Waheeda Rehman recalls Meena Kumari on her 54th death anniversary; ‘She was the reason I did 'Saheb Biwi Aur Gulam'

Waheeda Rehman is one of the last living legends of the Golden Era. Her beauty and grace define the finest aspects of Indian cinema. In a candid conversation with ETimes, Waheeda Rehman recalled her colleague, inspiration, and friend Meena Kumari on the 'Pakeezah' actress' 54th death anniversary.

Meena Kumari's RARE public appearance

For Waheedaji, remembering the incomparable Meena Kumari is both painful and pleasurable. “We all looked up to Meenaji. She was the idol of our entire generation of actresses who came after her. We would stare open-mouthed when she made those rare public appearances, looking so frail and so beautiful! Alas, she left us too soon. She didn’t look after herself. She was a national treasure.”

Waheeda Rehman says Meena Kumar was incomparable

Waheedaji got the chance to work with Meena Kumariji only once. “She was the soul of 'Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam'. Her performance in that film ranks among the finest, not only in her career but also in Indian cinema. You may say my Rosy in 'Guide' was comparable. But trust me. she was incomparable in 'Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam'.”




Sadly, the 'Guide' diva did not share any scenes with Meena Kumari in 'Sahib Bibi aur Ghulam'. “We had no scenes together! One of the reasons I agreed to do the film was to share screen space with her. That denied, I kept asking the director, Abrar Alvi Saab, ‘What am I doing in the film?’”

Waheedaji feels Meena Kumari was unfairly known only for tragic roles. “Of course she was exceptional in serious roles. But there was also a lighter, fun side to her, tapped rarely in a film like 'Kohinoor'. Logon ko woh rotee achchi lagti thi. Mujhe woh hansti achchi lagti (people liked to see her crying; I preferred to see her smile).”Get the latest entertainment updates from the Times of India, along with the latest Hindi movies, upcoming Hindi movies in 2026 , and Telugu movies.”