New Delhi, Aug 1: On her 85th birth anniversary, Google remembered legendary actor Meena Kumari with a special doodle that captures her in a pensive mood, reminiscent of an iconic scene from “Pakeezah”.
The actor, born as Mahjabeen to Ali Bux and Iqbal Begum in 1933, had an illustrious career in Hindi cinema and is considered one of the tallest stars of the Indian cinema, even now.
Her vast filmography includes classics such as “Parineeta”, “Sahib Biwi aur Ghulam”, “Pakeezah” and her roles in her films earned her many sobriquets — “Baby Meena”, “Rising Star”, “Tragedy Queen of Indian Cinema” and “Cinderella of Bollywood”.
She was only six when she made her acting debut with “Leatherface”. She followed it up with movies like “Ek Hi Bhool” (1939) and “Bahen” (1940).
It was only in the early 1950s, that Kumari received acclaim for her acting skills with memorable performances in films such as “Baiju Bawra” (1952), “Parineeta” (1953) and “Do Bigha Zamin” (1953).
Kumari’s fame, however, rests on the string of strong yet vulnerable roles in films like “Sharada”, “Dil Apna Aur Preet Parai” and “Bhabhi Ki Chudiyan”, among others.
In 1962, Guru Dutt’s classic “Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam” saw Kumari garner further critical acclaim. The same year Kumari delivered hits such as “Main Chup Rahungi” and “Aarti” that resulted in the actor receiving all the nominations in the Best Actress category at the 1963 Filmfare Awards.
Apart from acting, Kumari was also known as a poetess. She wrote several poems under pseudonym “Naaz”.
The sobriquet of “Tragedy Queen of Indian Cinema” also seemed to have jinxed her personal life. She was only 18 when she married filmmaker Kamal Amrohi in 1952 and their relationship soured after sometime.
The actor died at the age of 39 in 1972, weeks after the release of her film “Pakeezah”, due to liver cirrhosis.
