Though Meena Kumari is one of the most successful and finest actresses in Bollywood, she had a rather tragic personal life. She married director Kamal Amrohi and after their divorce, she became an alcoholic. Meena died at just the age of 38 due to liver cirrhosis because of her alcoholism.
Mahjabeen Bano was born on August 1, 1933 to her parents Ali Bux and Iqbal Begum. Her father was heavily disappointed with her birth as he wanted a son and didn’t even have money to pay for her delivery, so Ali left her at an orphanage. But after a few hours, he had a change of heart and brought Mahjabeen back to their home. Since her family was facing financial struggles, she started working as a child artiste when she was just four years old. Mahjabeen collaborated with the filmmaker Vijay Bhatt in his productions Leather Face, Adhuri Kahani, and Pooja. When their film Ek Hi Bhool released in 1940, Vijay rechristenend Mahjabeen as Baby Meena. She was finally cast under the name Meena Kumari in the 1946 film Bachchon Ka Khel, her first film as a leading actress.
Having worked in multiple superhits such as Baiju Bawra, Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam, Parineeta, Do Bigha Zamin, Dil Apna Aur Preet Parai, and Phool Aur Patthar among others, Meena Kumari became one of the most successful actresses in the next two decades. Also a poet, a playback singer and a costume designer, she is considered among the finest and greatest actresses in the history of Indian cinema. Known as the Tragedy Queen, Meena Kumari starred in over 90 films in her acting career, that spanned over three decades.
However, the superstar actress’s personal life was exactly opposite to her professional life. The 18-year-old Meena Kumari married the 34-year-old acclaimed filmmaker Kamal Amrohi in 1952. Kamal was previously married to Bilkis Bano and Mehmoodi. Soon, differences arose between
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