Meena Kumari was an Indian film actress and poet, who worked in Hindi films. Popularly known as The Tragedy Queen, she was active between 1939 and 1972. Kumari was described by critics as a “historically incomparable” actress of Hindi cinema.
Meena Kumari[1] (born Mahjabeen Bano was an Indian film actress and poet, who worked in Hindi films. In a career spanning 33 years, she starred in about 92 films such as Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam, Pakeezah, Mere Apne, Aarti, Baiju Bawra, Parineeta, Dil Apna Aur Preet Parai, Foot Path, Dil Ek Mandir and Kaajal.

Meena Kumari won four Filmfare Awards in the Best Actress category. She was the recipient of the inaugural Filmfare Best Actress Award for Baiju Bawra in 1954 and had a consecutive win in the second Filmfare Awards (1955) for Parineeta. Kumari made history at the 10th Filmfare Awards (1963), by receiving all three of the Best Actress nominations, and won for her performance in Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam.[8] In the 13th Filmfare Awards (1966), Kumari won her last Best Actress award for Kaajal. Critics often noted that her character in Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam was similar to her own real-life story.Meena Kumari was born with the name Mahjabeen in a family of poor theatre artists, Ali Bux and Iqbal Begum in Mumbai. This was a great disappointment to Ali Baksh because he wanted a son. Meena Kumari was the second daughter of Ali Baksh and Iqbal Begum. ] Her family could not afford to pay the doctor for her delivery, so her father decided to leave her at an orphanage. He changed his mind a few hours later and fetched her home. Mahjabeen said as a child that she was not interested in a film career, and would rather attend school. In spite of this, her parents started peddling young Mahjabeen to film studios for work opportunities. Director Vijay Bhatt cast her in the film Leatherface and on her first day she was paid Rs. 25.

Vijay Bhatt rechristened Mahjabeen as “Baby Meena” during the filming of Ek Hi Bhool (1940).

More films followed for baby Meena, namely Nai Roshni (1941), Kasauti (1941), Vijay (1942), Garib (1942), Pratiggya (1943) and Lal Haveli (1944). The 1941 film Bahen was directed by Mehboob Khan and is the only successful collaboration between the actress and the director. Although thirteen years later Khan did cast her in Amar but she eventually left the shooting after few days passing her role to Madhubala. After this, both of them never worked together.

Meena was cast under the name Meena Kumari in Ramnik Production’s Bachchon Ka Khel (1946)