ISLAMABAD: Meera Jee, the renowned Pakistani actress, is all set to step into the shoes of the legendary Bollywood actress Meena Kumari in the upcoming Pakistani remake of the classic Bollywood movie ‘Pakeezah’.
Meera confirmed the news in a recent interview with a news portal, stating that she has been working on the film project for the past 13 years, and shooting is expected to start in March 2023.
The Pakistani remake of ‘Pakeezah’ will be produced by the US-based production house Red Lipstick. However, the complete cast of the film is still under process, according to Meera.
Meera confirms playing iconic character of Nargis
Earlier, there were rumours that Mahira Khan would be playing the lead role in the film. However, Meera has now confirmed that she will be playing the iconic character of Nargis, originally played by Meena Kumari.
‘Pakeezah’ is considered one of the most magnificent works of Meena Kumari, who portrayed the character of a courtesan named Sahibjaan in the movie. The film was directed by Kamal Amrohi, who began working on it in 1956 but had to put it on hold due to personal issues with Meena Kumari.
The movie was finally completed in 1969, when Meena was severely ill and reportedly died almost a month after its release in 1972.
According to Meghnad Desai’s book Pakeezah, Meena Kumari charged just a token amount of Rs 1 for her role in the film. The movie’s music, composed by Ghulam Mohammed, is still considered a masterpiece in the Indian film industry.
With Meera Jee now confirmed to be playing the lead role, the actor’s fans are eagerly waiting for the remake of ‘Pakeezah’ to hit the screens and see how the Pakistani actress will take on the iconic character of Sahibjaan.
