Meena Kumari was a Urdu poet under the pseudonym Naaz . Historian critic Philip Bounds and researcher Daisy Hasan write regarding Meena Kumari 's poetry : " Poetry was the medium through which Kumari distanced herself from her public image and criticized the industry that had brought her to public attention in the first place . In that sense , her poems tell us as much about Bollywood as they do about herself . " Meena Kumari herself once said that people picked strands of her hair to make a taweez ( talisman ) out of it . She never used products like glycerin in order to shed tears , but always shed her genuine ones while acting . At the peak of her career , Meena Kumari was the highest-paid actress of her generation , and was the first to buy an Impala car . Indian Film Critic Bhawana Somaaya says : " There was a time when top heroes were not willing to work with Meena Kumari , because she played the powerful roles " . Vinod Mehta shares : " Meena Kumari became so powerful that she would make or break stars , Kumari adopted an attitude of guardian , artistic mentor towards the newcomers who worked opposite her like Rajendra Kumar in '' Chirag Kahan Roshni Kahan '' and with Sunil Dutt in '' Ek Hi Raasta '' . " Meena Kumari helped Dharmendra enormously in the initial stages of his career , and established Dharmendra 's acting career in Indian Cinema . The legendary Kathak master Pandit Lachhu Maharaj praised Meena Kumari 's dancing skills and remarked on the unique way in which she would take a turn . He said , " The way in which she would turn , the angles of her shoulders , come naturally to her and can not be taught . " Ashok Kumar said : " Meena was a natural actress . She was very choosy , but once she accepted a role , she put her heart into it and it 's not surprising that she 's still remembered for her sensitive portrayals . Sometimes when saying a dialogue I 'd add a line not in the script and even as I worried about how Meena would react , she 'd surprise me with just the right response . " In 1953 , soon after the success of '' Baiju Bawra '' , Kumari appeared in '' Dream House '' , an advertisement by Dunlopillo UK along with Ashok Kumar . Kumari was a regular face to be featured on various film magazines and beauty soaps throughout her career . Her step-son recalls that Meena Kumari was an avid reader of novels by Agatha Christie and always used to keep mogra flowers by her bed before she slept . The makers of film '' Jahan Ara '' ( 1964 ) had approached Kumari to play the role of Jahan Ara Begum . It was the time when Kumari was doing films which were commercially successful and critically acclaimed . Meena Kumari passed on this role to her friend , actress Mala Sinha . This film not only helmed her appreciation from critics but also resulted in a nomination in the Best Actress Category at the 12th Filmfare Awards
12th Filmfare Awards
12th Filmfare Awards
Meena Kumari