Showing posts with label tragedy queen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tragedy queen. Show all posts

Thursday 31 March 2022

The Most Exploited & Unlucky Woman-Meena Kumari

 



Veteran journalist Vinod Mehta wrote the biography of Meena Kumari in 1972. In this book, he wrote about the exploitation of Meena Kumari whoever came close to her. She was first exploited by her family. She started out as Baby Meena, a child artist and a breadwinner of the family. As a child, she wasn't interested in a film career, and would rather attend school. In spite of this, her parents started peddling four-year-old Mahjabeen(Real Name of Meena Kumari) to film studios for work opportunities so she was deprived of her childhood.



One of the major blows in Meena Kumari's life was the death of her mother. She was only 14 then. In the film Industry also she struggled initially, though she was getting work but paid poorly.It was only after Baiju Bawra in 1952 she got recognition.
On May 21, 1951, Meena Kumari was involved in a motor car accident while returning from Mahabaleshwar to BombayShe was admitted to Sasoon Hospital in Poona, injured around the left hand. Kumari went through bouts of depression.This accident left Meena Kumari with a banded left pinky which remained banded throughout her life, and she used to cover her left hand with a dupatta or saree during shoots. During this time Kamal Amrohi used to visit her in the hospital. For four months this hospital affair continued and love blossomed.



She married at the age of 18 Kamal Amrohi at that time he was 34. It was his third marriage. After their marriage, Kamal Amrohi allowed Meena Kumari to continue her acting career, but on the condition that she should not remit anyone in her makeup room but her makeup artist and return home in her own car by 6:30 every evening. Meena Kumari agreed to all terms, but with passing time she kept breaking them.
Meena Kumari was a patient with chronic insomnia and was on sleeping pills for a long time.As an alternative to sleeping pills, she started drinking. She was interested in Urdu poetry, this brought her close to another poet Gulzar. Once she was slapped on the set of  Pinjre ke Panchhi,by Kamal Amrohi's assistant, Baqar when she allowed Gulzar to enter her makeup room. After this incident in 1964, they divorced.



Dharmendra was the next person in her life. He signed Purnima as her Hero, he was a fan of Meena kumari,it was his dream to act opposite Meenaji. When he was introduced to her, she was warm and friendly and welcomed him with kind encouragement. Coincidentally, at this particular moment of her life, Meena Kumari required a stable and devoted man: big and strong, someone on whom she could literally rest her head, and someone who was not too famous. 

Dharmendra was almost a daily visitor at Janki Kutir. Together they would open a bottle and spend a few hours. These were the good times. Meena Kumari insisted her Producers to take Dharmendra as his Hero, both of them worked in 7 films. Dharmendra established himself as a hero because of Meena Kumari. However, a much younger and already married Dharmendra had nothing to offer in terms of the love and security Meena was searching for. They were intimate for three years.
Meena Kumari had a strong love for children, she wanted her own child here too she was deprived by her husband Kamal Amrohi.

She died on 31st March 1972, On a Good Friday, Meena Kumari died, after a long and painful battle with cirrhosis of the liver. She had been admitted to St Elizabeth’s Nursing Home in Bombay on 28th March and died three days later surrounded by the people who had played an important part in her life, both personal and professional. Her sisters Khursheed and Madhu; her estranged husband Kamal Amrohi; and various luminaries of the film world, including Begum Para and Kammo, from whose house the Aab-e-Zamzam (holy water from Mecca) was fetched to be spooned into Meena Kumari’s mouth as she was dying.

Song from Baiju Bawra 1952


Song of Tamasha 1952


Song from Azaad 1955


Song from Yahudi 1958


Song from Dil Apna Preet Parai, 1960



do sitaron ka milan hai aaj ki raat from kohinoor



Song from Bhabhi Ki Chudiyan 1961



Song of Aarti (1962)



Song of  Dil Ek Mandir (1963)

If you liked this Blog you would also like my Youtube Channel on Bollywood, the link is given below kindly Click







Tuesday 31 March 2020

Meena Kumari was also a playback singer


Meena Kumari (1 August 1933– 31 March 1972) who is known as Tragedy Queen of Bollywood was not only an ace actress but also a singer and a poet. She started her career as a child artist. In an interview given in 1962, Meena Kumari explained that the fact she had been supporting her parents from the age of four gave her immense satisfaction. Director Vijay Bhatt cast her in the film Leatherface and on the first day she was paid Rs. 25.
She appeared in many films as a child artist In 1941 Mehboob Khan took her in his film "Bahen" as a child artist and also got her sing for the first time in the films. As a heroine, she rendered her voice to songs from films like Duniya Ek Sarai (1946), Piya Ghar Aaja (1948), Bichchade Balam (1948) and Pinjre Ke Panchhi (1966). She also sung for Pakeezah (1972), however, the song was not used in the film and was later released in the album Pakeezah-Rang Ba Rang (1977).
In this blog, I am posting the songs Meena Kumari sang for herself.
Song of Bahen 1941



