Meena Kumari

Meena Kumari (August 1, 1933 - March 31, 1972) was an Indian actress, whose name has become synonymous withtragic heroine. She shot into stardom1952 withreleaseBaiju Bawra.

The daughter ofParsee theatre actor, Mahajabeen actedher first film atagesix. She took onname Meena KumariVijay Bhatt's immensely popular musical Baiju Bawra. Her early films were rather unremarkablemythological. Meena Kumari enteredlimelight attime when histrionics were taking over from glamour (as epitomized by such beauties as Naseem, Veena, SofiaJayshree). She therefore heraldednew eraactresses that included Nargis, Nimmi, Suchitra SenNutan.

By 1953, Meena Kumari had starredthree other commercially successful films: Daera, Do Bigha ZameenParineeta. Parineeta becameturning pointher career. Her evocative portrayal ofperennially suffering Indian woman struckresponsive chordmillionswomen. She was never really ableshake off this image oftragidienne,at times this severely impeded her inexercise offull rangeher histrionic talents. The following years saw her appear innumberfilms, where she played many, largely indistinguishable, self-mortifying women.

However, her studied reserve, chaste diction-- mostall -- extraordinary voice, that struckright balance betweenerotic andpathetic, ensured her place inhearts ofIndian movie-going public. One reasonthis popularity was her private life, which at times rivaledplotany movie. She married Kamal Amrohi who directed someher best films.

However, her strong independent spirit would not be subordinated by her husband's geniusthey eventually separated1964. She was alsopoether own right,was ablelend tocharacters she playedcertain poetic tendernessintensity. A collectionher poemsUrdu underpen name Naaz was published after her death.

Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam (Master, MistressServant 1962) becamemore thansymbolic waycrossroadsher life. Likeheroine offilm, she increasingly tookdrinkembarked onroadgradual ruin. Her screen image oftormented, self-mortifying woman became an extensionher own personality.

Pakeezah (1971), jointly conceivedher husband, was completed shortly before her tragic death on March 31, 1972was her last great performance. The imageher limpid eyestremulous voice remainsepitomizetragic heroine ofHindi film.

Sources

• Rajadhyaksha, Ashish; Willemen, Paul. EncyclopediaIndian Cinema. London: British Film Institute; New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 1994
• Mahmood, Hameeduddin. The KaleidoscopeIndian Cinema. NewDelhi: East West Press, 1974