Birth and childhood
Meena Kumari was born with the name Mahjabeen to Ali Bux and Iqbal Begum on 1 August 1933. This was a great disappointment to Ali Bux as he wanted a son. She was the … See more

Three weeks after the release of Pakeezah, Kumari became seriously ill. On 28 March 1972, she was admitted to St Elizabeth's Nursing Home.
She slipped into a coma two days later and died shortly afterwards on 31 March 1972. She was 38 … See more

Kumari set fashion trends which are still in high demand. Javed Akhtar points out that women in the 1950s used to follow her sober and dignified … See more

Early work as Baby Meena (1939–45)
Kumari began acting when she was four. She initially worked mostly in Vijay Bhatt productions; See more

Marriage to Kamal Amrohi (1952)
Kamal Amrohi met Kumari in 1938, while searching for a child actor for the film Jailor. Years later, on the sets of Tamasha, See more

Kumari was an Urdu poet under the pseudonym Naaz. Historian Philip Bounds and researcher Daisy Hasan wrote of Kumari's poetry: "Poetry was the medium through which … See more

Acting style and reception
Kumari was credited for never using products like glycerin to shed tears, but always shed genuine tears while acting. At the peak of her … See more