Imagine Meena Kumari’s life story being told in her own words. That’s what filmmaker Siddharth P Malhotra is promising with the late cinema icon’s biopic, reportedly titled Kamal Aur Meena, which was announced in 2025. Talking to mid-day, the director revealed that the scripting of his long-awaited biopic is complete, and it has been built from an archive of personal letters and diary entries left behind by the actor and her filmmaker-husband Kamal Amrohi. 

“Luckily, we have their handwritten love letters and diaries. So, our film is based on their 2000 letters and diary notes. In a way, they have told us what to write, in their own words,” said the director.

Kamal Aur Meena is said to explore the tragic relationship between Kumari and Amrohi, with a strong focus being on their movie Pakeezah (1972). Bhavani Iyer and Kausar Munir have scripted the love story. Malhotra shared, “We have finished the scripting and are working towards the casting. The project will hopefully roll by the year-end.” 

There has been a lot of buzz around the casting, with rumours repeatedly suggesting that Kiara Advani may portray the late actor. So, what’s the final word? No actor has been finalized, maintained the director, adding, “Till it’s not locked, it’s not locked. It’s [how] the business is. It’s not only the actor; it’s the overall cost of the thing [that is a determinant].”

Meena Kumari’s life story will finally find its place on the silver screen. It may be recalled that earlier, couturier-turned-producer Manish Malhotra had planned to back and direct a biopic on the late actor, but he shelved the Kriti Sanon-starrer last year (‘I am not doing Meena Kumari’s biopic’, Nov 26). Now, director Siddharth P Malhotra has set the wheels in motion for Kamal Aur Meena, which chronicles the stormy relationship between Kumari and her filmmaker-husband Kamal Amrohi.

Rumours are rife that Sanon is a strong contender for this ambitious project as well, while some sources suggest that Kiara Advani is the first choice.

The film is in its early stages of pre-production, with lyricist-writer Kausar Munir expected to deliver the screenplay and the final dialogue draft by February-end. A source reveals, “Kamal Aur Meena is an emotionally charged story. Casting will be locked in March. It’s not just about looking the part; the lead actor needs to portray Meena’s poetry, pain, and resilience. The film will roll only by summer because it will take time to create the on-screen world and costumes required for the period drama.”

It remains to be seen who between Sanon and Advani bags the Bilal Amrohi production that will play out over two decades, with the focus on how the actor-filmmaker duo made Pakeezah (1972). When mid-day reached out to Malhotra, he said, “We have not met any actors, male or female, so far.”