Meena Kumari : The recent news of Pakeezah actress Geeta Kapoor being abandoned by her family at a hospital, left everyone shocked. But this is not the first time a once Bollywood star has become a sorry state of herself in her last days. Here are some other Bollywood stars who tragically faded into oblivion:
Geeta Kapoor: Geeta Kapoor’s fate was shared by her Pakeezah co-star – the tragedy queen Meena Kumari. Meena had turned alcoholic after her divorce from Kamal Amrohi. She died all alone just a few weeks after her movie Pakeezah released in the theatres with no money to pay for her treatment.
Parveen Babi: One of the most glamorous actresses of the 1970s, Parveen suffered from mental illness in her last days. Her body was found a whole 3 days after her death in 2005. Doctors speculated that she may even have starved herself to death as there was no trace of food in her stomach.
Bhagwan Dada: The Albela star who was widely popular for his dance moves, was forced to sell his fleet of 7 cars and 25 bedroom Juhu bungalow after a string of flops. He died as a poor man in a dingy chawl in 2002, virtually forgotten by all.
AK Hangal: The much loved Rahim Chacha of Sholay lived upto the age of 97, but he too passed away in a hospital without money for his treatment in 2012.
Achala Sachdev: The pleasant face from ‘O Meri Zohrajabi’ was left in a hospital without any attendants. Even her own son and daughter refused to visit her during her last days.
Bharat Bhushan: The star of the golden jubilee hit Baiju Bawra, Bharat Bhushan fell out of demand with the coming of color films. Financial crisis forced him to sell his cars as well as a collection of rare books towards the end of his life.
Nalini Jaywant: One of the biggest stars of 1940s, Nalini Jaywant had been dead three days before anyone knew about it. She was the aunt of Tanuja and Nutan.
Geetanjali Nagpal : Geetanjali was one of the top models in the 90s, but was found begging on streets of Delhi. She was later admitted to a psychiatric ward of a hospital.
So, this list of celebrities shows that Bollywood stars, who more often than not got their happy endings in their movies, were all not as fortunate in real life.
Raj Kiran: The actor known for making the song ‘tum itna jo muskura rahe ho’ was left in a state of depression after his family abandoned him. Though Rishi Kapoor had told the media that he was in a mental asylum in US, Kiran’s family has insisted that he is still missing.