Past. Present. And A Photoshoot.

Comment image 51


This month’s Harper’s Bazaar includes a spread with Dia Mirza recreating some of tragedy queen Meena Kumari’s moments from Pakeezah. We don’t have full rights to the pics, but you can catch the whole spread and outfit breakdown Here.

What’s your verdict on the shoot? Love it?

Left: Meena Kumari in Pakeezah
Right: Dia Mirza in Harper’s Bazaar India in Pratima Gaurav Dupatta


Left: Meena Kumari in Pakeezah
Right: Dia in Harper’s Bazaar India in Kotwara by Meera & Muzaffar Ali Anarkali and Anand Kabra Dupatta

Photo Credit: WonderWoman

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51 Comments

  1. To me at least Meena Kumari is untouchable – particularly from Pakeezah. Not sure why anyone would even try. And this coming from someone who isn’t a huge Meena Kumari fan.

    Reply
    • In meena kumari’s photos, i see the lady. in dia’s photos i see the clothes and accessories.

      But still i kinda like the idea of the photo shoot and the photos are nice and the clothes are awesome. the colours…love indian wear !

      Reply
      • i agree with u kasthuri… but every1 has a diff. view point..see m going wid u said, but u dint understand their concept,they jus making the movie again of d older1, through that they want to show new designs, silhouettes n style lines… to maintain/save their Indian culture n Indian wear, if u see their videos u’ll get know dat they also tried to show n focused on garments only… n of course movie having d same story line(li’l diff.) with d new ideas.. n u cannot judge any1 without seeing her/him…
        m not a critic.. m jus sharing my view.
        :)

        Reply
  2. FAB! Dia does total justice with her amazing grace & charm. LOVE. Even though Dia is not as *healthy* as Meena Kumari, she brings out that old school elegance to the shoot.

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  3. As pretty as Dia is looking..her pic is missing movement and is too posey..and i so wish she wud have added a nose ring and some ‘ghungroos’..

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    • Yes! regal is the word. Dia’s face just doesn’t have the grace and divaness to it. Sushmita sen popped in my mind. I soooooooo wish they had done this shoot with sush. It would have been super awesome!

      though i like the pic where dia’s a bride. Love the clothes too!

      Reply
  4. I love ALL of these pictures (incl. pictures on the other site). Even though I think Dia looks great, I think it’s the photography, styling, jewelry, clothes and makeup that create these gorgeous pictures. I honestly think even if they had used another actress/model, they would’ve came out good.

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  5. LOVE it! So good to see a spread with traditional clothes and Dia looks lovely in the photos. I want each and every piece but I’m sure they cost an arm and a leg! Love the jewellery as well!

    Reply
      • The more i think about it the more I agree with you. vidya Balan has the wholesome Indian beauty going for her which the likes of Katrina, Dia and even Ash don’t. I know I might get a lot of flak for this but if PC stopped trying so hard at being hot and sexy she could carry such looks better than a lot of the bollywood brigade as well.

        Reply
    • I think the new girl, Sonakshi would have looked good. She has a beautiful Indian face. Dia is very pretty and graceful, but she does not have presence required to shine through these heavy clothes and jewellary. Clothes are wearing her down in these pictures.

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        • I agree I think Dia’s look is too anglicized and she’s too “innocent” to play the Tragedy Queen. I just don’t get why they don’t let real models do these kinds of amazing shoots. I mean why wouldn’t a professional model be better able to capture the emotion that one would need for this kind of shoot? Why would you choose an actress (and not a very good one at that)! There is no emotion in either of these shots.. it looks posed and honestly could have been a mannequin. Actresses need multiple frames… models are SUPPOSED to get it right in one shot. Kangana Raunat or yes Vidya would have been a better choice if they really needed to go the actress route. Nice concept, nice styling, bad casting.

          Reply
  6. The photoshoot is awesome, the shots in the link are very well done – styling, clothes, jewellery are all top class. Dia is missing the sexy, striking yet regal vibe that Meena Kumari had. But Dia has the innocent and delicate look, bringing her own persona to the shoot. Don’t think we can compare the two, but the shoot is still well done.

    Reply
    • Absolutely! she is such a monotone of an actress that i feel SUPER pissed that they had to take her for Meena ‘godess’ Kumari. I mean, lifeless. dull. super posy. boring. …i can go on.. iam offended..i hate the idea…blah blah blah..i need a tea…

      Reply
    • Then you should definitely read up on her biography. She’s had one of the most fascinating and tragic lives. In a most astonishing example of life imitating art her real life was a spitting image of the role she immortalized in Saheb, Bibi aur Ghulam. Plus she wasn’t just a star but an artist in a true sense with her appreciation of classical music, poetry, literature. Her poetry makes for very sensitive and enlightening reading. I’m sorry to be gushing on and on but here’s one woman who deserves a biopic ASAP.

      Reply
  7. Nooooo!! I loved pakeezah for the grandeur and drama, but there was a charm to Meeena Kumari that is missing here. The outfits and jewellery is beautiful but it looks so pose-y and unnatural.

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  8. There is something wrong with her right foot in the second pic.. totally ruining it for me!

    As for the photo shoot Dia looks lovely, but lacks the depth of emotion one can see in Meena Kumari’s eyes

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  9. It’s still better than Vidya’s photoshoot where she attempted Audrey Hepburn. At least they are paying homage to an Indian yesteryear actress.

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  10. I dont think its fair to compare anyone with Meena Kumari in pakeezah…Dia’s done a good job but no its hard to match Meena Kumari’s standard.

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  11. Like it. The clothes and jewellery is gorgeous. of course, she doesn’t have the regal, untouched air, but noone does from today’s actors!!

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  12. woah!! this is awesome… no one except Dia would have done this so gracefully… i like it.. the clothes are too good… excellent photoshoot!

    Reply
    • i think details of clothes and accessories of the photo shoot are there in the link…

      i liked the shoot, something new about the photos and concept…and Dia looks pretty… but nowhere do i get the Meena Kumari feel in them! her face and eyes lack emotion… especially the last pic!

      Reply
  13. Lovely spread…..loved the movement in some pics, and the stillness in the others. The clothes n accessories were great, and Dia looked lovely in them.

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  14. A pretty face is not enough! Where is the personality? Where is the character? Where is Dia’s presence in these pictures? She can’t do justice to Meena Kumari in wisp of my imagination. Bad idea. Very bad idea.

    Reply
  15. Dia is looking lovely….but i wish in the red anarakali; the stylist should have given her some ghungroos/some silver big anklets on her feets. It would have completed the look.

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  16. When will producers sit up and notice her! Dying to see her in a role so regal… They let Sonali slip off the radar and now the same is happening to Diya… ahhh! Bollywood!

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  17. Pics are absolutely gorgeous, yes def not on par with Meena Kumari (but no comparison as no modern day actress or anyone for that matter can emulate Meena Kumari), but still pics are gorgeous in their own right and Dia has her own special beauty/grace.

    A refreshing change from the usual nudity we see on magazine covers these days, we need to celebrate indian culture and beauty more, like in these pics!

    BE PROUD OF OUR HERITAGE AND CULTURE!

    Reply
  18. I think the the latest photos come no way close to capturing the beauty essence and insecurity and guttural quality of the emotions portrayed by Meena Kumari.
    But its a good thought to try to revive some of this for the current generations who can learn to appreciate a timeless piece.

    Thanks for making my day ………

    Reply

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