The life of iconic Hindi film actress Meena Kumar, known as the Tragedy Queen, will soon be the subject of a web-series. Produced by Prabhleen Kaur, the series will be based on author Ashwini Bhatnagar’s biography of the late star, Mahjabeen As Meena Kumari.
The cast and crew has to be finalized and the producers are also planning a feature film on the actress after the series.
“It is a dream come true for me as nothing is more beautiful and larger than life than the name Meena Kumari,” producer Prabhleen Kaur told the IANS news agency. “‘God resides in detailing’ is the mantra that guides us, and a subject of this magnitude warrants research. The best names from vintage Hindi film journalism have been hired to provide authentic research.”
She added, “We intend to start with a web-series and then move on to a feature film on the gifted actress for whom the term ‘Tragedy Queen’ was coined. We are not in any hurry.”
Bhatnagar said: “I am delighted to collaborate with a production house like Prabhleen’s, which is known for creating path-breaking content. The book is possibly the first authentic portrayal of the legendary actress from a neutral viewpoint.”
Meena Kumari, born Mahjabeen Bano, began her film career as child artiste Baby Meena in Leatherface (1939). She won the Filmfare award for Best Actress four times for Baiju Bawra (1952), Parineeta (1953), Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam (1962) and Kaajal (1965).
Her last film, Gomti Ke Kinare (1972), was released after her death at the age 39 on 31 March 1972. The web-series will detail her life as an actress and feature her personal life, including her troubled marriage with writer-filmmaker Kamal Amrohi.