Meena Kumari

For other people named Meena Kumari, see Meena Kumari (disambiguation).

Meena Kumari
Meena Kumari in Pakeezah
Born
Mahjabeen Bano

(1933-08-01)1 August 1933
Bombay, Bombay Presidency, British India (present-day Mumbai, Maharashtra, India)
Died31 March 1972(1972-03-31) (aged 38)
Bombay, Maharashtra, India
Burial placeRahmatabad cemetery, Mumbai
Other namesTragedy Queen
Occupations
  • Actress
  • poet
  • singer
  • costume designer
Years active1939–1972
WorksFull list
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1952; sep. 1964)​
RelativesSee Ali-Amrohi family
AwardsSee list
Musical career
Genres
Writing career
Pen nameNaaz
Meena Kumari's voice
A 30-second sample of "Tanha Chand", from I Write, I Recite, 1971.
Signature

Meena Kumari[1] (born Mahjabeen Bano; 1 August 1933[2] – 31 March 1972) was an Indian actress and poet, who worked in Hindi films. Popularly known as The Tragedy Queen,[3] she is regarded among the finest and greatest actresses in the history of Indian cinema.[4] In a career spanning 33 years, from child actress to adult, Kumari starred in over 90 films.[5]

Kumari won four Filmfare Awards in the Best Actress category. She was the recipient of the inaugural Filmfare Best Actress Award for Baiju Bawra in 1954 and had a consecutive win in the second Filmfare Awards (1955) for Parineeta. Kumari made history at the 10th Filmfare Awards (1963) by receiving all three of the Best Actress nominations, and won for her performance in Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam.[6] In the 13th Filmfare Awards (1966), she won her last Best Actress award for Kaajal. Critics have noted that her character in Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam is similar to her life. She also went onto appear in other successful films such as - Do Bigha Zamin (1953), Dil Apna Aur Preet Parai (1960), Aarti (1962), Main Chup Rahungi (1962), Dil Ek Mandir (1963), Phool Aur Patthar (1966) and Mere Apne (1971).

By late 1960s, Kumari got addicted to alcohol, the effect of which was visible in her subsequent films. Kumari was also a poet and a playback singer. She sang in some of her early films as a child artist and to her poems which came out in an album, I Write, I Recite (1971). She also designed the costumes in Pakeezah. On 31 March 1972, Kumari died at the age of 38, from cirrhosis of the liver, which has been associated with her alcoholism.[7]

  1. ^ "Homage — Meena Kumari". Journal of Indian Cinema. 31 July 2020. Archived from the original on 28 October 2020. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  2. ^ Adrian Room (26 July 2010). "Meena Kumari". Dictionary of Pseudonyms: 13,000 Assumed Names and Their Origins. McFarland. p. 269. ISBN 978-0-7864-4373-4. Archived from the original on 12 October 2020. Retrieved 22 April 2012.
  3. ^ "Meena Kumari birth anniverary [sic]: She is inspiration for all!". Free Press Journal. Archived from the original on 3 October 2018. Retrieved 3 October 2018.
  4. ^ "Readers' Pick: Top 10 Bollywood Actresses OF ALL TIME!". Rediff. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  5. ^ "Meena Kumari – Interview (1952)". Cineplot.com. 19 July 2017. Archived from the original on 16 July 2018. Retrieved 29 July 2017.
  6. ^ "Filmfare Awards (1963)". IMDb. Archived from the original on 1 January 2016. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
  7. ^ Mohamed, Khalid (25 March 2016). "Remembering the Tragedy Queen Meena Kumari". Khaleej Times. Archived from the original on 18 October 2019. Retrieved 12 October 2020.