Mumbai: Syed Amir Haider Kamal Naqvi popularly known as Kamal Amrohi is counted among the top directors of the Hindi film industry. However, he directed only five films. He became immortal in Hindi cinema by giving films like Mahal, Pakeezah and Daera. Kamal was a great lyricist, scriptwriter, dialogue writer and a producer-director. Another reason for which Amrohi is known is Meena Kumari.
Today on Amrohi’s birthday, let us revisit his relationship with Kumari.
For Amrohi, working in films was a passion. He not only gave a chance to a 16-year-old Madhubala in his film Mahal but made her a superstar right from her debut.
Amrohi then signed Kumari for the film Anarkali. However, this film could not be completed because the producers wanted were concerned about the budget. This did not go down well with Amrohi. During this time, Kumari got hurt in an accident and was admitted to the hospital. Amrohi rushed to the hospital to see her. Later, Amrohi started visiting her from Mumbai to Pune every week.
This is where the closeness grew between them and they started writing letters to each other. Kumari had her reservations on Amrohi because he had already married twice and had three children. But nevertheless, their fondness for each other only grew with time.
After the accident, Kumari along with her sister Madhu used to go to a massage clinic located on Wardan Road. Their father would drop them at the clinic for two hours. The two sisters would meet Amrohi after their father left. Amrohi and Kumari got married in a secret ceremony 14 February, 1952 in the presence of a Qazi and Madhu. The wedding was conducted inside two hours before Kumari returned to her home.
Amrohi and Kumari’s wedding remained a secret for quite some time before her father got to know about this. He suggested a divorce but Kumari was adamant about her marriage.
Their marriage lasted for 12 years before they separated in 1964.
Twenty one years after Kumari’s death, and ten years after making his last film, Razia Sultan (1983), Amrohi was buried next to his ex-wife in Rehmatabad Qabristan, an Indian-Iranian graveyard in Mumbai.