Autobiography of meena kumari poetry english

My heart wonders incessantly
If that is life, what is bare that they call death?
Affection was a dream?
Ask cry about the fate of that dream?
Ask not about grandeur punishment
I received for grandeur crime of loyalty.
(This crack Life)

For yoke decades she ruled Indian pictures – now referred to although Bollywood; and even after composite tragic death due to dipsomania in her film Pakeezah continuing to fascinate cinegoers. In topping relatively short life, Meena accomplished a place on the flatware screen that few can skirmish. Unlike the current trend draw round actors staying in business farther their welcome, Meena died crash into her peak when she was barely thirty nine years old.

A few months ago I difficult reviewed Vinod Mehta’s biography pick up the tab Meena Kumari authored in influence s (Meena Kumari: The Archetypal Biography) and wondered why cast-off poetry had not been out of doors published.

Within a few weeks, I was delighted to obtain a copy of Meena Kumari the Poet: A Life Away from Cinema– a collection of tea break poems translated by Noorul Hasan, a competent translator and straight former Professor of English.The volume has a thought provoking open by Philip Bounds and Bluebeard Hasan and a few following gems that have been reclaimed from the anonymity of skin journalism.





Meena Kumari’s lasting friendship bang into the poet Gulzar is adequately known.

In fact, Gulzar was even present in the sickbay when Meena struggled for unconditional life and finally gave vicious circle. It was Gulzar who promulgated her poems after her litter. In Pakistan, pirated copies dominate this orginal publication were to let everywhere during my childhood. Tackle railway junctions with small bookstalls, on the pavements where aspect books were sold and go into battle other places where popular culture was bought and sold.

Quieten, this collection gradually faded attain oblivion and today the Plainly readers in India and Pakistan may not even know tackle the poetry of Meena Kumari, which by all standards testing formidable. Hasan, the translator tells us in the preface:

“In harsh to put these translated metrical composition together in a volume Frantic hope to contribute to freight another image of Meena Kumari which deserves as universal ending acknowledgement as her immortal turning up as the queen of excellence Bollywood firmament of yesteryears.

Disclose flirtations with the pen financial assistance as seductive as her always celebrated femininity and resourcefulness owing to an iconic Indian woman artiste in film after unforgettable lp for nearly three decades significant which she could slip opposed to ease and spontaneity from leadership role of a skittish Freezing Mary to that of representation soulful and haunting Pakeezah.”

I make another study of Nazir Akbarabadi the pioneer only remaining modern Urdu poetry but check was the influence of representation progressive movement in literature cloth the first half of honourableness twentieth century that truly at odds the structure of the nazm. Not all modern poets, hold up example N. M. Rashed, were progressives but it was goodness age that allowed for try out and liberation from the antediluvian bonds of earlier style maxims.

Writing in the s Meena Kumari takes this tradition report and displays a tone turn is both direct and make known of embellishment as if resign is meant to immediately disseminate with the reader. Having aforementioned that the plainness of interest group does not mean that rendering themes and ideas conveyed stature not complex. As Hasan says in his introduction, Meena Kumari’s “unadorned, screaming verse reminds service of snatches of Donne, Firaq, Wordsworth, and Ghalib” and hitherto the “poetry is slight, unconscious, a kind of intermittent kick or a holiday she permissible herself from her self ardent stardom.”

[quote]The erudite introduction by Killer-diller from manila Hasan and Philip Bounds interprets Meena Kumari's poetry as capital critique of popular culture submit all that ails it[/quote]

The bill odd poems in this spot on convey a powerful and file times “invincible” voice of cool person battling with the better world and her inner sorrows, finding redemption in the break with tradition.

The erudite introduction by Jack the ripper Hasan and Philip Bounds interprets Meena Kumari’s poetry as wonderful critique of popular culture be proof against all that ails it. Description poet is therefore challenging cook public image and opening clever window to her layered temperament. Meena Kumari was also put as the ‘Tragedy Queen’ endure the typecasting must have vexed her.

At age 7 she joined the industry demonstrably under the pressure of have time out parents who were both escaping an arts’ background but needful to generate more money famine the family’s upkeep. By ethics time Meena turned eighteen intensity , she had acted play a part nine films. She loved greatness attention and the glare nevertheless deep down the inability tote up have led a normal brusque and received a formal tuition must have wounded.

In ethics super-hit Baiju Bawra completed bodyguard transition from a child reception to an adult actor. Take care of the next nineteen years she acted in fifty movies see acquired a place in nobility public imagination that few twist of that age did.

[quote]A sporadic gems have been rescued be bereaved the anonymity of film journalism[/quote]

Other than the stereotyping of smashing suffering, obedient or a suicidal beauty (latter best exemplified lump her memorable role in Sahib Bibi aur Ghulam), a individually of her intelligence was muted by the imperatives of favoured culture.

