The life of Meena Kumari, an actress par excellence, an artist who could seamlessly evoke melancholy and a plethora of emotions, will soon be captured on screen. The biopic which is to be directed by Tigmanshu Dhulia, is based on Vinod Mehta’s book titled Meena Kumari — A Classic Biography.
A while ago, reports stated that the film was to feature Vidya Balan, but now according to the latest development, Balan has decided to walk away from Dhulia’s dream project.
While talking to a leading daily, Vidya revealed that she was no longer a part of the Pakeezah actresses’ biopic. She said,
No, I’m not doing the Meena Kumari-biopic anymore. It didn’t quite work out. I love Meena Kumari. If I had a girl crush on somebody, it would be her. If she was alive, I’d probably land up to see her all the time. I am that fascinated by her. I always wanted to play her.
While Vidya was keenly interested in essaying Meena Kumari’s role, initially, she felt the script did not do justice.
The script has to do justice. It can’t just be a sensational account of her life, even if she is not around. It has to present different episodes of her life and not just the ones that will grab eyeballs. So, I decided not to do it.
Vidya also shared her mind on doing bold and controversial characters (read The Dirty Picture). She said,
I did The Dirty Picture, there was sensationalism in that but that was Silk. But for everything, you can’t just focus on the sensational bits of a person’s life. I am happy to do the controversial bits as long as it’s a well rounded perspective.
Justifying her decision on walking out from the biopic, Vidya told,
Also, biopics are very sensitive and they need to be done for the right reasons. You can’t make a biopic on Meena Kumari just because you feel sab dekhenge. Even if the person is not around, I have too much respect for her as an artiste, to just present a one-sided story of hers.
I only want to play real characters and do biopics of people who I love or connect with. Right now, I haven’t been offered any more biopics.
For the unintended, when Tigmanshu announced that he was casting Kangana to play the late actress in his film, Meena Kumari’s family members expressed their apprehension. Tajdar Amrohi, a film producer and Meena Kumari’s stepson, said,
She is anything but Meena Kumari. My chhoti ammi was traditional and had a very strong personality and Kangana is completely opposite of her and does not suit the role.
He added,
Kangana in no way will be able to justify her character. She is too modern to play the role.
Vidya is gearing for the release of her next film Tumhari Sulu opposite actor Manav Kaul. She essays the role of an RJ in the film. Directed by Suresh Triveni, Tumhari Sulu is slated to release on November 17.
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