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1-7 of 7
- Actress
- Costume Designer
- Music Department
The Empress of Indian Cinema!
A Sweetheart of 1950s, & The Undisputed Goddess of 1960s Bollywood, Meena Kumari bestrode the movies like few women in history have!
Combing enchanting grace, amazingly heart-melting expression, & consistently solid progressive content base, this Giant of Cinema will remain immortal as perhaps the greatest feminine incarnation of filmdom!
Born in 1933 into a poor Parsee theatre family of Ali Bux and actor-dancer Prabhavati Devi (converted to Iqbal Begum) (Prabhavati's mother's first husband till death, incidentally, being the cousin of Rabindranath Tagore, Prabhavati in turn borne of her second husband, a very famous Urdu poet of Meerut, from where she migrated to pursue a career in music) in Bombay, Maharashtra, India, she entered films to support her family in difficult times.
She was six when hired for Leatherface (1939) in 1939 by Vijay Bhatt and named Baby Meena. Later she became Meena Kumari when cast for Bhatt's Baiju Bawra (1952).
She did mythological films with Homi Wadia and then comedies like Miss Mary (1957). She became personified as the archetypal good Hindu wife through many roles, long suffering and always true to the man. She excelled at tragedy and was often shown in a white sari carrying the film with her emotive acting. She was also thought to be the only actress who could sell a film on the strength of her name alone. Her major films are Daaera (1953), Baiju Bawra (1952), 0046164, and of course her most well known film, Pakeezah (1972). She was married to Kamal Amrohi with whom she started making "Pakeezah". They separated in 1964.
She was also an accomplished Urdu writer and had several poems published by Gulzar after her death. She battled alcoholism and loneliness and finally died, alone, in 1972.- Actor
- Additional Crew
Rodger Terry was born on 1 May 1930 in California. He was an actor. He died on 31 March 1972 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Production Designer
- Director
- Writer
Alexander Denkov was born on 15 September 1915 in Prague, Czech Republic. He was a production designer and director, known for Bolen (1945), Malkiyat kradetz (1946) and Begushchaya po volnam (1967). He died on 31 March 1972 in Sofia, Bulgaria.- Hana Masková was born on 26 September 1949 in Prague, Czechoslovakia [now Czech Republic]. She died on 31 March 1972 in Vauvray, France.
- Actor
- Director
Rainer Litten was born on 30 September 1909 in Königsberg, East Prussia, Germany. He was an actor and director, known for Der Mustergatte (1963), Das Weyerhuus (1940) and Gold (1934). He died on 31 March 1972 in Zürich, Switzerland.- Phil Kramer was born on 12 October 1899 in New York, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for Suicide Squad (1935), Up in the Air (1940) and The World of Mr. Sweeney (1954). He died on 31 March 1972 in Key West, Florida, USA.
- Esme Beringer was born on 5 September 1875 in London, England, UK. She was an actress, known for The October Man (1947), All the World's a Stage (1917) and Carmen (1931). She died on 31 March 1972 in Hove, Sussex, England, UK.