She was famously called ‘Tragedy Queen’ in the film industry and in her career spanning 33 years in the film industry, Meena Kumari starred in about 92 films, which is a huge number. Apart from Meena Kumari’s talent, the actress’ personal life would often become a part of the limelight. Once married to director Kamal Amrohi, the veteran actress was allegedly a victim of domestic violence and had reportedly turned alcoholic in her later years.

It was on March 31, 1972, at the tender age of 38, when Hindi cinema lost a jewel from its crown. Meena Kumari had breathed her last after two days in a coma and her close friend and actress Nargis had paid the most surprising last respect to the actress. In a column written for an Urdu magazine, Nargis had congratulated Meena Kumari upon her demise. But why so?

The translated version of Nargis’ column for Meena Kumari from Yeh Un Dinon Ki Baat Hai: Urdu Memoirs of Cinema Legends by Yasir Abbasi, shared by ETimes could be read, “Congratulations on your death’ [Meena, maut mubarak ho] I have never said this earlier. 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.” Further in the column, Nargis recalled how Meena Kumari had once taken care of her kids Sanjay Dutt and Namrata Dutt when they had once gone out for dinner.

And then, Nargis went on to reveal a horrific story when she saw Meena Kumari with a swollen eye after she heard noises of intense violence from her room. The Mother India actress shared, “One night I saw her panting in the garden, I told her, why don’t you rest, you look very tired. She said, “Baaji, resting is not in my destiny. I will rest just one time.” That night there was the noise of violence from her room. Next day, I saw her eyes were swollen. I caught hold of Kamal Amrohi’s secretary Baqar & spoke to him in direct terms, ‘Why do you people want to kill Meena? She has worked enough for your sake, For how long is she going to feed you?’”

Soon after, Meena Kumari and Kamal Amrohi parted ways. But excessive consumption of alcohol had weakened her liver. Nargis wrote in her column that she tried to make her understand but Meena Kumari had replied with, “Baaji, my patience has a limit.”

And hardly one month after one of her most acclaimed films Pakeezah released, Meena Kumari ended an era with her passing away.