The Meena Kumari Sweatshirt

The famed actor was born Mahjabeen Bano to Ali Bux, who worked in Parsi theater, and Iqbal Begum, a stage actor in Bombay, on August 1, 1933. Though she was reluctant to be a child actor, financial constraints led her to audition, and she landed her first role at age 6 in Vijay Bhatt’s “Farzand-e-Watan” (1939). She took on the stage name Baby Meena by 1940 and became Meena Kumari by 1952.

“The first day I trotted along to work, I little imagined that I was saying goodbye to the normal pleasantries of childhood,” recorded biographer Vinod Mehta.

The actor starred in over 90 films, earning the moniker “Tragedy Queen.” She found success with “Baiju Bawra” (1952), which Vijay Bhatt also directed; “Parineeta” (1953); “Chandni Chowk” (1954); and “Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam” (1962). The first two even won her Filmfares for Best Actress, including in the first year of the award.

In 1952, Meena Kumari married Kamal Amrohi secretly. Amrohi directed her in the cult classic Pakeezah (1972), in which she designed her own costumes — looks that have inspired everyone from Sabyasachi to Sanjay Leela Bhansali.

By the time shooting for Pakeezah began, Amrohi and Meena Kumari had separated. Her failing marriage, with her family alleging Amrohi beat her, and divorce reportedly contributed to her alcoholism. Though she was sick, she still shot Pakeezah. She died on March 31, 1972 — merely weeks after the film’s release — due to cirrhosis of the liver. She was only 38.

Some say her death contributed to Pakeezah’s success. The film didn’t win over audiences immediately but later achieved commercial success. Her tombstone reads: “They will look upon my path for eons, the one I will walk alone.”

• 80% organic cotton, 20% recycled polyester
• 100% organic cotton exterior
• Frenchy terry knit
• Set-in sleeves
• 2×2 rib at collar
• Self-fabric neck tape
• Blank product sourced from Bangladesh

Disclaimer: US customers should order a size up as the EU sizes for this supplier correspond to a smaller size in the US market.

This product is made especially for you as soon as you place an order, which is why it takes us a bit longer to deliver it to you. Making products on demand instead of in bulk helps reduce overproduction, so thank you for making thoughtful purchasing decisions!

Size guide