Song of Duniya Ek Sarai (1946)


Song of Piya Ghar Aaja (1948)



Song of  Bichchade Balam (1948)


Song of  Bichchade Balam (1948)



Song of Pinjre Ke Panchhi (1966)


                                               CHAND TANHA HAI AASMAAN TANHA- MEENA KUMARI





Saturday 31 March 2018

MEENA KUMARI-Unlucky and Unloved




Veteran journalist Vinod Mehta wrote the biography of Meena Kumari in 1972.In this book he wrote about the exploitation of Meena Kumari whoever came close to her.She was first exploited by her family.She started out as Baby Meena, a child artist and a breadwinner of the family. As a child  she wasn't interested in a film career, and would rather attend school. In spite of this, her parents started peddling four-year-old Mahjabeen(Real Name of Meena Kumari) to film studios for work opportunities so she was deprived of her childhood..

One of the major blows in Meena Kumari's life was the death of her mother.She was only 14 then.In the film Industry also she struggled  initially,though she was getting work but paid poorly.It was only after Baiju Bawra 1952 she got recognition.
On May 21, 1951 Meena Kumari was involved in a motor car accident while returning from Mahabaleshwar to Bombay.She was admitted to Sasoon Hospital in Poona, injured around the left hand. Kumari went through bouts of depression.This accident left Meena Kumari with a banded left pinky which remained banded throughout her life, and she used to cover her left hand with a dupatta or saree during shoots. During this time Kamal Amrohi used to visit her in the hospital.For four months this hospital affair continued and love blossomed.

She married at the age of 18 Kamal Amrohi that time he was 34.It was his third marriage.After their marriage, Kamal Amrohi allowed Meena Kumari to continue her acting career, but on the conditions that she should not remit anyone in her makeup room but her makeup artist and return home in her own car by 6:30 every evening. Meena Kumari agreed to all terms, but with passing time she kept breaking them.
Meena Kumari was a patient of chronic insomnia and was on sleeping pills for a long time.As an alternative to sleeping pills she started drinking.She was interested in Urdu poetry,this brought her close to another poet Gulzar.Once she was slapped  on the set of  Pinjre ke Panchhi,by Kamal Amrohi's assistant, Baqar when she allowed Gulzar enter her makeup room.After this incident in 1964 they divorced.
Dharmendra was the next person in her life.He signed Purnima as her Hero,he was a fan of Meena kumari,it was his dream to act opposite Meenaji.When he was introduced to her, she was warm and friendly and welcomed him with kind encouragement. Coincidentally, at this particular moment of her life, Meena Kumari required a stable and devoted man: big and strong, someone on whom she could literally rest her head, and someone who was not too famous. 

Dharmendra was almost a daily visitor at Janki Kutir. Together they would open a bottle and spend a few hours. These were the good times.Meena Kumari insisted her Producers to take Dharmendra as his Hero,both of them worked in 7 films.Dharmendra established himself as a hero because of Meena Kumari.However, a much younger and already married Dharmendra had nothing to offer in terms of the love and security Meena was searching for.They were intimate for three years.
Meena Kumari had a strong love for children,she wanted her own child here too she was deprived by her husband Kamal Amrohi.
Songs Of Meena Kumari
Song from Baiju Bawra 1952


Song from Azaad 1955


Song from Miss Mary, 1957


Song from Dil Apna Preet Parai, 1960


Song from Bhabhi Ki Chudiyan 1961


Song from Sahib Bibi aur Ghulam, 1962


Song from Dil Ek Mandir 1963


Song from Kaajal, 1965


Song from Bahu Begum, 1967


Song from Pakeezah, 1972


Friday 26 August 2016

10 Famous Bollywood Heroines who debuted as Child Actors


They were born to be star and showed a glimpses of their talent quite early in their career. The Hindi Film Industry can boast of such child artists who went on to leave their mark in this glitterati world.
 Nargis,
Nargis  she made her screen debut as a child in Talash-E-Haq in 1935, but her acting career began in 1942 with Tamanna (1942). Nargis appeared in numerous films after her debut; she won lasting fame for her later, adult, roles, starting with at the age of 14, inMehboob Khan's Taqdeer in 1943 opposite, Motilal.



