Today’s poem was written by a poet who was more famous for her stardom in Hindi Films than her poetry. Born as Mahjabeen Bano, she was better known by her screen name, Meena Kumari. She ruled the Hindi Film industry with her acting and sublime beauty for four decades. She wrote beautiful poetry under the nom-de-plume, “Naaz” and was poetry in motion on screen. Her personal life was as tragic as the characters that she portrayed on screen. Behind the glitter of silver screen, she struggled with domestic violence, an insecure husband and alcohol addiction before passing away at the young age of 38. She was an autodidact and taught herself English, Hindi and Urdu in the absence of a formal education. This poem reflects her loneliness in a world of fame, arc lights and stardom. #MeenaKumari #Meena #Hindi #Urdu #India #Bollywood #poetry