Meena Kumari was one of the finest actressesof Bollywood. The ‘tragedy queen’ is best remembered for her roles in movies like Pakeezah, Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam, Baiju Bawra, and songs like Ajeeb Dastaan Hai Yeh, Na Jao Saiyaan and Ruk Ja Raat, to name a few. Here are some lesser known facts we bring to you, to celebrate her 84th birth anniversary.
Meena Kumari was born as Mahjabeen Bano. She wrote poetry under the pen name Naaz.
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Kamal Amrohi first met Meena when she was six years old and he was looking for a child artiste. 14 years later, he married her.
Meena Kumari is the only actress in Hindi cinema to have received three Filmfare Awards nominations for the Best Actress in the same year. These were for the movies Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam, Main Chup Rahoongi and Aarti. She won the award for her role in Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam.
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In his biography of the actress, late journalist Vinod Mehta wrote that at one point of time, her income supported as many as 31 members of her family.
Mehta also wrote that Meena was initially prescribed a peg of brandy as a sleeping pill because she used to be exhausted after the day’s work. The prescription became an addiction and Amrohi later discovered that bottles of Dettol in their bathroom were filled with brandy.
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Filmmaker Tigmanshu Dhulia is reportedly making a biopic on the actress, with Kangana Ranaut in the lead. However, the movie is stalled for the time being, as Meena Kumari’s stepson Tajdar Amrohi disapproves casting Ranaut as his mother. Actresses Vidya Balan and Bhumi Pednekar have both said they would love to play the yesteryear actress in her biopic.
