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IMDbPro

Meena Kumari(1932-1972)

  • Actress
  • Costume Designer
  • Music Department
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Meena Kumari
The Munim (Clerk) in Ranimaa's family lives with his son, Kaushal and daughter, Madhavi. After he passes away, Ranimaa brings up both children as her own, along with her only son, Rajesh. Years later, Rajesh has grown up and is of marriageable age. He meets with beautiful Bhanu Saxena and both fall in love with each other. Shortly thereafter, in a boating accident, Kaushal passes away, leaving behind a devastated Madhavi, Rajesh, who blames himself for his death, and Ranimaa. A few months later, Rajesh gets married to Bhanu and she moves in with them. Bhanu dislikes Madhavi and would like her out of the way, she goes to the extent of accusing her of having an affair with her husband. Under pressure, Madhavi goes to kill herself, and is rescued by a young man named Moti. Rajesh likes Moti and would like him to marry Madhavi, to which he agrees. After the marriage, Madhavi bids adieu to Ranimaa, and Rajesh, and moves in with Moti. What Madhavi does not know that Moti had an agenda and an ulterior motive for marrying her, and it looks like she has been dumped from the frying pan into the fire.
Play trailer1:02
Kaajal (1965)
1 Video
4 Photos
The Empress of Indian Cinema!

A Sweetheart of 1950s, & The Undisputed Goddess of 1960s Bollywood, Meena Kumari bestrode the movies like few women in history have!

Combing enchanting grace, amazingly heart-melting expression, & consistently solid progressive content base, this Giant of Cinema will remain immortal as perhaps the greatest feminine incarnation of filmdom!

Born in 1933 into a poor Parsee theatre family of Ali Bux and actor-dancer Prabhavati Devi (converted to Iqbal Begum) (her mother's first husband till death, incidentally, being the cousin of Rabindranath Tagore, she in turn borne of her second husband, a very famous Urdu poet of Meerut, from where she migrated to pursue a career in music) in Bombay, Maharashtra, India, she entered films to support her family in difficult times.

She was six when hired for Leatherface (1939) in 1939 by Vijay Bhatt and named Baby Meena. Later she became Meena Kumari when cast for Bhatt's Baiju Bawra (1952).

She did mythological films with Homi Wadia and then comedies like Miss Mary (1957). She became personified as the archetypal good Hindu wife through many roles, long suffering and always true to the man. She excelled at tragedy and was often shown in a white sari carrying the film with her emotive acting. She was also thought to be the only actress who could sell a film on the strength of her name alone. Her major films are Daaera (1953), Baiju Bawra (1952), 0046164, and of course her most well known film, Pakeezah (1972). She was married to Kamal Amrohi with whom she started making "Pakeezah". They separated in 1964.

She was also an accomplished Urdu writer and had several poems published by Gulzar after her death. She battled alcoholism and loneliness and finally died, alone, in 1972.
BornAugust 1, 1932
DiedMarch 31, 1972(39)
BornAugust 1, 1932
DiedMarch 31, 1972(39)
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
  • Awards
    • 4 wins & 6 nominations

Photos

Meena Kumari and M. Rajan in Sahara (1958)
Gemini Ganesan and Meena Kumari in Miss Mary (1957)
Meena Kumari in Dil Apna Aur Preet Parai (1960)

Known for

Kaajal (1965)
Kaajal
6.6
  • Madhavi
  • 1965
Parineeta (1953)
Parineeta
7.3
  • Lalita
  • 1953
Raaj Kumar and Meena Kumari in Pakeezah (1972)
Pakeezah
7.2
  • Nargis
  • Sahibjaan
  • 1972
Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam (1962)
Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam
8.1
  • Chhoti Bahu
  • 1962

Credits

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IMDbPro

Actress

  • Meka Srikanth in Chadarangam (2020)
    Chadarangam
    • TV Series
    • 2020
  • Meena Kumari in Gomti Ke Kinare (1972)
    Gomti Ke Kinare
    • Ganga
    • 1972
  • Raaj Kumar and Meena Kumari in Pakeezah (1972)
    Pakeezah
    • Nargis
    • Sahibjaan
    • 1972
  • Pattukunte Laksha
    • 1971
  • Seema
    • 1971
  • Rajesh Khanna, Meena Kumari, and Mumtaz Askari in Dushmun (1971)
    Dushmun
    • Malti
    • 1971
  • Mere Apne (1971)
    Mere Apne
    • Anandi Devi
    • Auaji (Aunt)
    • 1971
  • Saat Phere
    • 1970
  • Jawab (1970)
    Jawab
    • Vidya
    • 1970
  • Maya Theevu Ragasiyam
    • 1969
  • Buddimantudu (1969)
    Buddimantudu
    • 1969
  • Abhilasha (1968)
    Abhilasha
    • Meena R. Singh
    • 1968
  • Sudigundaalu (1968)
    Sudigundaalu
    • 1968
  • Baharon Ki Manzil (1968)
    Baharon Ki Manzil
    • Nanda
    • Radha
    • 1968
  • Patukunte Padivelu
    • 1967

Costume Designer

  • Raaj Kumar and Meena Kumari in Pakeezah (1972)
    Pakeezah
    • Costume Designer
    • 1972

Music Department

  • Pinjre Ke Panchhi (1966)
    Pinjre Ke Panchhi
    • playback singer
    • 1966

Videos1

Kaajal trailer
Trailer 1:02
Kaajal trailer

Personal details

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  • Alternative names
    • Baby Meena
  • Height
    • 5′ 3″ (1.60 m)
  • Born
    • August 1, 1932
    • Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
  • Died
    • March 31, 1972
    • Bombay, Maharashtra, India(cirrhosis of the liver)
  • Spouse
    • Kamal Amrohi1952 - 1972 (her death)
  • Relatives
      Khurshid Jr.(Sibling)
  • Other works
    Tanha Chand, Urdu poems under name Naaz

Did you know

Edit
  • Trivia
    At the Filmfare Awards 1963, she was the only one nominated in the category Best Actress in a Leading Role. She was nominated for three of her performances in three different films - an achievement still not accomplished by any other actress at the Filmfare Awards.
  • Nickname
    • Manju

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