The Historically Incomparable Meena Kumari

[theincomparablemeenakumari]

Meena Kumari: Down Memory Lane!🕊️🤍✨

Presenting here the exclusive article on Meena Kumari ji's Memory Lane! This article has always been the closest to my heart, it gives me an eerie peace. It depicts the occurences, where Meena ji felt spectral presences. Rare and beautiful portraits of Meena ji at her Pali Hill residence where she spent a decade of her life are published in this issue. She shares her childhood experiences which are worth giving a read.

Circa 10 March, 1961

[theincomparablemeenakumari]

Stars At Home featuring Meena Kumari!🤍✨🌜

Presenting here a pictorial article of Meena ji at her Pali Hill residence, where she lived with Kamal Amrohi for over a decade. This article has a special corner in my heart, as it provides an overview of the place where my heroine spent the glorious and peak years of her career. She looks absolutely ravishing in these photographs.

Circa

24 August, 1955

[theincomparablemeenakumari]

Rarest of rare portrait of Meena ji during her reading sessions on the sets of Pakeezah. My jaw drops every time I gaze this portrait! She looks absolutely intoxicating here!!!❤️🌛

Circa Early 60s

[theincomparablemeenakumari]

Here is a heart-wrenching article on the unbearable loss of Indian Cinema's "Greatest Actress of All Time". This Madhuri issue featured Meena Kumari ji on the cover page and included excerpts from Meena ji's interviews published in Madhuri Magazine during her lifetime, as well as some of her shayaris. Meena ji was the first celebrity to be featured on the cover page of the first issue of Madhuri Magazine (formerly known as Suchitra).

Page 1: Cover page of the issue.

Page 2: A write-up by famous journalist of that era, Jitendra Jain.

Page 3: Excerpt from the first issue of Suchitra Magazine dated 31 Jan, 1964.

Page 4: Rare and heart-warming shayari ( poetry) by Meena ji.

Page 5: Another excerpt from article dated 10 Jan, 1969 accompanied with two of her most popular poetic works!

Circa

April 14, 1972

[theincomparablemeenakumari]

Rarest of rare portrait of Meena ji standing in front of the grand Gulabi Mahal, she looks absolutely breathtaking here!

Circa Early 60s

[theincomparablemeenakumari]

Meena Kumari Self-Portrait!🦋🤍✨

This light-hearted article of Meena Kumari ji was published in Filmfare issue dated July 20, 1956. Beautiful portraits of Meena ji at Bunglow of Aarey Milk Colony during the filming of Mem Sahib, Meena ji draped gracefully in Maharashtrian Saree and a rare portrait of her with paints and brush are published in this issue along with a light-hearted writeup! Do give it a read to get introduced to hidden dimension of Meena Kumari ji's persona!

Circa 20 July, 1956

Enjoyyy!

[theincomparablemeenakumari]

रुकने का मतलब मौत है,

आगे बढ़ते रहना, ऊंचे चढ़ते रहना

यही तो है जिंदगी।

~मीना कुमारी

An absoultely rare portrait of Meena from somewhere in late 60s.

[theincomparablemeenakumari]

Top: Phani Mazumdar receiving award from Prime Minister for Oonche Log.

Centre: Meena Kumari inaugurating young painter Prem's one man show at the Jehangir Art Gallery.

Below: Silver jubilee of Kalpnalok's Kaajal at Apsara, Bombay presided over by General Chowdhary.

Rare portraits of Meena Kumari ji!🖤🤍

[theincomparablemeenakumari]

From my collection, rarest of rare article studded with the information of popular stars including #MeenaKumari , #SunilDutt , #Nutan , #MahendraKapoor & #PrithvirajKapoor .

Meena Kumari was invited as the guest of the Associated Newspapers of Ceylon at the Sarasaviya Sinhala Film Festival held at Colombo, Ceylon ( renamed as Sri Lanka in 1972 ). Here, rare pictures of Meena ji can be seen where she looks absolutely ethereal in the traditional Kandyan Sari inspite of her liver ailment which was at it's peak. Due to her indifferent health, she elected to not to do any sight-seeing. Though she spared the time and couldn't resist to visit the prime attraction "Zoo" where she christened an eight-months old elephant as Iqbal in the loving memory of her beloved mother Iqbal Bano.