 Nargis,was an Indian filmactress. Regarded as one of the greatest actresses in the history of Hindi cinema,One of her best-known roles was that of Radha in the Academy Award-nominated Mother India (1957), a performance that won her Best Actress trophy at the Filmfare Awards. In 1958, 



Madhubala 

Madhubala (14 February 1933 – 23 February 1969).Madhubala's first movie as child Artist was, Basant (1942), that was a box-office success. Actress Devika Rani was impressed by her performance and potential, and advised her to assume the screen name 'Madhubala. Before that she was known as Mumtaz.
As child Actor in Basant 1942




Madhubala singing as child artist

As leading role in Neel Kamal 1947

Her first lead role, at the age of 14, was with producer Kidar Sharma when he cast her opposite Raj Kapoor in Neel Kamal (1947)here also her name was Mumtaz .She achieved stardom and popularity in 1949 when she was cast as the lead in Bombay Talkies studio's Mahal – a role intended for well-known star Suraiya

 She was active between 1942 and 1960. Along with her contemporaries Nargis and Meena Kumari, she is often regarded as one of the most influential personalities of Hindi cinema.[4] She is also considered to be one of the most beautiful actresses to  have worked in the industry.

Aayega Aane Wala from Mahal
She will be remembered in films likeMahal (1949), Amar (1954), Mr. & Mrs. '55 (1955), Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi (1958), Mughal-e-Azam (1960) and Barsaat Ki Raat(1960). Madhubala's performance in Mughal-e-Azam established her as an iconic actress of Hindi Cinema. Her last film, Jwala, although shot in the 1950s, was released in 1971. Madhubala died on 23 February 1969 after a prolonged illness.Madhubala married Kishore Kumar in 1960 after Kishore Kumar converted to Islam and took up the name Karim Abdul

Meena Kumari

Meena Kumari as infant

As Child Star 
Meena Kumari (1 August 1932 – 31 March 1972),her birth  name was Mahjabeen At home, Mahjabeen’s family fondly called her by the name "Munna.Little Mehjabeen embarked on her acting career at the age of six. She was immersed in work over next four years as a child artist, mostly in Vijay Bhatt productions Leatherface(1939), Pooja (1940), Nai Roshni (1941), Bahen (1941), Kasauti (1941) and Garib (1942).Vijay Bhatt became her mentor and, on the sets of Ek Hi Bhool (1940), rechristened Mahjabeen as Baby Meena

                                    MEENA KUMARI as Child artist in LAL HAVELI(1944)

More films followed for baby Meena Pratiggya (1943), Lal Haveli (1944).At the young age of 14 baby Meena became the heroine Meena Kumari in Ramnik Production’s Bachchon Ka Khel (1946) with Duniya Ek Sarai (1946), Piya Ghar Aaja (1947) and Bichchade Balam (1948) performing with credit and winning recognition from all in the industry. The phase continued with several hits on the box office, including some mythologicals and fantasies Veer Ghatotkach, (1949) Shri Ganesh Mahima (1950), Magroor, (1950) Hamara Ghar, (1950) Anmol Ratan, (1950) Sanam, (1951) Madhosh, (1951) Lakshmi Narayan,(1951) Hanuman Patal Vijay, (1951) Tamasha (1952) and Aladdin Aur Jadui Chirag (1952).
Song from Baiju Bawra

 Baiju Bawra Meena Kumari gained fame with her role as a heroine in Vijay Bhatt's Baiju Bawra

1st Filmfare Awards Winners 1954. Meena Kumari won Best Actress award for Baiju Bawra.
It became a huge commercial and critical success and catapulted Meena Kumari, to stardom. Meena Kumari won the first ever Filmfare Best Actress Award for Baiju Bawra on 21 March 1954 at the Metro Theatre in Bombay.The film celebrated diamond jubilee.
 Parineeta directed by Bimal Roy, starting Ashok Kumar and Meena Kumari as leads got Kumari the second Filmfare Best Actress Award


Song from Pakeeza
The year 1962 proved to be a watershed. Meena Kumari created history in Filmfare, and remains unique to this day, by being the sole leading lady to have been nominated at all slots for the Filmfare Best Actress award in 1963. The nominations were for her roles in Sahib Biwi Aur GhulamAarti and Main Chup Rahungi. Kumari won her third best actress Filmfare for Sahib Biwi Aur Ghulam, The Bengal Film Journalists' Association conferred the Best Actress Award on Meena Kumari for Aarti
.Pakeezah released on 4 February 1972, with a grand premiere at Maratha Mandir theatre in central Mumbai.Three weeks after the release of Pakeezah, Meena Kumari became seriously ill, on 28 March 1972 she was admitted to St Elizabeth's Nursing Home.Meena Kumari died on Friday 31 March 1972 of liver cirrhosis at age 39.

