CHANDIGARH:
Meena Kumari, tragedy queen of Hindi cinema in the 1950s, 60s, and early 70s, will be back alive on stage 48 years after her death. All thanks to
Covid-19 lockdown
.
Local theatre actor, director, playwright, and poetess Nisha Luthra used the idle period of home confinement in
Panchkula to write a
biographical play
on the famous film actress of yesteryears. Nisha's co-founded company, ‘The Narrators’, will produce it.
Asked why she chose this subject, Nisha said: “Meena Kumari is my favourite actress not only for her extraordinary beauty and versatility in acting but also because her life story intrigues and inspires me. The calm, composed, graceful, and grounded actress wedded a 15-year-older married man. I was curious to know why. Before my imagination could see the surface of a paper, my mind had to take the journey with baby Meena, to see how she became Meena Kumari, lead actress and poetess with the pen name of ‘Naaz’.”
Meena Kumari among some other film personalities during the 1954 Filmfare Awards
The director found an interesting story of a Muslim girl keen to go to school but forced to be on the film sets due to poverty. She busted the film industry's myth of "once a child artist, never a lead actress". Nisha studied all about Meena Kumari on the internet and binge watched her movies during the lockdown.
The play will explain how a breadwinner, an excellent actress, a meaningful poetess, a wife, a noble human being, and a screen goddess earned the epithet of ‘Tragedy Queen’. What was the vacuum that all her qualities could not fill?
The old Hindi cinema wasn't materialistic and the lead actresses of the past were not constructed beauties with toned bodies like today. Meena Kumari didn't have to shed a piece of her clothes or make vulgar actions to charm her audience. She won it over with her emotions, expressions, and body language.
Nisha said: "The Covid-19 pandemic takes us back to our roots, when we coexisted with nature. Meena Kumari’s simplicity was also in consonance with nature.” Meena Kumari had a short life of 38 years but she taught us to live on our terms and even bend rules, if needed. The most important takeaway is: "Don’t die with any regrets."
Nisha will also direct this play. Auditions will start after the lockdown.
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