Picture 1: Posed in front of Colombian Buddhist Vihara draped gracefully in the traditional Kandyan Sari.

Picture 2: Meena flanked by Gamini Fonseka (considered as the Greatest Actor in the Sinhala Cinema, who also begged the best actor award in 1968, left) and Joe Abeywickrama ( former best actor award holder, right).

Filmfare,

May 24, 1968

[theincomparablemeenakumari]

Elegance on it's peak. How seductive she looks right here. This lady was a class apart.❤️

Circa 11th of July, 1959

[theincomparablemeenakumari]

Rarest picture of Meena Kumari on the sets of #Benazir during the filming of Gham Nahin Gar Zindagi song. Camera could only capture a reflection of her undying beauty.❤️

[theincomparablemeenakumari]

Rare article of Meena Kumari published in Madhuri Magazine.

Circa 10th January 1969

[theincomparablemeenakumari]

First ever issue of Suchitra Magazine ( former name of Madhuri magazine) features #MeenaKumari on the it's cover page, rare pictures of Meena ji on the sets of Poormina and a very beautiful interview of Meena which was interviewed during a breather on the sets of Chitralekha was published in this issue. She reveals here, about her favourites and the interviewer says that there was no such actress before her to whom God has blessed with each and every attribute of a perfect actress be it beauty, attraction, intelligence or simplicity, Meena Kumari was blessed with all.

[theincomparablemeenakumari]

Enchanting Meena Ji at her residence Janki Kutir in 1966!❤️

[theincomparablemeenakumari]

क्षितिज,

धरती आकाश जहां मिलते हैं।

वह क्षितिज कहां है

जहां भूत और भविष्य मिलते हों?

वर्तमान ही तो है वह क्षितिज!

वर्तमान,

जो ताश के रंगों की तरह

उंगलियों से फिसलता जाता है,

हाथ नहीं आता है,

क्षितिज : एक छलावा।

~मीना कुमारी

This rarest of rare portrait and writeup of #MeenaKumari was published in Madhuri Magazine, she looks so elegant and relaxed here. This picture was clicked at Janki Kutir Bunglow. Janki Kutir pictures are always treat for my sight.🕊️🤍

Do check out my previous posts for brief and rare articles and pictures of Meena Ji at Janki Kutir.

Circa 1966

[theincomparablemeenakumari]

Rarest of rare Madhuri issue of #MeenaKumari ji is here, in which she poses infront of her sea-facing Janki Kutir Bunglow, the place where once #MahatmaGandhi lived, the place surrounded with the sharp leaves of the coconut trees, the place who gave Meena Kumari freedom! After the separation from #KamalAmrohi, Meena Ji shifted to Mehmood's home (as he was the husband of his younger sister #Madhuri), after the conflict of mind with #Mehmood she decided to move to this Bunglow. She shifted at Janki Kutir with almost 25-30 of her relatives ( including her nephews and nieces ) and #PrithvirajKapoor became the neighbour of Meena ji. She felt serene calmness sitting at the chair and gazing the sea for hours, abandoned in her memories which strengthen her poetic persona and her hobby of writing developed into her mastered craft. Janki Kutir Bunglow was surrounded with greenery, as Meena Ji always loved plants around her. This place gave Meena Kumari a strange peace!🤍🕊️

Slide 1: Bewitching beauty sitting next to the ancient abandoned sculpture of Tirthakar.

Slide 2:Posed in front of her grand Janki Kutir Bunglow and the another picture is how Meena Ji used to sit for hours gazing towards the sea lost in her memories.

Slide 3:The write-up consisting of Meena Ji's happiness and sentiments threaded with this residence.

Slide 4:Madhuri issue featuring Meena Ji on the cover page.

This issue was published on 29th April, 1966.