Bollywood World

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.