The actor says that she doesn’t want to put anybody’s life at risk and is willing to wait until things go back to normal, to start work
Sonil Dedhia (HINDUSTAN TIMES; May 25, 2020)

I have been binge watching television which I have never done earlier,” says Madhuri Dixit Nene, who has been occupied with many things during the Coronavirus lockdown. “I am doing my riyaaz which usually, I don’t have the time for. I managed to finish a book (Trevor Noah’s Born A Crime) after a long time. I have been cooking and even practising with my online dance class where I was encouraging my fans to learn new steps and send me their videos, and in the process, keep their mind occupied. I have been really busy. The idea is to remain positive during this tough phase that we all are going through,” she shares.

Apart from sticking to her fitness regime and her dance sessions, the actor is happy to be with her family and misses being on the sets, “I like the fact that we are spending more time together. I recently celebrated my birthday and it was nice to have my mother, husband and my kids by my side for the entire day. I have been talking to my sons, getting to know what is going on with them. I feel this togetherness is really good. At the same time, I miss my craft and the characters that I play. But I don’t want to be working by putting anyone’s life at risk, so I wouldn’t mind waiting to star work until things get better,” she says.

The actor has added one more feather to her cap as she makes her debut as a professional singer with her recently released song, “Singing is an extension of who I am. I thought this is another avenue for me to emote. I would sing in English during my school days. However, I was never able to pursue it as I got busy with my acting career and later, with my family,” says the actor who trained with Ron Anderson, a voice coach who has worked with people like Mariah Carey, Ariana Grande, Whitney Huston, among others.

Speaking about the song, Dixit adds, “I wanted the song to be about how human spirit can rise above all hardships and struggle and burn like fire. It resonated with everyone’s life as we all go through situations where we feel hopeless and that’s when you reach and ignite your soul and be like the flame that burns bright. Today, more than ever, when we are going through an unprecedented time where people are facing so many hardships and uncertainty, I thought this would be a great time to release the song as it would bring some positivity into the world.”

Madhuri Dixit, has recorded a song in English, an ode to Coronavirus warriors
Ankita Chaurasia (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 25, 2020)

Madhuri Dixit’s decision to cut her first single may have come as a surprise to husband Sriram Nene, sons Arin and Ryan and her fans, but her mother Snehlata and sisters, Rupa and Bharati, who had seen her sing on stage all through school, didn’t bat an eyelid when she confided in them. “Mom is a trained Hindustani classical singer and has been a huge influence. And because I was always into dance, music was a constant in my life, too,” she points out, admitting that life came in the way of her pursuing singing earlier. “I entered the industry when I was just 16. By the time I turned 19, I had no time for anything but work. When I was finally free, I got married and the kids followed.”

It’s not just the singing, many are shocked that she’s singing in English. But as she reasons, anyone who has lived in Mumbai is comfortable speaking in not just English, but Hindi and Marathi, too. “I grew up speaking Marathi at home, Hindi with friends and English in school,” she relays.

The brainwave to sing professionally came to the actress a few years ago, when A&R’s Sat Bisla commended her voice and encouraged her to sing. “I took his advice and trained with voice coach Ron Anderson, who has helped singers like Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey and Ariana Grande,” she reveals. Interestingly, the song “Candle”, which is about burning bright in the face of a storm, written by Narinder Singh and Michael Ochs, was recorded in Los Angeles long before the pandemic had brought the world to a standstill. “It’s very relevant now with all of us fighting the virus by staying strong. But even back then, I could relate to it, because as an actress I have faced seemingly insurmountable situations like everyone else. You can’t get bogged down by them; you have to shine bright,” she asserts.

During the lockdown, Madhuri has been cooking, spending time with their dog, Carmelo, practicing and teaching dance as a part of her initiative. “It’s a great time to be together as a family, which was difficult when everyone went to work and school,” avers the actress, who rang in her 53rd birthday on May 15. “We baked a keto cake and indulged in tomfoolery. My sons are both teenagers now and not into gifts.” But with collages, sketches and montages, her fans made up for the lack of presents, prompting Madhuri to come up with the single as a token of gratitude and hope in these difficult times.

The video for the single, dedicated to Coronavirus warriors, was shot in Madhuri’s home. “Luckily, we had gifted Ram (husband) a professional camera on his birthday in February. A lot of online videos later, he got the setting right and shot the video. I had lights for my photoshoots at home and a textured glass pane provided the perfect backdrop. Of course, I did my own makeup,” she concludes with a laugh.

Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 15, 2018)

After tying the knot, you lived in Denver for 10 years before moving base to Mumbai in 2011. Do you miss your life there?
Mumbai is like my mayka while the US was my sasural. While in Denver, my focus was the family. My kids were the centre of my universe there, and will always be. I enjoyed my time in the US because raising a family was always a dream and while there I could live my life without interference or speculation. Now, I’m back in India and going with the flow. I have to add here that I love Mumbai. It’s my home, I’ve grown up here.

You’ve joined hands with Priyanka Chopra for a sitcom inspired by your life in the US for a leading international network. What’s the update on that?
TV is a funny medium, it takes time for things to happen. The script is being developed, the rest is work in progress. Let’s see where it goes.

Next year, on October 17, you and Dr Sriram Nene celebrate your 20th anniversary. How has the journey been?
(Laughs) It seems short, the years have gone like a breeze. There’s great love and respect, and we try to enjoy every moment of our life. As long as you understand each other, the journey is easy.

You made your Bollywood debut with Abodh in 1984. What made you choose to do a Marathi film after 30 years in the industry?
Language is not a barrier as long as the content is strong. When I was offered Bucket List, I loved the subject and I’ve really wanted to do a Marathi film for a while now. It’s a story of an aam woman, in fact, it could well be a man too, who’s always trying to be perfect. In the process she forgets to nurture her own self. So, she gets this bucket list and while trying to complete it, finds herself and her voice, in turn affecting those around her and their perspective towards her. It’s a very beautiful film, simply stated.

How would you reflect on your own journey today as a wife, mother and homemaker?
I’m also a daughter and a daughter-in-law, and all these different roles are basically about pleasing people and in the process you often forget to think about yourself. I really identified with the character, I am sure every woman will. But I have to confess that when it comes to my kids, I drop everything and will do whatever needs to be done. (Smiles) That’s what I have discovered about myself.

What are the top five things on your bucket list?
I always wanted to produce a movie, which I am doing now, it is a Marathi film called 15th August and should release in that month this year but it’s not about patriotism. It’s a family entertainer. Do you remember the surfing dude from an old commercial of a male grooming product? I also wanted to stand on that surfing board one day and see how it feels. I got the opportunity recently when we went to Kovalam and enrolled my sons in a surfing school. I was able to hold my balance for only a few seconds but that was enough to go “Yay!” My list just keeps growing because the minute I overcome a challenge I have to find another one.

Are Rayaan and Arin showing an interest in filmmaking or medicine?
I don’t know, kids today have so much exposure and options to pick from. My sons love music, they play piano and tabla. But I want them to choose their own path without pushing them in a particular direction. They should be passionate about what they are doing, only then will they excel at it.

You’re reuniting with Anil Kapoor for Total Dhamaal 18 years after Rajkumar Santoshi’s 2000 espionage drama Pukar. How has it been so far?
It’s terrific working with Anil after so long. He has the same energy and enthusiasm, and the Total Dhamaal set is a crazy one with Ajay Devgn, Arshad Warsi, Jaaved Jaaferi and Sanjay Mishra. It’s a laugh fest all the way as we reminisce about the good old days. I’m reuniting with Indra Kumar too with whom Anil and I did Beta, so there are a lot of memories that came back during the shoot.

Many yesteryear chartbusters, including your “Ek Do Teen” from Tezaab and Thanedaar’s “Tamma Tamma” were recreated for Baaghi 2 and Badrinath Ki Dulhania respectively. What do you think about these remixes?
It’s great, bringing the best of the past to the new generation. In fact, I am recreating a song myself, “Paisa Yeh Paisa” from Subhash Ji’s (Subhash Ghai) Karz for Total Dhamaal. The team has done a great job with it.

You bring in your 51st birthday today. What is the plan?
(Laughs) What do you think I’ll be doing? Promoting Bucket List, of course! I will be working on my birthday, let’s see if I can steal some time to go out for a dinner or we’ll celebrate on a day that I’m free.

Sanaya Chavda (DNA; May 15, 2017)

She has been lighting up the screen for nearly three decades now. From her expressive eyes, to her glowing skin and dazzling smile — Madhuri Dixit Nene has continued to be a beauty icon. And despite her busy work schedule, being a wife and mother-of-two, the actress has never let herself go. It’s no wonder then that Madhuri has been associated with beauty brand Lux for so many years. What makes her so appealing years later?

