Meena Kumari's personal letters, diary entries to shape biopic: Director
What's the story
Siddharth P Malhotra, the director of the upcoming Meena Kumari biopic (tentatively titled Kamal Aur Meena), has revealed that his film will be based on personal letters and diary entries left behind by the late actor and her filmmaker-husband Kamal Amrohi. He told Mid-Day, "Luckily, we have their handwritten love letters and diaries." "So our film is based on their 2,000 letters and diary notes. In a way, they have told us what to write in their own words."
Film focus
Film to focus on Kumari-Amrohi's relationship and 'Pakeezah'
The film will delve into the complicated and tragic relationship between Kumari and Amrohi, with special emphasis on their iconic 1972 film Pakeezah. The screenplay has been written by Bhavani Iyer and Kausar Munir. Starting in the industry as a child actor, Kumari acted in around 90 movies before passing away in 1972 at 38, reportedly due to liver cirrhosis. Amrohi was married with kids when he met Kumari, and the two fell in love.
Casting news
Casting for the film is currently pending
With the script locked, the next step for Malhotra is casting. He said, "We have finished the scripting and are working toward the casting. The project will hopefully roll by the year-end." While Kiara Advani's name has been frequently linked to Kumari's role, Malhotra clarified that nothing has been finalized yet. "Till it's not locked, it's not locked. It's [how] the business is," he said.
Biopic news
Manish Malhotra also announced a similar project earlier
Manish Malhotra, a fashion designer-turned-producer, had also announced a biopic on Kumari with Kriti Sanon in the lead role. However, that project was later shelved. Meanwhile, Malhotra's next release is Ikka, featuring Sunny Deol and Akshaye Khanna. The film will premiere on Netflix on July 10.