Bilal to narrate grandfather Kamal Amrohi and Meena Kumari's love story onscreen referencing their words

A still from the film

Meena Kumari's rich career and tragic personal life made her one of Hindi cinema's enigmas. So, it's not surprising that two filmmakers have found their muse in the late actor. While Kriti Sanon is set to play her in a biopic helmed by Manish Malhotra (My months with Meena Kumari, Aug 19), mid-day had reported in February that Kamal Amrohi's grandson Bilal was developing a project that would trace Kumari's love story with her filmmaker-husband as they set out to make Pakeezah (The heartbreak behind the magnum opus, Feb 10).

Bilal is unfazed that Malhotra is making a film on the celebrated actor. The couturier-turned-director's biopic is reportedly referenced from many books written on Kumari. Bilal says, "I'm sure Manish will be a brilliant director. But I am not sure about the validity of that project, in terms of its reference point. I have Meena-ji and Kamal saab's words to tell their story; they are going by someone's else's words."

Manish Malhotra and Bilal Amrohi

Bilal says neither Malhotra nor the production house has contacted his family regarding the biopic. "How will they use Kamal Amrohi's name without the family's permission? If you have to make a movie about Meena-ji's life, you cannot disregard the biggest factor in it - my grandfather," he asserts.

What Bilal is designing is an intimate look into the actor-filmmaker couple's romance that began in 1951 and culminated in marriage in 1952. Guiding him in this project are the letters that Kumari and Amrohi apparently wrote to each other. "I have my grandparents' diaries, and the letters they exchanged for the years that they were said to be apart (1964-1972). There were rumours about them getting a [divorce], but there was nothing of the sort. Meena-ji was a married woman when she passed away. For the past 40 years, people have [showcased] their love story in every light possible. My bua [aunt] Rukhsar has vehemently spoken against them. [Some authors] wrote about Kamal saab hitting her! It's sad because they couldn't defend themselves as these books were written after they passed away. The dead cannot defend themselves. The letters that my bua has, are a testimony of their love. They were romancing each other even though the world thought they were apart." Bilal adds that he will initiate talks with actors only after the bible is ready.