MEENA KUMARI

Meena Kumari or Mahjabeen,

A beauty that twinkled on the silver screen,

Bestowed with the Bengali beauties of a grandmother,

Who was Tagore's younger brother's daughter,

Second born of Ali Bux and Iqbal Beghum,

Her name the multitudes hum,

Like the beautifully matured glass of rum,

Her voice and mannerisms will keep us intoxicated for years to come.

Her father unable to pay the doctor,

Disowned her and left her at the orphanage door,

But he turned to get her as good sense prevailed,

Only to find ants all over the child,

This psychologically tormented her,

Remained with her to traumatise her,

Making life rougher,

As if Destiny wanted her to suffer.

Starting at the age of four,

She never saw a school's door,

Peddled from studio to studio for work,

Acting is something she then shirked,

Bidding farewell to childhood,

The little girl trode 

To become 'The Tragedy Queen',

Many hearts to reign. 

Winner of Filmfare awards four,

She was an actress to the core,

Her looks and qualities drawing opportunities,

Tapping all possibilities,

Working with Rahman, Dharmendra,Dilip Kumar,

Rajkumar, Guru Dutt and Pradipkumar,

Secretly got married she,

Against the wishes of her father, to Kamaal Amrohi.

The second wife and a step mother,

Tried her hands at family matters,

Could never herself bear a child,

Her husband spying on her, taking her to be wild;

She broke the shackles,

As everyday was a new battle,

Moved on the separated wife,

Charting for herself a new life.

Playing a typical 'Bhartiya Nari',

She also played Miss Mary,

Yahudi, Bandhan, Sharda, Parineeta,

Arti, Kinare Kinare, Pakeezah,

Sahib Biwi aur Ghulam, Mai Chup Rahungi,

Chitralekha, Dil Ek Mandir, Majhli Didi,

And many many more,

Characters galore.

She was also Naaz, the poet and singer,

She had affairs with many an actor,

Story teller and Writer,

Director and Filmmaker,

Sawan Kumar Tak, Dharmendra,

Rahul and Gulzar,

Used by all,lonely and dejected,

She took to drinking frustrated.

Suffering an ailment of the liver,

After Paakezah she was sicklier,

Admitted to a nursing home,

With liver cirrhosis syndrome,

Went into coma on a Thursday,

Left this world on Good Friday,

At the age of thirty eight, on the thirty first day

Of March,  Meena, the trapped bird flew away.

©Madhumita