Tabassum 
tabassum as child
Tabassum as child with Dev Anand



Tabassum (born Kiran Bala Sachdev on 9 July 1944),started her career as a child actor Baby Tabassum in 1947.Tabassum made her film debut as a child actor with Mera Suhaag (1947), Manjhdhar (1947),Nargis (1947)and Bari Behen (1949). Later in Deedar (1951) directed by Nitin Bose, she played the childhood role of Nargis; the hit song Bachpan Ke Din Bhula Na Dena sung by Lata Mangeshkar was pictured on her.Also in the same year she appeared in another important film Baiju Bawra (1951) directed by Vijay Bhatt, where she appeared in the childhood role of Meena Kumari. After a gap, she reentered films in adult roles, working as a character actress
Bachpan Ke Din Bhula Na Dena from Deedar
.She is now better known as T V host.She hosted the first talkshow of Indian television, Phool Khile Hain Gulshan Gulshan, which ran for 21 years from 1972 to 1993. Produced by Doordarshan Kendra Mumbai, it was based on interviews of film celebrities and became immensely popular.

Daisy Irani


Daisy Irani (born 1950) started her carrier with Bandish 1955.During the Golden Age (1950s-70s) of Hindi cinema, some child stars had great visibility. The Irani sisters, Daisy and Honey, who generally played young boys with curly hair, became household names.They became Child Stars.Stories were re-written to include them in the cast or increase their footage in the films, and they were prominently publicized in the promos of their movies. 

Scene from Bandish
 Daisy, who was more popular than her younger sister as a child artiste, continued to act after growing up, though not in any significant roles.Some of her important films as child actor were  Jagte RahoBhai BhaiNaya Daur,Hum Panchi Ek Dal KeMusafirSaharaQuedi No. 9211Duniya Na ManeDo UstadDhool Ka PhoolSoorat Aur Seerat andChandi Ki Diwar.

                                          Daisy Irani, Romi,from Hum Panchhi Ek Daal Ke 

Daisy Irani married screenwriter K.K. Shukla (a Hindu Brahmin gentleman) on 21 January 1971 at age 19. Her career as a child-star being at an end, she made no effort to pursue a career in films as an adult, but devoted herself to her husband and family. She has been blessed with a successful marriage and three children,She appeared as Guest artist very recently in Happy New Year(2014) as Tammy's mother (cameo)Before that she was seen in Shirin Farhad Ki Toh Nikal Padi (2012) as Nargis Pastakia





                 

                                           Daisy Irani -in Shirin Farhad Ki Toh Nikal Padi


                              Nutan 


Nutan Samarth Bahl (4 June 1936 – 21 February 1991),she started her career at the age of 14 in the 1950 film Hamari Beti, directed by her mother Shobhna Samarth.
SunoChhoti Si Gudiya Ki from Seema

Her first big break was Seema, for which she won her first Filmfare Best Actress Award. She followed her success with a romantic comedy, Paying Guest, in which she co-starred with Dev AnandShe formed a popular screen couple with co-star Dev Anand and the two acted in four films together – Paying Guest (1957), Baarish (1957), Manzil (1960) and Tere Ghar Ke Samne (1963)
Dil Ka Bhanwar Kare Pukar
                                                                           
She continued playing leading roles through the 1960s until the late 1970s and went on to win the award on four other occasions for her roles in Sujata (1959), Bandini (1963), Milan (1967) and Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki (1978). 

Some of her other films of this period include Anari (1959), Chhalia (1960), Tere Ghar Ke Saamne (1963), Saraswatichandra (1968), Anuraag(1972) and Saudagar (1973).She appeared in more than 70 Hindi films in a career spanning over four decades.

She won her fifth Filmfare best actress award, at the age of 42 for  Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki. She thus became a record holder in the category, having won five award for Best Actress at Filmfare. At age 42, she is also the oldest winner of the award. Nutan was perhaps the only actress of her generation to command leading roles in her 40s, with tremendous success.

