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Meena Kumari Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 6, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth1 August 1933

Age38 Years (at time of death)

BirthplaceBombay, Bombay Presidency, British India (now Mumbai), India

ProfessionActress, Singer, Poet

NationalityIndian

Marital statusDivorced (at time of death)

SpouseKamal Amrohi

FamilyFather: Master Ali Bux; Mother: Iqbal Begum (Prabhavati Devi); Sisters: Khursheed Bano, Mahliqa (Madhu)

Meena Kumari Biography

Meena Kumari (born Mahjabeen Bano, 1 August 1933) was an Indian actress, singer and poet who became one of Hindi cinema’s most celebrated performers. Known

Early life and background

Meena Kumari was born Mahjabeen Bano on 1 August 1933 in Bombay (now Mumbai), in the then Bombay Presidency of British India. She grew up in a family connected to the stage and screen: her father, Master Ali Bux, worked in Parsi theatre as an artist, Urdu poet, music composer and musician, while her mother, born Prabhavati Devi and later known as Iqbal Begum, had been a stage actress and dancer. Meena Kumari’s upbringing included exposure to performance from an early age, and she received no formal education.

As a child she entered films to help the family financially and began performing under the screen name Baby Mahjabeen. A series of early appearances led to her adopting the name Meena Kumari as her professional identity.

Career

Meena Kumari’s screen debut came in the 1939 film Leather Face, where she was credited as Baby Mahjabeen. Throughout the 1940s she worked regularly as a child actor in titles such as Adhuri Kahani, Pooja, Kasauti, Vijay, Pratiggya and Lal Haveli. By 1946 she played a role in Bachchon Ka Khel credited as Meena Kumari, the name she continued to use for the rest of her career.

She was not only an actress but also recorded songs for films; her playback singing credits include Bahen (1941), Duniya Ek Sarai (1946), Piya Ghar Aaja (1948), Bichchade Balam (1948) and Pinjre Ke Panchhi (1966). In the 1950s Meena Kumari moved into adult roles in films such as Hamara Ghar, Sanam, Madhosh, Hanuman Patal Vijay and Aladdin Aur Jadui Chirag. Her profile rose significantly with performances in Baiju Bawra (1952), Parineeta (1953), Chandni Chowk (1954), Azaad (1955) and Mem Sahib (1956).

Through the 1950s and 1960s she became widely regarded for emotionally intense and tragic roles, earning the sobriquet "The Tragedy Queen." Landmark films in this period include Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam (1962), Aarti (1962), Dil Ek Mandir (1963), Phool Aur Patthar (1966), Majhli Didi (1967) and Baharon Ki Manzil (1968). Her final starring role was in the titular part of Pakeezah, released in 1972.

Awards and recognition

Meena Kumari received multiple Filmfare accolades across her career, including Best Actress awards and a number of nominations. She won Best Actress for Baiju Bawra and Parineeta in the mid-1950s, received further nominations for Azaad, Sahara and Chirag Kahan Roshni Kahan, and won again for Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam and Kaajal. Her performance in Pakeezah earned a posthumous Best Actress nomination in 1973. She was also honoured by the Bengal Film Journalists’ Association and received special recognition for Pakeezah.

Philanthropy and other creative work

Meena Kumari was moved by her portrayal of a blind woman in Sahara (1958) and wished to support people with visual impairment. Friends and colleagues helped establish the Meena Kumari Charitable Trust; a special premiere was organised to raise funds, and the Meena Kumari Memorial for the Blind was founded in October 1973.

She also worked as a poet under the pen name Naaz. In 1971 a collection of her poems was released as an album titled I Write, I Recite, with music by Khayyam; she recited the poems herself and the record was later reissued.

Public profile

Meena Kumari’s personal life attracted considerable attention. She married director Kamal Amrohi in 1952; the two had a marriage that later ended in divorce in 1964. The couple had differences that were widely reported, and their split marked a painful chapter in her life. Meena Kumari’s family included two sisters, the elder Khursheed Bano, a singer, and Mahliqa (known as Madhu), an actress; actor Mehmood was her brother-in-law.

Her public image extended beyond films: she appeared in television commercials for brands such as Zaveri Jewellers and Lux, took part in an international print advertisement in the 1950s, and also acted in a handful of television serials, including mythological productions.

Personal life and death

Meena Kumari’s birth name, family details and early struggles are part of her widely told story. She married Kamal Amrohi in a ceremony in 1952. The marriage eventually ended in divorce in 1964. On 31 March 1972 Meena Kumari died at St. Elizabeth’s Nursing Home in Mumbai at the age of 38. The reported cause of death was liver cirrhosis. She was buried at Rehmatabad Cemetery in Mazagaon, Bombay.

Legacy and Latest updates

After her passing, Meena Kumari’s final completed films were released as tributes, including Gomti Ke Kinare and the long-awaited Pakeezah. Her performances and poetry continue to be remembered for their emotional depth and literary sensibility. The charitable trust and memorial established in her name kept alive her concern for the visually impaired.

Meena Kumari remains recognized as one of Hindi cinema’s most evocative actresses, whose work across acting, singing and poetry left a lasting imprint on Indian film and culture.
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Recent Work

Pakeezah

Final starring role, released 1972 in the titular role

1972
Gomti Ke Kinare

Released after her death as a tribute

1972
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Career Highlights

  1. Debuted as a child actor in Leather Face (1939) as Baby Mahjabeen
  2. Won multiple Filmfare Best Actress awards for performances including Baiju Bawra, Parineeta, Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam and Kaajal
  3. Acclaimed for Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam, Dil Ek Mandir, Phool Aur Patthar and Majhli Didi
  4. Worked as a poet under the pen name Naaz; released a poetry album in 1971
  5. Helped inspire the Meena Kumari Charitable Trust and a memorial for the blind
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Meena Kumari born?

1 August 1933

What is Meena Kumari known for?

Actress, Singer, Poet

What is Meena Kumari’s marital status?

Divorced (at time of death)

Who is Meena Kumari married to?

Kamal Amrohi