Meena Kumari: Remember Chiranjeevi's On-Screen Sister? Here's What She's Doing Now

Remember actress Meena Kumari? She was a big star in TV serials and also played sister to superstars like Chiranjeevi and Venkatesh in hit films. After such a busy career, ever wonder what she's up to these days? Here's a look into her life, family

Meena Kumari's journey from the big screen to television

Meena Kumari is one actress who really impressed everyone with her natural acting, both in movies and on TV. She could get into the skin of any character. Many people think she is a Tamil actress, but she is a proper Telugu girl from Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh. Her family had to move to Madras (now Chennai) because the film industry was based there back in the day. She has worked on amazing projects in Tamil, Malayalam, and Telugu.

As sister to Chiranjeevi and Venkatesh

Two films, 'Hitler' and 'Jayam Manadera', left a huge mark on Meena Kumari's career. In 'Hitler', starring Megastar Chiranjeevi, she played one of his five sisters and gave a fantastic performance. She recalls working with the film's team for about 50 to 55 days. She mentioned that Chiranjeevi was very affectionate towards his on-screen sisters and very protective during public events. In the blockbuster 'Jayam Manadera', she played Victory Venkatesh's sister, and her performance won everyone's hearts. She was a great actress who chose performance over glamour, even taking on older roles with white hair at a young age. She was a master of emotional scenes.

Meena Kumari as the queen of the small screen

Meena Kumari's impact on television was massive. She dedicated almost half of her long acting career to serials, mostly with the famous AVM Productions. She acted as the heroine and in key roles in about 5-6 mega serials for AVM. She also worked with the legendary director K. Balachander's 'Kavithalaya Productions'. In Telugu, she was brilliant in the dubbed serial 'Idhi Katha Kadu' as Radhika's daughter. Later, in the ETV serial 'Anubhandham', she first played a loving sister to Achyuth and then turned into a villain, impressing everyone. She even won the prestigious Nandi Award for her role in this serial and later a Best Mother award for another role.

Meena Kumari's family and personal life

In a recent interview, Meena Kumari shared details about her family for the first time. Her husband, Krishna Mohan, is a businessman. She said he is a calm and adjusting person, and his support was the main reason for her success. The couple also owns mango orchards near Tirupati. They have one son, Manoj Kumar, who is a doctor specialising in Anesthesia & Critical Care. She explained that her son saw her struggles and busy shooting schedules as a child and chose to become a doctor through his own hard work. Interestingly, his wife is also a doctor, a Psychiatrist.