When director Kamal Amrohi set out to make a film dedicated to his wife, the actress Meena Kumari, he had no way of knowing that the project would take him across two decades, multiple pauses in production, and the breakup of the marriage that inspired him in the first place. It’s a real-life drama that almost rivals the tale of Salim (Ashok Kumar), a chivalrous forest ranger, and Sahibjaan (Kumari), the tawaif brothel worker whose beauty captivates him. Shot in rich Eastmancolor on gloriously sumptuous sets, Pakeezah wraps its tortured romance in an eye-popping fabric of warmth and visual texture.

In Hindi with English subtitles

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This screening is held in the Historic Duncan Auditorium. This space utilizes open seating for this event, seat selection is not required.