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On the 85th Birth Anniversary Of the Legend Meena Kumari(Born on 1st August 1932),I look at various dimensions of Meena Kumari.She shot to fame with Vijay Bhatt�s Baiju Bawra (1952). She was born as Mahjabeen Bano to Ali Baksh and Iqbal Begum.Starting her carrier as a child artist she became the superstar in the 1950s and 60s.Unlike today's stars, she had many dimensions - she read poetry, had literary friends,a great voice sang for films, aspired to the higher life and was an alcoholic.she had a volatile love life .
She married Kamal Amrohi 15 years older to her who was already married having children,their marriage was not happy marriage.She threw herself in love with a series of men, most famously with a young and upcoming Dharmendra.She was a modern and emancipated woman.she never got true love.
She has been a part of several cult movies like Baiju Bawra, Sahab, Biwi Aur gulam, Pakeezah, Parineeta, Yahudi, Aarti, Kaajal and Dil Apna Aur Preet Parayi. Best remembered for her role as alcoholic Chhoti Bahu, in Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam (1962).
Meena Kumari was also a talented Urdu poetess under the pseudonym Naaz. According to Naushad Ali, Kumari's poetry clearly reflected her angst. Haunting, crystalline, and precisely observed, Kumari's poetry reveals a side of her personality that was rarely on display in her films. It proved that she was a much more sensitive and self-aware woman than her fans tend to realize.Shortly after Meena Kumari�s death in 1972, at the age of only 39, the lyricist and poet Gulzar arranged for Hind Pocket Books to publish the matinee idol�s poetry.
Meena Kumari is the most written Actress of Bollywood,lots of Biography and books are written are on her.Naushad Ali�s short biography, Actress Meena Kumari: From The Cradle To The Grave, summarizes her life�her beginnings as a child actor, her debut in the stunt movie called (of all things) Leatherface), her rise to fame as an adult actor with Baiju Bawra, her unrequited love for a leading man, her marriage with, and divorce from, a leading director, her slide into isolation and alcoholism.Meena Kumari The Poet: A Life Beyond Cinema by Noorul Hasan a former professor of English with interests from Thomas Hardy to Firaq Gorakhpuri, has brought together several of Meena Kumari�s verses, published in English translation for the first time. Vetaran Journalist Late Vinod Mehta wrote a book on Meena Kumari-"Meena kumari the Classic Biography"
.She sang many great songs and earned her recognition in singing too. Merely at the age of 8 yrs, she sang a beautiful song with Beena Kumari "Tora Kajra Lagoon Mori Rani" from the film Bahen which released in 1941.She sang 3 songs in the movie Duniya Ek Sarai(1947)...Music was composed by Hansraj Behl.Then She sang around 7 songs in Piya Ghar Aaja(1947).Meena Kumari also sang few words for a song in Pinjre Ki Panchi(1966) with Manna Dey.
Music by Salil Choudhary and lyrics by Gulzar.

Meena Kumari worked with Khayyam Saheb for an album �I WRITE, I RECITE� in the year 1970.
There were total 8 Ghazals in this album.When she recited these ghazals, She was not well..
But, She rendered all the ghazals beautifully with her divine voice.

Here are my Favorite Songs of Meena Kumari

Song from Baiju Bawra 1952

Song from Do Bigha Zameen 1953

Song from Azad 1955

Song from Mem Sahib 1956

Song from Miss Marry 1957

Song from Yahudi 1958

Song from Chirag Kahan Roshni Kahan 1959

Song from Dil Apna Aur Preet Parai 1960

Song from Bhabhi Ki Chudiyan 1961

Song from Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam 1962

Song from Main Chup Rahungi 1962

Song from Aarti 1962

Song from Dil Ek Mandir 1963

Song from Chitralekha 1964

Song from Bheegi Raat 1965

Song from Bahu Begum 1967

Song from Baharon Ki Manzil 1968

Song from Pakeezah 1972

Today on 45th death Anniversary we remember Meena Kumari.She is regarded as one of the greatest actresses to have appeared on the screens of Hindi cinema,Meena Kumari (1 August 1932 � 31 March 1972)-The Tragedy Queen of Bollywood.
Meena Kumari was born with the birth name Mahjabeen into the family of Ali Bux and Iqbal Begum on 1 August 1932/33.Little mehjabeen embarked on her acting career at the age of six, she was immersed in work over next four years, as child artist mostly in Vijay Bhatt productions Leatherface (1939), Pooja (1940), Nai Roshni (1941), Bahen (1941), Kasauti (1941) and Garib (1942).Vijay Bhatt became her mentor and, on the sets of Ek Hi Bhool (1940), rechristened Mahjabeen as Baby Meena
She became heroine at the age of 14,Bachhon Ka Khel(1946) was his first film as heroine.Same year her another film Duniya Ek Sarai (1946), Piya Ghar Aaja (1947) and Bichchade Balam (1948) performing with credit and winning recognition from all in the industry.
On 14 February 1952 Meena Kumari age 19 and Kamal Amrohi age 34 secretly married in a simple 'Nikah' Cermoney, in the presence of a Qadi and Kumari's younger sister Mahaleka(madhu). The marriage was kept secret from family and media.Though Kamal Amrohi was already married and had three childrens.

