In a poignant and heart-wrenching tribute, actress Nargis Dutt penned an open letter to her close friend, the legendary Meena Kumari, following her death on March 31, 1972, at the young age of 38. Kumari, often called the "Tragedy Queen" of Bollywood, succumbed to liver cirrhosis after years of emotional distress, loneliness, and alcohol addiction. Nargis's letter, originally written in Urdu and later published, remains one of the most painful and honest farewells in Bollywood history.
The most striking line of the letter was, "Maut Mubarak Ho Meena". This translates to "Congratulations on your death, Meena." Nargis explained this seemingly harsh sentiment by adding, "Meena, today your baaji (elder sister) congratulates you on your death and asks you to never step into this world again. This place is not meant for people like you". The phrase wasn't intended as an insult but as a bittersweet release, a recognition that Kumari's suffering was finally over and that the world had been too cruel for someone as sensitive as her.
Nargis and Meena Kumari shared a close bond, a sisterhood forged amidst the demanding world of Bollywood. Nargis recalled in her column how their friendship blossomed on the sets of Main Chup Rahungi. Nargis, accompanied by her husband Sunil Dutt and their children, was touched by Meena's warmth and care towards her kids. "When I went for dinner with Dutt saab, Meena voluntarily took care of Sanjay and Namrata, changing their clothes to making their milk," Nargis wrote.
However, Nargis also witnessed the darker side of Meena Kumari's life. She recounted an incident during a film shoot in Madras where she saw Meena struggling to breathe in the garden. Meena brushed it off as a result of tobacco, but Nargis suspected otherwise. Later that night, Nargis heard "suggestive sounds of violence" from Meena's room. This led Nargis to confront Kamal Amrohi's secretary, Baqar, directly, questioning their treatment of Meena. "Why do you people want to kill Meena?" Nargis had asked.
The letter also shed light on Meena Kumari's tumultuous marriage to filmmaker Kamal Amrohi. Nargis described it as a relationship that began with love but soon turned toxic. As Meena's stardom grew, their relationship suffered, with the actress facing emotional isolation and control. A breaking point was an incident where Amrohi's secretary allegedly raised a hand to Meena, leading her to leave her husband's home.
Furthermore, Nargis revealed Meena Kumari's deep, yet ultimately unfulfilled, love for Dharmendra. "If Meena has ever loved anyone passionately, the person is Dharmendra," Nargis wrote. "If Meena ever turned crazy in love for someone, it was him". However, this relationship was short-lived, and Dharmendra's departure left Meena heartbroken and further contributed to her downward spiral.
Meena Kumari's final years were marked by increasing dependence on alcohol, a consequence of her emotional wounds. Nargis expressed her regret at not being able to help her friend overcome her addiction. The actress's health deteriorated rapidly, leading to her hospitalization and eventual death. Despite her immense talent and success, Meena Kumari's life was a tragedy, a story of unfulfilled love, emotional abuse, and ultimately, a release in death, which Nargis acknowledged with her poignant "Maut Mubarak Ho".
