Cinema Masala: Pakeezah

When director Kamal Amrohi set out to make a film dedicated to his wife, the actress Meena Kumari, he had no way of knowing that the project would take him across two decades, multiple pauses in production, and the breakup of the marriage that inspired him in the first place.

It’s a real-life drama that almost rivals the tale of Salim (Ashok Kumar), a chivalrous forest ranger, and Sahibjaan (Kumari), the tawaif brothel worker whose beauty captivates him. Shot in rich Eastmancolor on gloriously sumptuous sets, PAKEEZAH wraps its tortured romance in an eye-popping fabric of warmth and visual texture.

Part of Cinema Masala

Cinema Masala is an initiative of the Coolidge Corner Theatre, in partnership with the Film Heritage Foundation. Founded and made possible by Sapna Saxena.