Movie Marvel: Ishq of 'Kamal': A Document of Pain

Miran Trivedi

When Narva Movieton founder and film director, producer-actor Sohrab Modi introduced Kamal Amrohi, the filmmaker-writer-sharer of 'Pakeezah' and Meena, to the Governor of Mumbai during an event, he was furious. Introducing, Sohrab said, 'This is Meena Kumari and this is her husband Kamal.' Kamal immediately stopped Sohrab Modi and said, 'No, I am Kamal Amrohi and this is my wife Meena.' An angry night owl Kamal Amrohi immediately walked out of the program and wife Meena bowed her head in shame. Á Kamal kept track of Meena Kumari's every expenditure, after marriage Kamal Amrohi kept track of Meena's earnings. The first fight between the two was over two rupees. When Meena asks to raise her masseuse's salary by two rupees, Kamal refuses and says he doesn't need massages. This quarrel between the two went so far that the job of the masseuse was taken away. Today the purse would have asked to pick up the shoes tomorrow! Meena Kumari won the Filmfare Award for Best Actress for the 1955 film 'Parineeta'. Meena Kumari was sitting with her husband Kamal at the award ceremony. When she went on stage to receive the award, her purse was left on the chair. After reaching home, Meena Kumari realized that she had left her purse there. After some time the purse of actress Nimmi Meena Kumari was returned. Meena asked Kamal Amrohi, 'Didn't you see my purse lying in the chair? 'You told me, but I didn't pick up,' came the reply from the haughty husband. If I pick up your purse today, I have to pick up your shoes tomorrow too.' Á assistant raised his hand and the relationship broke Kamal gave his assistant Bakar Ali so much freedom that one day he slapped Meena in public. The reason was Gulzar's entry into her make-up room. He did not even listen to Kamal's complaint when he called Kamal crying. Finally she left her husband Kamal's house feeling sad. This brought a tragic end to their tragic marriage. Kamal-Meena divorced in 1964. During the shooting of the film 'Azaad' in 1954, Kamal proposed to Meena as 'Pakeeza'. Kamal Amrohi had already started working on it, but the film 'Pakeeza' was stalled as the two got divorced. After separating from Kamal Amrohi, Meena Kumari got addicted to alcohol. So they became sick with cirrhosis of the liver. In June 1968 Meena went to London and Switzerland for treatment. A month later he returned after recovering, but not fully recovered. The doctor told Meena that the end of her life is near. In such circumstances, Kamal Amrohi decided that he would make the film 'Pakeeza' with Meena Kumari. One day Kamal Amrohi wrote a letter to Theylan Meena Kumari who was admitted in the hospital. In it, he requested Meena to complete the shooting of the film 'Pakeeza'. Mindful of the extremely proud husband's request, Meena decided to fulfill his promise. Amidst her illness, in 1969, Meena Kumari returned to the sets of 'Pakeezah' and started shooting. After reaching the set, Meena Kumari held Kamal Amrohi's hand and cried a lot. Á Meena did the film 'Pakeeza' for one rupee Meena Kumari took only one rupee fee to do the film Kamal. Kamal himself designed the clothes for Meena Kumari, the heroine of the film. With increasing age, Kamal Amrohi also started to get sick more often. Due to minor and major physical problems, he had to visit the hospital frequently. In the meantime, the treating doctor settled in his eyes. The 75-year-old filmmaker wanted to marry this doctor. According to some reports, he was also married for the fourth time. All in all Meena Kumari's married life with Kamal was miserable but for Kamal Meena always remained the most beautiful dream of his life. Even after the divorce, Kamal Amrohi wanted Meena to return to him, but it didn't happen. When Meena Kumari died, Kamal Amrohi said in an interview to an English media, 'Wo *** Sali Mar Gaye. Come on, Accha Hua. Ab 'Pakiza' very chalegi. Sub mein mithai banto.' Speak up! Such was the reaction of a callous, angry and proud lover-husband. Where has the love of these actors been buried? When cinema lovers think something like this, it also happened back then that Kamal had expressed his final wish to build his own grave. When 75-year-old Kamal Amrohi died on February 11, 1993, according to his last wish, he was buried in a grave next to Mina Kumari's grave in the Irani cemetery in Rahmatabad. }