A biopic on the life of Meena Kumari has been in discussions for years. Earlier, fashion designer Manish Malhotra had announced that he would direct the project, with Bollywood actor Kriti Sanon set to play the lead role. However, the latest reports confirm that Manish has backed out of the film, which has come as a relief to the Amrohi family.
In a statement to Times Now, Manish’s close friend confirmed that the designer has taken a step back and is no longer associated with the project. “It was a misadventure from the word go. How could Manish direct a Meena Kumari biopic? The project needed someone with a deep understanding of cinema and with a sense of epic grandeur like Sanjay Leela Bhansali. As for Kriti Sanon, with due respect, she is way too contemporary in look and personality to clutch the classic dimensions of Meena Kumari. The project was doomed from the start. Plus, there was severe pressure from the Amrohi family. Manish had to back down.”
The report also mentioned that the new director of the project will be Siddharth P Malhotra, known for films such as Hichki, We Are Family and the latest one Maharaja, starring Aamir Khan’s son Junaid Khan.
Confirming the news, Manish told mid-day, “I’m no longer doing the biopic. I’ll direct something else. Directing is one dream that remains unfulfilled.”
He added, “All fashion designers don’t have a film sense, but some do. With me, it was organic because I was in love with films since childhood, watching Mughal-e-Azam [1960] or the works of Raj Kapoor and Guru Dutt. I love the ’70s, their songs and costumes. I am steeped in films. That’s why I get how it works.”
Amrohi Family’s Reaction
The decision of Manish Malhotra and Kriti Sanon disassociating themselves from the project has been taken well by Meena Kumari’s family. A source close to the development further informed, “The Amrohi family is happy to back the Meena Kumari biopic with Siddharth P Malhotra as director.” The source also mentioned about the apt casting for Meena Kumari’s role and said, “Vidya Balan is a very strong contender for the actress’ part. She is the right fit in every sense.”
When the reporter contacted Kamal Amrohi’s son Tajdar about the casting and if Vidya is the right fit to play Meena Kumari, he said, “That is not my decision. It is up to the director Siddharth P Malhotra, composer A R Rahman who is doing the music score, Kausar Munir who is writing the film and my son Bilal who is co-producer of the project with Saregama. As for Vidya, I really like her.”
