Baiju Bawra was the turning point in the career of Meena Kumari. In late 1940s she was just one of the better film actresses. In 1951 , her saviour in Leatherface, again came to her rescue and Vijay Bhatt who had offered her a role in Leatherface in 1939, offered her the  role of Gauri in Baiju Bawra. The film became a superhit and won her the first ever filmfare awards in 1952 and she was a superstar. The enchanting Gauri of Baiju Bawra won the heart of millions in the years to come of Indian cinema goers and Meena Kumari was a millionaire.

Meena Kumari survived an accident on the sets of Baiju Bawra when she was almost carried away by waves in the song "tu Gagna ki Mauj" and responded to the calls very late just to discover that she was almost onthe edge of a fall and her boat about to go down.