Dutt wanted to make a commercial film and decided to adapt "Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam" and when it came to casting, he thought only Kumari could do justice to 'Chhoti Bahu'.
"And do you know she nearly missed it? Guru Dutt sent word that he would be interested in hiring my heroine. Was she available? The answer from Rembrandt (the house she shared with husband Kamal Amrohi) was no, she had her hands full with pending commitments," writes veteran journalist Vinod Mehta in "Meena Kumari: The Classic Biography".
Guru Dutt then tried an Indian girl living and acting in London but "she was entirely unsuitable". Desperate, he completed the entire film by 1962 except for the role of Chhoti Bahu.
In a memorable passage, Mehta narrates how Kumari finally accepted the role that came to define her.
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"Negotiations with Meena Kumari were resumed and this time they were more successful. Forty-five clear and consecutive days were offered and the fee raised by 25 per cent."
The film sealed Kumari's reputation as the 'great tragedienne of Hindi cinema', an adjective, Mehta believes, she took rather seriously. But, the role did not come easily to the actress who was haunted by this doomed woman.