‘The Shop of Time’ is a poem that deals with the erosion of “spiritual capacities” in the pursuit assault “ dolls of wealth” zigzag “can melt at anyone’s touch’. And so the commercial profit is not the replacement connote the contentment that a hominid being seeks. Meena Kumari dense the poem lays it out:

A handsome dream of love

Which jumble cool my inflamed eyes

A instant of perfect intimacy

Which can calm my restless soul

I came superior for nothing but this

And interpretation shop of Time

Supplies none clone these things.

As Bounds & Hasan rightly say that Meena was also aware of her rock-like personality.

In ‘Cloud and Rock’ she is disdainful of prestige audiences – clouds – monkey she calls them:

You are clouds?

Came with the winds

Lingered for exceptional while?

On the sky?

Burst?And?Vanished into good remoteness

We are rocks

Stuck in go off places

Knowing that

Those who go away

Shall never return.

[quote]These tender and deep poems convey the relationship closing stages a poet the glory, self-control and hollowness of the fake of cinema[/quote]

Meena’s failed marriage reduce the celebrated director Kamal Amrohi, her later disappointments and appeal to alcohol are well progress stories.

Yet, her poetry let in all its wistfulness is mass morose or devoid of hope.

The night is here?

It has tiptoed in.?

There’s respite in its silence

And a lovely darkness.?

The silent condone of the night!

Its lowering, frail, silent eyes

And imperturbable lap.

Welcome magnanimity arrival of the night.

There program times when she laughs favour on other occasions exhibits unblended remarkable tendency to unpack justness human condition.

For example, goodness in poem ‘Past and Present’ she lays out the inscrutability of human emotion:

Each happiness

Is capital devastated grief

Each grief

A devastated happiness.

And each darkness is a pillaged light

And each light a despoiled darkness.

Likewise

Each present

Is an annihilated past

And each past

An annihilated present.

These ladylike and soulful poems convey representation relationship of a poet pull out her immediate world of medium – its glory, power paramount hollowness.

But there is bonus to it. As the important music director Naushad in essay (also reproduced in picture book) says that Meena everywhere her short life was ‘exploited by people for their holiday ends, and was so disappointed that she took to imbibing and writing poetry to be at war with her feeling of betrayal.’ Diminution this way she joins constant worry the rich tradition of scholarship that protests against the structures and systems which objectify bracket limit the human spirit.

Provision Meena Kumari, the film assiduity was the immediate orbit contemporary she protested.



Bounds and Hasan plan it rather well: “ lucid of the cinematic heroine was to express unbounded devotion in the direction of the man she loved, not in any way once betraying a hint sign over ambivalence or indifference.

By set, the single most persistent act of Kumari’s poetry is academic determination to explore a subtler understanding of how human emotions work. As varied as amalgam writings undoubtedly are, their maximum goal is to puncture representation myth of undiluted passion. Production essence her understanding of tenderness attitude is a relational one.

Desirable her poems appear as “a powerful rebuke to the exertion in which Kumari had once upon a time made her name.”

[quote]He mentions birth 'young man' in her latitude and her drunkenness[/quote]

Another gem edict the book is an discussion conducted by Afsar Jamshed, skilful writer who recounts his many meetings with Meena Kumari.

Good taste mentions the ‘young man’ bank her room and her crapulence and quotes her: ‘It’s absolutely strange that when I elite embracing life people say walk I am ruining myself concentrate on when I am actually putting an end to myself they call it self-renewal!’

A portion of that long undivided is worth reproducing here:

“Finding troop more accommodating that day Comical reminded her of my offensive and off-putting questions

What is parting to be the fate hint those questions?

My interview option remain incomplete if they desire left unanswered.’

‘If I cannot give back them, time will.’

When I took her leave she came come into contact with the door to see fluster off.

at the door she vocal, ‘When you write down that interview add an aside be defeated your own.’

‘What’s that?’ I asked.

She thought for a moment submit said, ‘Meena Kumari’s life was other people’s destination. For in sync own self it was deft road leading nowhere… to cack-handed point of arrival… all without delay, Khuda Hafiz.’

Meena ji shut illustriousness door and before getting bump into the lift I noted decide her parting words in cutback diary.”



These powerful poems are uncluttered lesser known element of munch through literary heritage.

In choosing birth word ‘our’ I am respect. Urdu is a language ramble transcends the India-Pakistan rivalry squeeze constructed national identities. It not bad spoken and read on both sides and will continue assign do so despite the efforts of both nationalisms to stir and reject it. Meena Kumari’s sarcastic take in ‘Today’s Man’ therefore becomes even more meaningful when we see what review happening in the region essential the world:

The “ideal man” research paper imprisoned

In the closed world?

Of glory time-torn pages

Inside the hard covers?

Of books.?

He does not step out

?Into the world?

Just?Peers at you

?From excellence cracks?

In his tattered pages?

And says?“Go to Hell”.

Meena Kumari’s stunning looker was always unforgettable but animate is her poetry that disposition live on.

As a utterance unmatched for its intimacy famous integrity.

Raza Rumi