Pakeezah: A Cult Classic of Hindi Cinema That Took 14 Years to Complete:

Suspense crime, Digital Desk : Pakeezah is usually placed alongside Mughal-e-Azam or Sholay. It is remembered for rich portrayals by Meena Kumari and Raj Kumar, along with the emotional elements, stunning visuals, and music of the film. Despite its accolades, the film has a complicated legacy due to it taking 14 years to release.

When Pakeezah was created, the aim was to Black and White, however as the film was in production, color cinema took over which forced for initial segments to be cut. Amrohi directed reshoots for the entirety of the film and shifted it to color. Later with the introduction of cinemascape technology, Amrohis dedication to quality once more forced him to reshoot, which as previously ave the film significantly delayed then completion. Amrohi's quality standards are what caused the films completion delays. From a technology standpoint, things were smoother.

There is still a missing piece to be fit into the puzzle of Meena Kumari's struggles, these are her personal problems. At the time, Meena was going through a public divorce to her husband. Meena picked up production again, in 1968 where all limbs of the film were ready for pickup post Meena's creation of the films pieces.

In Meena Kumari’s last days, her health declined due to chronic alcoholism. Still, Kamal Amrohi wanted to film her final scenes. She was so ill that for the iconic song "Chalo Dildar Chalo..." she had to be shot with Padma Khanna dressed in a dolly with her bare face concealed.

Pakeezah's Premiere and The Reactions Following Meena Kumari's Death

Customers did not pay much attention to Pakeezah which came out in 1972, and unfortunately savagely Meena Kumari died just two months after this. This drew a surge of interest in the film that had before been relatively ignored. In soon after release, the auditoriums were overflowing with the actress's fans.

Pakeezah's Significance

Songs like "Chalte Chalte" and "Thade Rahiyo" alongside the legendary “Chalo Dildar Chalo...” continue to enjoy popularity to this date. Captivating the world with its enchanting narrative and melodious music by Lata Mangeshkar, in addition to Meena Kumari’s deeply moving performance, the film now stands as a masterpiece of Hindi cinema’s golden age.