Dubbed ‘The Tragedy Queen’ of the Indian cinema, the tag came to describe Meena Kumari’s reel and real life. Born Mahajabeen, the legendary actress she started working early in life, burdened by family responsibilities. Success and popularity came with heartbreak and alcoholism, and childhood was lost to arclights.
The actor — who made many new faces into stars and is remembered for films such as Pakeezah, Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam, Aarti, Baiju Bawra, Parineeta, and Main Chup Rahungi to this day — died at the age of 38, penniless and ignored by everyone she loved. Her talents were manifold, she not only starred in Kamal Amrohi’s dream project, Pakeezah, but also designed costumes for it. The same costumes went on to inspire filmmakers such as Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Muzaffar Ali. Meena Kumari also had a deep interest in poetry and literature.
Who was Meena Kumari behind the camera?
“Bechari is the word she is associated with”, writes Vinod Mehta in his book Meena Kumari. Born to Master Ali Baux (musician) and Iqbal Begum (artiste) on 1 August, 1932, she was forced to start acting at 4 to support her family. A natural in front of the camera, Meena’s debut film was Vijay Bhatt’s Leather Face, and she went on to act in many of his films.
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Vinod Mehta’s book quotes the actress, “The first day I trotted along to work I little imagined that I was saying goodbye to the normal pleasantries of childhood. I thought I would go to the studio for a few days and then go to school, learn a few things, and play and make merry like other children. But that was not to be.”
Meena Kumari as Baby Meena. (Photo: IMDb)
Eventually, the actress rose to fame and was renamed Baby Meena. After starring in films as a child artiste, the actress started her journey as the lead heroine in a series of mythological dramas, the first one being Homi Seth’s Lakshmi Narayan. Mahajabeen, who was paid Rs 25 for her first ever role at 4, was now being paid between Rs 4000 to Rs 10,000 per film.
By 1959, after starring in films like Baiju Bawra, Parineeta, Chandni Chowk, and Char Dil Char Rahen, the actress had become so powerful that she could launch new faces. Unlike many established stars, Meena Kumari often worked with newcomers. It is said that in her tutelage, Rajendra Kumar (Chirag Kahan Roshni Kahan), Sunil Dutt (Ek hi Rasta), and Dharmendra became stars in their own right. She was famously known for going out of her way to guide the struggling newcomers. Ironic to her ‘bechari’ tag, she was lucky for everyone associated with her.
ALSO READ | Meena Kumari’s stepson reacts to Heeramandi’s Sharmin Segal saying legendary actor’s ‘nothingness’ in Pakeezah inspired her: ‘Zameen aasman ka fark hai’
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Apart from helping the newcomers, Meena Kumari was also extremely generous with her relatives, producers, and filmmakers. It is said that once Meena Kumari approached a producer and requested if he could give one of her relatives a small part in his forthcoming film. The producer agreed. “How much would you normally pay for that kind of part?”, she asked. “Rs 500”, he replied. “Well, give him Rs 2000, I will make up the difference”, she said.
Meena Kumari as Lakshmi in Lakshmi Narayan. (Photo: YouTube screengrab)
Similarly, filmmaker Khwaja Ahmed Abbas, who the actress has worked with extensively fell short of money while shooting a film. Abbas wrote to many of his friends for help. When Meena learnt about the situation, she rang up the filmmaker and asked, “So you don’t think I am you friend?” “Why do you say that?” asked the filmmaker. “Well, you wrote to all your friends for money but not me”, she said. According to Abbas, the next day she sent him a cheque of Rs 5000 at his residence.
Meena Kumari, by this time was one of the highest-paid actresses of her time. Initially, her father managed her money and after her marriage to Kamal Amrohi, the filmmaker took over the manager’s job. Between this, the actress never cared for a dime. In fact, despite after her ugly fights with Kamal Amrohi — who allegedly beat her and would not give her enough food, according to Meena’s elder sister Khursheed), the actress still worked in Pakeezah for free, despite deteriorating health. This was her only condition to resume the film that was in the making for 16 years.
Meena Kumari with her husband and filmmaker Kamal Amrohi on sets of Pakeezah. (Photo: IMDb)
However, her generosity and reported parasite relatives who lived off her left her bankrupt. She reportedly didn’t even have Rs 3500 at the time of her death to pay her hospital bills. Before leaving her house for one last time, Meena had arranged Rs 10000 and had given Rs 5000 to her sister Khursheed and Rs 5000 to her doctor Shah. However, post her death, nobody came forward to pay the bill of Rs 3500 to release her body including Amrohi. It was at this time that Meena’s physician sent SOS to his wife to raise the money and the bill was finally paid. Reportedly, Amrohi later paid the money to Meena’s physician.
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The actress was addicted to alcohol after her separation from Amrohi, but was also known for her punctuality and determination. In rains, in sickness, and even in addiction, the actress always made it to sets on time and shot for the films she signed (With zero tantrums). Before death, the actress was relieved that she was not leaving any of her signed works incomplete.
At 38, due to cirrhosis of Liver, the actress breathed her last and was buried in Rehmata Baug in Mumbai. Vinod Mehta wrote in his book, “I went to Rehmata Baug–much later–and saw my heroine’s grave. It was pathetic. I couldn’t believe that the woman they called India’s greatest tragedienne would finally end up like this. Grass grows wild, the ground is uneven and stony, and all around is uneven and stony.’ The actress, according to her sister Khursheed, wanted to be cremated next to her Babujee and Majee (Ali Baux and Iqbal Begum) in the Sunni Kabristan in Bandra.
