interest in the film Maghroor.

Changed her name: Meena Kumari was born in 1932. Her father, Master Ali Bux had migrated from Bhera. Her mother, Iqbal Begum, was a Bengali Christian who converted to Islam. Meena Kumari's original name was Mehajabeen Naaz. The director of Farzande Watan, Vijay Bhatt, changed her name to Baby Meena for his movie. Once she grew up, she became popularly known as Meena Kumari.

Meena Kumari as a Hindu goddess: Prior to acting in films, Meena Kumari had become a regular face in Hindu mythological shows. Meena used to be roped in for many mythological shows, and she used to play Hindu goddess in most of these shows. After she made her way into the industry, there was no looking back for the actress. She quoted high fees and producers used to wait outside her house. She gained financial independence and there was no pressure on her to compromise with the roles she was offered.

Closeness to Gulzar: Meena Kumari had no formal education, but she was quite well versed in Urdu and Hindi. She was an ardent reader. She also used to write poems in Urdu, many of which even got published. Her love for poetry also brought her closer to Gulzar.

Kamal Amrohi: In Meena's words, Kamal Amrohi was the perfect man for her. They used to write letters to each other, talk on phone all night. Meena's family was against the idea of her tying the knot with Kamal. And thus, one night, Meena moved to Kamal's apartment unannounced. The duo got married in a private ceremony. However, Meena Kumari's growing popularity became a problem in their love nest. Kamal had imposed many restrictions on her. After a marriage that lasted for almost a decade, the couple parted ways.

Meena Kumari's obsession for white: Meena Kumari was not a party person. In her biography, Vinod Mehta has described that Meena used to get bored at such events. But she mostly attended all the events and parties in a particular white saree. The book also states that Meena Kumari had decorated her house mostly with white objects.

Meena Kumari and Dharmendra

Men who loved and left Meena Kumari

Chandrima Pal, Mumbai Mirror | Aug 15, 2013

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The biography

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

Veteran journalist Vinod Mehta's biography of Meena Kumari, first published in 1972, was written at a time when biographies were few and far between, and stars

While most of Meena Kumari's co-stars and colleagues easily opened up to the charismatic writer (except Dharmendra with whom she was rumoured to be having an affair), Mehta found the domestic helps, the drivers and the make-up artists to be the most resourceful. "They had no axe to grind, and I had no reason to disbelieve them," he says.

During the four months that he researched for and wrote the book, Mehta was drawn to his heroine's multi-faceted personality. "Unlike today's stars, she had many dimensions - she read poetry, had literary friends, aspired to the higher life and was an alcoholic. She also represented that generation of young Muslim girls who were pushed into the film industry so that they could become their family's meal tickets. Meena Kumari's family too exploited her and felt betrayed when she married KamalAmrohi," he says. Meena Kumari also thought of herself as a Marilyn Monroe, "unlucky and unloved," says Mehta, adding that "she drank because she wanted to get drunk, not because she enjoyed it."

EXCERPT

Meena-even after she had stopped seeing Dharmendra had great regard for him. There were two reasons for this: One, Mr Dharam was her protege, her pupil. She had helped him enormously in the initial stages of his career, and she took legitimate pride when he made good. Dharam himself has never tried to minimise the debt he owes to Meena for making him what he is today.

Two, He was among the very few men who were genuinely good to her. In real life I believe he is a thoroughly decent and unpretentious guy, and he thought a lot of my heroine. (Each time he went to see her in Landmark, he would come out of her room crying. Khursheed once asked him why. 'I can't help it,' was his simple and honest reply.) The popular view is that Meena and Dharam were intimate for three years. The inside view is that the intimacy lasted no more than six months.

While it lasted, however, it glittered and in six months this couple had given rise to rumours enough for many years. No denying that Dharam enjoyed the limelight. He was an unknown boy and his liaison with India's foremost actress got him a lot of grantis publicity. Most of the time he was visibly at her side and when he was not, he made sure this news travelled.

He had gone to Delhi for the premiere of Kaajal, and at some party there downed a couple of excess drinks. When he arrived at the airport, the authorities noticing his inebriated state, refused to let him in the plane. 'But I must get back to Bombay. I must,' he entreated, 'Meena is waiting for me'. This statement and incident were faithfully reported in the press the next day. My heroine did not fall short either. She had gone in a convoy to a picnic with lots of friends among whom was Mr Dharmendra. While returning, somehow Dharam got inside a different car from Meena and whisked away. She was hysterical. She wanted to know why he wasn't in the car beside her. She wanted to know whether he had run away. She wanted to know if something had possibly happened to him. The other picnicker s assured that all was well with Dharam and through an oversight he had left in one of the other cars. But this assurance wasn't enough. Meena directed the driver of her car to stop. He did. Coolly she got out of the car and went onto the middle of the road. Here, cross-legged, she sat and began lamenting loudly, 'Where is my Dharam? Where is my Dharam?'

If you were involved with Meena, that automatically meant that you were involved in fairy-tale fiction. Dharam received his share. A slapping incident is rumoured, a full-scale fist fight between Mrs Dharmendra and my heroine in Shrinagar is rumoured, a couple of drinking incidents where Meena had to stabilise her man are rumoured.

-Excerpt from Vinod Mehta, Meena Kumari, The Classic Biography, Published by Harper Collins