1933 (Mumbai) – 1972 (Mumbai) • The Tragedy Queen
"Immortalized in Indian cinema as the iconic 'Tragedy Queen', Mahjabeen Bano (Meena Kumari) was not just an actress, but a profoundly talented and sensitive poet who wrote under the pen name 'Naaz'. Her poetry served as a deeply personal, heartbreaking outlet for the immense sorrow, loneliness, and failed relationships she experienced in her highly publicized and tragic personal life. Her ghazals and nazms are raw, unpolished, and carry a devastating emotional weight that perfectly mirrors her on-screen persona."