Bollywood Trivia: Meena Kumari once lost Devdas alongside Dilip Kumar because of her husband Kamal Amrohi.
When Meena Kumari Lost Devdas Alongside Dilip Kumar: Meena Kumari’s life has always been in the news decades after her demise. The late actress created a legacy that has been unmatchable till date. Many film critics, her former co-stars and filmmakers have attributed her on-screen emotional availability and acting performances to her heart-breaking life experiences. Satya Vyas in his book Meena Mere Aage documented the journey of the Pakeezah actress, also known as the ‘tragedy queen’ of Hindi cinema. One of her contemporaries, the late Nargis Dutt had said that Meena’s success is credited to the people who made Meena a toy, who was made of clay. The Mother India actress hinted towards Meena Kumari’s vulnerability and the inability to say no.
MEENA KUMARI LOST BIMAL ROY’S DEVDAS DUE TO THIS REASON
The Sahib, Biwi Aur Ghulam actress was married to producer Kamal Amrohi, who along with his secretary took the decision regarding her movie scripts with other filmmakers. The relationship between the couple further tensed due to various reasons including Amrohi’s interruptions his wife’s career decisions. One of the reasons behind their separation was Bimal Roy’s Devdas, as claimed by Vyas in his book. After Meena Kumari was finalised to play Paro opposite Dilip Kumar, Amrohi’s secretary went to Roy’s office and said, “The contract (between Meena Kumari and the makers) is fine. But Meena Kumari would only work if our two conditions are accepted. Firstly, our artist won’t work in outdoor shoots, secondly, nobody is going to get closer to Meena or touch her in the film.” The Devdas director replied, “Look, my film will be shot entirely in Mumbai, so your first condition doesn’t make sense. As far as your other concern, I need time to think about it.”
As soon as the secretary left the office, Roy got enraged and told filmmaker-cinematographer Asit Sen that, “Asit, I am not the one who is going to bow down. Although there is no such scene in Devdas, but why should I listen to him. I cannot make a movie under pressure.” The iconic role later went to Suchitra Sen after Meena Kumari lost the project.
Currently, speculations are rife that Kriti Sanon will play the legendary actress in her biopic directed by Manish Malhotra.
For more updates on Meena Kumari and her upcoming biopic, check out this space at India.com.
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