Meena Kumar’s dear ones reveal that she shared her poetry via long letters to her writer friends seeking their feedback and they responded with equally long letters and sometimes, a surprise visit to her locations. Those were days of trunk-calls and telegrams and outdoor locations were restricted the nearest hill stations Lonavala and Khandala and if the producer was rich then Kashmir.
Nazm
Sach
Yeh Tulsi kaisi shan’t hai
Aur Kashmeer ki Jheel’n
Ki skis tarha uthal-puthal ho jaati hain
Aur Allah
Mai’n!
In the early days, Meena Kumari lived in the picturesque Janki Kutir, comprising a row of cottages festooned with trees overlooking the sea in Juhu. She loved the sound of the sea and when she was not shooting, looked forward to impromptu poetry session with poets Kaifi Azmi and Vishwamitra Adil who lived in the neighborhood. It was Azmi and Adil who encouraged Meena Kumari to pen her thoughts and participate in mushairas.
Not all poets were as supportive and dismissed her presence at prestigious gatherings as nothing but a glamorous star. Meena Kumari was aware of the dismissal but unmindful of their cynicism because she truly enjoyed being in the company of the learned.