Started earning at the age of four, made her family a star but Meena Kumari became homeless from her own earning house.

New Delhi . Meena Kumari, famous as the Tragedy Queen in the world of Hindi cinema, ruled millions of hearts with her acting. Her tears on screen moved the audience emotionally. But the pain in her real life was no less than a filmy story. The daughter who brought her family out of poverty and gave them a life full of respect and comforts, was one day made homeless by her father from her own house.

Born in 1933 in an ordinary chawl in Dadar area of ​​Mumbai, Mahjabeen Bano’s childhood was spent amidst deprivation and struggles. The financial condition of the family was so bad that it was difficult to even get food for two meals a day. It is said that the conditions after birth were so difficult that his father left him outside an orphanage although he later brought him back home. But the pressure of poverty remained constant on the family.

When Mahjabeen was only four years old, her father sent her to work in films. She wanted to go to school and play like normal children, but fate had decided something else for her. He started his acting career with director Vijay Bhatt’s film Leather Face and earned Rs 25 for the first time. This was the beginning which later changed the picture of the entire family.

With time, Mahjabeen started making her mark in the world of films. His earnings increased and the financial problems of the family started going away. Gradually his sisters also started working in films and the family moved out of the chawl and started living in a better house in Bandra. However, despite changing economic conditions, the atmosphere at home did not change. The head of the family still had the right to take decisions about the daughters’ lives.

This was the period when director Kamal Amrohi came into Mahjabeen’s life. Both came close to each other and got married quietly. Mahjabeen knew that her father would never accept this relationship, so she kept this marriage hidden for a long time. But when this secret was revealed, a big dispute arose in the family.

Things got worse when Meena Kumari decided to work in Kamal Amrohi’s film against her father’s wishes. Father did not approve of this. The result was that he closed the doors of his house to his own daughter. The irony was that the house from which he was evicted was bought with his hard work and earnings.

While leaving home, Meena Kumari wrote an emotional letter to her father. He clearly said that he did not want anything from home except his clothes and books. He even asked to send his car back. This letter shows his sensitivity and respect for the family.

Meena Kumari fulfilled the responsibilities of the family throughout her life but when her own life went through difficult times, she remained largely alone. Perhaps this was the reason why his pain seemed so real on screen. His acting in classic films like Baiju Bawra, Parineeta Sahib, Bibi Aur Ghulam and Pakeezah is still alive in the hearts of the audience. Her story is not just that of an actress but of a life full of sacrifice, struggle and pain which gave an invaluable legacy to Indian cinema.