When we talk about the legendary actors of Hindi cinema we cannot forget Meena Kumari. Born on 1 August 1933 Meena Kumari was one of the finest actresses of her era. No actress has acquired the kind of acclaim she did, whether it was at the peak of her career, post her death, or even at the very beginning with her first hit movie, Baiju Bawra. She has been called 'historically incomparable', 'an actress of the highest caliber', even 'poetry on celluloid', and she deserved every word of praise. With her performances, she conquered the hearts of millions including audiences and critics alike, and her impact is such that we can not forget her till date. Some of her best movies include Pakeezah, Kaajal, Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam, Parineeta, Do Bigha Zamin, Dil Ek Mandir, Aarti, and Azaad. Though people knew her as a refined actor, there were certain facts about Meena Kumari which are still not widely known.
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1. Meena Kumari loved writing. Though she didn’t get any formal education, she still had a passion for reading and writing Urdu poetry. In fact, she was very particular about her words.
2. Because of her strikingly good looks, Meena Kumari started working at the age of 4, to help support her family. She became a common face at various studios. Meena made her acting debut at the age of 7, as a child actor in Farzande Watan.
3. Meena Kumari's original name was Mehajabeen Naaz. The director of Farzande Watan, Vijay Bhatt, changed her name to Baby Meena for his movie. Once she grew up, she became popularly known as Meena Kumari.
4. Everyone knows that she was called the tragedy queen of Hindi Cinema, but only a few people know what’s the actual reason behind this title. Meena Kumari often portrayed roles which were full of sorrow and tragedies, therefore she earned the title, “Tragedy Queen”.
5. Meena Kumari was not a party person. In her biography, Vinod Mehta has described that Meena used to get bored at such events. But she mostly attended all the events and parties in a particular white saree. The book also states that Meena Kumari had decorated her house mostly with white objects.
6. The reason behind Meena Kumari hiding her left hand from the camera isn’t known by everyone. The Pakeezah star had an accident for which she was also hospitalized. The accident greatly affected the pinky finger on her left hand. Apparently, the bone lost it’s original confirmation and got damaged. Hence, she used to hide her left hand with the dupattas and saris during the shoots.
7. Post her divorce from husband Kamal Amrohi, the actress became addicted to alcohol which adversely affected her health in the long run. Her health continued to deteriorate. In 1968, the actress was diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver.
