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 … 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, … 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