On Meena Kumari’s birth anniversary, Siddharth P. Malhotra reflects on her handwritten letters and legacy

Mumbai: On the birth anniversary of legendary actress Meena Kumari, filmmaker Siddharth P. Malhotra has opened up about the emotional and transformative journey of bringing her story to the screen.

Entrusted by the late icon’s family with rare access to her handwritten letters and personal diaries, Malhotra shared how these intimate archives have reshaped his understanding of the woman behind the “Tragedy Queen” persona.

Siddharth shared with IANS, “The world knows Meena Kumari as a legend, the iconic actress, the tragedy queen. But when the family entrusted me with the responsibility of telling her and kamaal Saabs story, and we gained access to her handwritten letters and personal diaries, something shifted. Reading her words, in her own handwriting and his, allowed us to truly feel her not just the icon, but the woman behind it all. That’s when Meena Ji and Kamal Saab entered my system. I live with them now. Every decision I make in writing, casting, direction, I find myself asking them, ‘Is this right?.”

“It’s as if we are being guided, auto-writing through their energy, through their essence. From scripting to casting, it feels like they are co-creating with us. And when it comes to who will eventually play Meena Kumari, someone who must span the arc of her life from 18 to 38, we’ve had interest from all over. But that final decision, I’ve left to Meena Ji. Today, on her birthday, I believe she will choose. She’ll show us who’s meant to embody her.”

Siddharth P. Malhotra went on to state, “Knowing her through her poetry, her work, her relationships, and through those who knew her, has deeply transformed me. And on this day, I feel her blessings upon us, that we may honour her and Kamal Saab’s legacy in the most sacred, honest and heartfelt way possible.”

Meena Kumari died on March 31, 1972, due to liver cirrhosis. Her last project, “Gomti Ke Kinare,” was released after her death.

IANS