 For Mere Jung she won a Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress.In 1986 her 2 hit films released in which she played character role Her last film released while she was alive was Kanoon Apna Apna in 1989. 
On 11 October 1959, she married naval Lieutenant-Commander Rajnish Bahl, who died in 2004.Their son, Mohnish Bahl, born in 1961, later entered films as well.
Nutan died in February 1991, of breast cancer after it had spread to her lungs, at the age of 54.Two of her films Naseebwala (1992) and Insaniyat (1994) were released after her death. She also gave a stellar performance as Kaliganj ki Bahu in TV serial Mujrim Hazir, her only role on small screen.
NEETU SINGH


 She started acting at the age of 8 under the name Baby Sonia. She played Roopa in the 1966 movie Dus Lakh and a dual role in the film Do Kaliyaan. Her other notable films as a child actress were Waris and Pavitra Paapi

 She made her debut as a leading actress in Rikshawala in 1972 and went on to appear in over 60 films. She left the film industry in 1983 after her marriage to frequent co-star Rishi Kapoor in 1980. She made a comeback after 26 years appearing opposite her husband in Love Aaj Kal (2009), Do Dooni Chaar (2010), Jab Tak Hai Jaan (2012) and Besharam (2013).



Song from Khel Khel Mein



Sridevi
As a child artist in the hit Julie (1975) 
 Sridevi (born on 13 August 1963) She started her career as a child artist in M.A. Thirumugham’s devotional Thunaivan at the age of four,She made her Bollywood debut as a child artist in the hit Julie (1975) 
Sridevi in Solva Sawan

In Bollywood, she made her debut as a lead actress in Solva Sawan (1978) and gained wide public attention with the movieHimmatwala (1983)

She appeared in a string of commercially successful movies like Mawaali (1983), Tohfa (1984), Naya Kadam(1984), Masterji (1985), Maqsad (1985), Nazrana (1987), Mr. India (1987), Waqt Ki Awaz (1988), Chandni (1989). She also received critical acclaim for commercially successful movies like Sadma (1983)

In 1986, came the snake fantasy Nagina which saw Sridevi play an 'ichhadhaari naagin' or a shape-shifting woman. The film turned out to be the second biggest blockbuster of the year with Box Office India stating that Sridevi remained "the undisputed No.1.
One of the most iconic films of its time, Directed byShekhar Kapur,Mr India with Sridevi as heroine released in 1987,The dance number 'Hawa Hawai' is one of the unforgettable numbers of Sridevi.
In 1989 came Chaalbaaz which had Sridevi in a double-role playing twin sisters separated at birth. Filmfare ranked her performance 4th in its list of '80 Iconic Performances of Hindi Cinema' 
The same year also saw the release of the Yash Chopra romantic saga Chandni with Sridevi playing the title role.Sridevi's famous dance number 'Mere Hathon Mein Nau Nau Choodiyan became most popular dance in wedding functions.

Sridevi married Boney Kapoor, a film producer and the elder brother of actors Anil Kapoor and Sanjay Kapoor, in 1996. Sridevi in her come back film  English Vinglish.directed by Gauri Shinde (R. Balki's wife) in 2012 became the only actress in Bollywood to make a successful comeback as a leading lady after marriage and a long hiatus.
Urmila Matondkar




Urmila Matondkar (born 4 February 1974), made her acting debut as a child artist in the 1980 Marathi film Zaakol, and had her first Bollywood release with the drama Kalyug (1981). She later gained recognition for her child role in the highly acclaimed drama Masoom (1983), following which she appeared in few other films as a child artist.She played her first adult role in the blockbuster Malayalam film Chanakyan(1989), and followed it with the box office hit Narsimha (1991), her first Bollywood film as an adult. 

She got success  as the female lead in the highly successful romantic drama Rangeela (1995). She received widespread praise for her performances in the drama Judaai (1997) and the crime thriller Satya (1998).She later garnered critical recognition for portraying a range of intense psychological characters, including that of a serial killer in the 1999 thriller Kaun, an obsessive lover in the 2001 thrillerPyaar Tune Kya Kiya, a possessed woman in the 2003 horror film Bhoot, for which she won a Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress, and a violent avenger in the 2004 thriller Ek Hasina Thi.
Apart from holding a successful acting career, she is regarded as an outstanding dancer and has been a featured performer in many Bollywood item numbers. Her best-known item number is the Chamma Chamma sequence from the 1998 China Gate. Other hit numbers include Aaiye Aajaye from the hit film Lajja.

She has featured as a talent judge for the 2007 reality show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa Season 2. In 2016, she married model Mohsin Akhtar Mir.

Alia Bhatt

 She is the daughter of filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt and actress Soni Razdan. Bhatt first appeared on screen as a child artist in a minor role in the thrillerSangharsh (1999). As an adult, she made her acting debut alongside Sidharth Malhotra and Varun Dhawan in Karan Johar's romantic drama Student of the Year (2012).Her latest release is Udta Punjab 2016