Kamal Amrohi

Kamal Amrohi Biography

Kamal Amrohi was a legend who produced and directed classic movies of Bollywood like Pakeezah and Mahal. He is one among the four dialogue writers of Mughal-E-Azam. He was the husband of actress Meena Kumari, with whom he made her last released movie – Pakeezah. Apart from a film director, Kamal was a screenwriter and dialogue writer also. Both Mahal and Pakeezah express Amrohi's personal vision of the world and both ressembles symphonic poems on celluloid. He has also written scripts and dialogues for movies.

Kamal Amrohi was born in Amroha, UP in India and later took on the name Kamal 'Amrohi' (Amrohvi). In 1938, he left Amroha to study in Lahore where singer K. L. Saigal discovered him and took him to Mumbai. He was asked to work for Sohrab Modi's Minerva Movietoon film company. He started his career working on films like Jailor (1938), Pukar (1939), Bharosa (1940), Kardar (Shohjeban 1946).

As a director Kamal Amrohi’s first movie was Mahal released in the year 1949. This thriller movie casted Ashok Kumar and Madhubala as leading pair. It gave biggest break to Lata Mangeshkar too, through the song, ‘Aayega aayega aayega aanewala’, pictured on Madhubala. He has directed only 4 movies, yet they are remembered as amazing classic work of this great film maker. As a director his other movies include – Daera (1953), Pakeezah (1972) and Razia Sulthana (1982).

Actually, Pakeezah was started long before 1958. Due to tensed relationship between Meena Kumari and husband, Kamal Amrohi, the project was shelved in the middle. It was only when Nargis and Sunil Dutt saw the rushes of the film that they convinced Meena Kumari to complete it. Meena Kumari had become an alcoholic by then and when the last scenes of Meena Kumari were shot, she was very ill. The movie got released after 14 years and was not doing well at box office. When Meena Kumari heard its box office reports, she was seriously ill and she died very soon. As soon as she died, people watched her on screen going to theatre thus making this movie a blockbuster hit all times.  

His works as a dialogue writer include – Mughal-E-Azam, Phool, Chalia, Shankar hussain, Masaaq and Pukar. He has won Filmfare for best dialogues of the movie Mughal-E-Azam.

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Updated: March 27, 2014