1952 was a milestone in the life of meena Kumari,she not only married that year but also she got stardom with the release of Baiju Bawra. Meena Kumari won the first ever Filmfare Best Actress Award for Baiju Bawra on 21 March 1954 at the Metro Theatre in Bombay.The film celebrated diamond jubilee. The film was a musical, set up in Mughal India of 16th Century, with classical Hindustani melodies set by Naushad Ali.
Some of her best known films were Parineeta, Baadbaan,Sharada ,Sahara ,Chirag Kahan Roshni Kahan ,Sahib Biwi Aur Ghulam, Aarti, Main Chup Rahungi.,Dil Ek Mandir,Kaajal and Pakeezah

Meena Kumari became addicted to alcohol. Her life and prosperous career were marred by heavy drinking, troubled relationships, an ensuing deteriorating health, and her death from liver cirrhosis in 1972.
She got burried at Shia Cemetry Mazgaon Mumbai.Her real name is carved in Urdu on the marble, her assumed name in English and Hindi is written in black paint.

Some of the Hit Songs of Meena Kumari

Mohe Bhool Gaye from Baiju Bawra

Kitna Haseen Mausam from Azad

do sitaron ka milan hai aaj ki raat from kohinoor

Ajeeb Dastan Hai Yeh

jyoti kalash chhalke

Na Jao Saiyan from Saheb Biwi Aur Gulam

Ruk Ja Raat from Dil Ek Mandir

Hum Intezaar Karenge Tera Qayamat Tak from Bahu Begum

Duniya Kare Sawal To Hum from Bahu Begum

Mausam Hai Aashikana from Pakeezah

Born on 18 March 1938,Shashi Kapoor turns 79 today.He is the 3rd and the youngest son of Prithviraj Kapoor; the younger brother of Raj Kapoor and Shammi Kapoor.

From the age of four, Shashi Kapoor acted in plays directed and produced by his father Prithviraj Kapoor.He first appeared in films in the 1948 film AAG where he played the younger version of the characters played by his eldest brother Raj Kapoor and then he appeared in Sangram (1950), where he played younger version of Ashok Kumar. He worked in four Hindi films as a child artist from 1948 to 1954.
He made his debut as a leading man in the 1961 film Dharmputra and went on to appear in 116 Hindi films, including 61 films as the solo lead hero and 55 multi star-cast films, 21 films as supporting actor and special appearance in 7 films.He also acted in English language films, which include The Householder and Shakespeare-Wallah.

He was a very popular actor in Bollywood during the 60s, 70s and until the mid 80s.He made a hit Jodi with Amitabh Bachchan in the 70s.The two co-starred in a total of 12 films: Roti Kapda Aur Makaan (1974), Deewaar (1975), Kabhi Kabhie (1976), Immaan Dharam (1977), Trishul (1978), Kaala Patthar (1979), Suhaag (1979), Do Aur Do Paanch (1980), Shaan (1980), Silsila (1981), Namak Halaal (1982),.

In the 60s he was paired with Nanda and both gave many Hit films, Jab Jab Phool Khile (1965) was prominent among them.Later he formed on screen pairs with Raakhee, Sharmila Tagore, Zeenat Aman from the late sixties to the mid eighties.
In 1978, he set up his production house, Film Valas, which produced critically acclaimed films such as Junoon (1978), Kalyug (1981), 36 Chowringhee Lane (1981), Vijeta (1982) and Utsav (1984).In 1991 he produced and directed a fantasy film titled Ajooba which had his frequent co-star Amitabh Bachchan and nephew Rishi Kapoor in the lead.
In 2015, he was awarded the 2014 Dadasaheb Phalke Award, making him the third member of his family to receive the highest award in Indian Cinema after Prithviraj Kapoor and Raj Kapoor.He got theFilmfare Best Supporting Actor Award in 1976 for Deewar.He also recieved Filmfare Best Movie Award for Junoon 1980 and Kalyug 1982.He got National Film Award for Best Actor for New Delhi Times in 1986

He met English actress Jennifer Kendal in Calcutta in 1956 while both were working for their respective theatre groups. Shashi was both assistant stage manager as well as an actor for his father's theatre group, Prithvi Theatre. Geoffrey Kendal's Shakespearean group was also present at the same time in Calcutta and Jennifer was Geoffrey's daughter. After their subsequent meeting, the couple fell in love and after facing initial opposition from the Kendals and support from sister-in-law Geeta Bali, they got married in July 1958. They had three children: Kunal Kapoor, Karan Kapoor and Sanjana Kapoor. Jennifer and Shashi established Prithvi Theatre on 5 November 1978 in Mumbai. Jennifer died of cancer in 1984 which shattered him.After that he was not active as an Actor.
For the last few years his health is not permitting him to appear in Public,He recieved Dada Saheb Phalke Award on Wheel Chair assisted by his daughter.