Pulls off any look
Make-up and hair expert Dorris Godambe calls Madhuri her evergreen beauty. “I have done several shoots, TV shows and films with her over the years including the Lux ads. She has this amazing ability to make people feel very comfortable around her. Since she’s blessed with great skin and hair, Madhuri requires minimal make-up and styling. Her face is perfect. Whether it’s a nude make-up look or a glam one, she carries it off with ease. In fact, Madhuri has a lot of confidence which makes her pull off any look. I personally liked her in Devdas, both in terms of her overall look and the role she played. I met with her recently and have to say I feel she is looking even better now than in her younger days. She can give any 25-year-old a run for their money,” adds Dorris.

Happy from within
States Clint Fernandes, make-up expert, who’s worked with her on a couple of advertisements as well as a magazine issue, “It is surprising how simple and genuine a person she is. For her, beauty is not just skin-deep; she’s a beautiful person inside and out. Her face is a great canvas to work with. I think she can pull off a smokey eye with ease. Personally, I would love to try out a ’60s look on her, or even something super-modern. Her skin is really good for her age and she’s kept it well. She’s one of the few stars, who’s aged gracefully. She seems to be someone who’s happy from within and that positivity shows on her face.”

Beautiful curls
Vipul Bhagat, make-up expert says, “After Madhubala, I think Madhuri Dixit is the next most beautiful actress. I especially love her curls, the way she did them in Ek Do Teen, her hair made a statement. Her skin too is glowing and well kept. Madhuri can carry off a dark lip or even statement eyes with ease. She has beautiful eyes and I’d love to play them up with a smokey effect and give her a soft coloured mouth, I’d leave her hair open in bouncy curls to give her that young, fresh look.”

Charting the rise and rise of the actress who ruled hearts for close to three decades, dazzling with her beauty on screen and off it
Subhash K Jha (DNA; May 15, 2017)

It’s hard to imagine Dixit as being 50. But then you see how beautifully she has aged, and how fabulously she has managed her life, and you know 50 is just a number that the ageless beauty has encountered in her beautiful journey of life.

Madhuri’s beginnings as an actress could never have indicated how far she would go. Her rise was not meteoric, but slow and steady. She started her career modestly in a Rajshri film Abodh in 1984.

Then came Tezaab (1988) and the hit song Ek Do Teen, that turned Madhuri into a superstar. Director N Chandra recalls, “When we were shooting the song, we knew something extraordinary was happening. Madhuri was electric on camera. Saroj Khan, who is a hard taskmaster couldn’t stop praising her. We knew Madhuri was going to be a superstar beyond any.”

Showman Subhash Ghai and the subsequent Ram Lakhan (1989) turned the tides of Madhuri’s career. The number Bada Dukh Dee Na was the first time that Lata Mangeshkar sang for Madhuri. “I felt I was finally a full-fledged heroine only after Latabai sang for me,” Madhuri had told this reporter once. The nightingale would go on to sing 16 songs for Madhuri in her most iconic film Hum Aaapke Hain Koun..!

Her journey after Tezaab and Ram Lakhan (1989) was rapid, swift and sure-footed. People like Subhash Ghai (Ram Lakhan, Khalnaayak) Boney and Anil Kapoor (Pukar), Rahul Rawail (Anjaam), Indra Kumar (Beta, Dil), Rakesh Roshan (Khel, Koyla) cast Madhuri in roles that gave her immense commercial clout and a reputation for delivering measured, graceful deep performances.

Sooraj Barjatya’s Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! is to Madhuri’s career what Mother India was to Nargis or Mughal-e-Azam is to Madhubala. It iconised the dancer-actress beyond all definitions of celluloid fame. Among those who were lifelong fans of Madhuri and the historic film was artiste and painter M F Husain who saw the film 67 times and directed a whole film Gaja Gamini dedicated to her beauty.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali confesses he’s an ardent Dixit fan. “Madhuri is magic on screen. I couldn’t think of casting anyone else as Chandramukhi in my Devdas. She was my first and only choice. Devdas couldn’t have been made without her. I wanted her for my first film Khamoshi: The Musical. But things didn’t work out at that time. As a filmmaker, it was very important for me to work with Madhuri. She is a complete actress. A skilled dancer and superlative actress,” says Sanjay Leela Bhansali.

In 1999, Madhuri married the US-based doctor Sriram Nene and migrated to Denver. Their marriage was a success because as she jokingly once mentioned, he had not seen any of her films and was not besotted by her. Madhuri decided to return to India in 2011.

At 50, her beauty and grace craves for a Bridges Of Madison County. Instead, she gets a Gulab Gang. Here’s hoping that some enterprising filmmaker would write a role that does justice to her beauty.