Pakeezah (1972) may be a grand, sweeping romantic drama that caught the country’s attention on its release. But the making of the classic is a far richer story. Filmmaker Kamal Amrohi dedicated 16 years to make his labour of love that, in one of fate’s cruel twists, became his actor-wife Meena Kumari’s swansong. In early 2022, Amrohi’s grandson Bilal had announced a web series that would trace the making of the Kumari, Ashok Kumar and Raaj Kumar-starrer. A year on, as the team is neck-deep in research, we hear Bilal and Yoodlee Films are now contemplating turning the material into a feature film. 

Bilal Amrohi