Bollywood was ruled not just by actors, but by stunning actresses whose presence on the screen was captivating and their performances breathtaking. Their glamorous looks and their selection of scripts often became the talk of the town. However, there are a few Bollywood beauties who grabbed headlines for their movies, relationships and later for their tragic deaths as well.
Meena Kumari
Meena Kumari, popularly called the Tragedy Queen, ruled the silver screen for 33 years before her tragic death. Between 1939 and 1972, she starred in more than 90 movies. She tied the knot to Kamal Amrohi and later separated from him in 1964. There were media reports that Meena Kumari became addicted to alcohol and suffered from liver cirrhosis. Reportedly, during her last moments, she began vomiting blood. She was admitted to the hospital and died two days later at the age of 38.
Madhubala
Madhubala was one of the prominent names in the industry and was known as the highest-paid actresses in India during the post-independence era. The Mughal-E-Azam actress was deeply in love with Dilip Kumar and their relationship became the buzz of the town. However, in 1957, the couple parted ways. Later, she married Kishore Kumar. Her declining health, especially, her heart illness caused tensions and quarrels between the couple. Madhubala spent her final years bedridden and lost a lot of weight. Her health kept declining and after jaundice, she suffered a heart attack. She died on February 23, nine days after turning 36.
Vimi
Another famous actress, Vimi, often left her fans enthralled with her performances. She has delivered movies like Aabroo, Hamraaz and Patanga. It was her chemistry with Sunil Dutt in Hamraaz that shot her to fame. However, when her career took a hit, it affected her badly.
In an obituary released after her death, details revealed that she was physically abused by her husband. She reportedly took refuge in alcohol after their separation. On August 22, 1977, she died due to liver disease. Her body was taken to the crematorium in a hand cart.
Parveen Babi
Parveen Babi is a popular name in Bollywood. Apart from her exceptional acting chops, she was often in the spotlight for her relationships. The glamorous diva has reportedly dated actors like Kabir Bedi, Mahesh Bhatt and Danny Denzongpa. The actress was known for her fashion statements and impeccable dressing sense.
However, later, she was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and diabetes. She also suffered from osteoarthritis of the knee. On January 20, 2005, she died of multiple organ failure. However, she was found dead on January 22, 2005, after groceries and newspapers were not collected from the doorstep, the society’s secretary alerted the police.