PAKEEZAH; the stage is occupied by Meena Kumari. That she was a great tragedienne enhances the impact of her performance as a woman grappling with the dualities of her life. And that voice, even when not uttering a sparkling gem, has a lyrical quality that resounds through the film.
Pakeezah's simple plot is laced wiTH symbolism. The bird with clipped wings and the snake in the kotha serve as external symbols of the struggles in Meena Kumari's life. At times, the semiotics is heavily underlined --- a torn kite on a tree is shown when Meena returns to the kotha. There is a dialogue comparing her to it as well.
Meena Kumari died within two months of the film's release. She couldn't have asked for a more befitting swansong.
Answered by
swati lohani
, an ibibo Citizen,
at
3:18 PM on May 17, 2008