One look at Madhuri Dixit Nene, Indian cinema's timeless icon, and you're struck by her seemingly effortless perfection, the radiant smile, unmatched grace, and captivating screen presence. Yet, a conversation with her reveals a different perspective. The celebrated actor believes that true strength lies not in perfection, but in embracing one's flaws.

In a candid conversation with Bombay Times, Madhuri spoke about her recent film, Maa Behen, directed by Suresh Triveni, and how Hindi cinema's portrayal of mothers has evolved over the years. Excerpts...

When we think of mothers in Indian cinema, the first name that comes to mind is Nargis ji in Mother India. Then there are iconic performances by actors such as Rohini Hattangadi in Agneepath, Nirupa Roy in Deewaar, and Rakhee Gulzar in Karan Arjun and Ram Lakhan. These characters were powerful and memorable, but they were also idealized. Mothers were often placed on a pedestal. They couldn't do anything wrong. They were expected to sacrifice everything for their children. What struck me about Maa Behen was its realistic approach. My character isn't the ideal mother or wife. She's independent, chaotic, and imperfect. Despite belonging to a dysfunctional family where everyone is constantly at odds, she deeply loves her children and will do anything for them when it truly matters.

As you mentioned, there's a moment when she tells her daughters, "Main jail jaaungi toh tumko lekar jaaungi." That's not something you'd traditionally hear from a cinematic mother. Characters today feel more real and relatable. These are women you encounter in everyday life. Everyone is flawed, and flaws are wonderful. We all have rough edges, and I'm glad cinema is finally embracing that reality.

Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder. And honestly, imperfection is power. I don't believe perfection truly exists. No one can be perfect. My journey has always been about striving for excellence, about trying to give my best in everything I do. The pursuit itself is what fascinates me. The process of constantly learning, improving, and challenging yourself is far more meaningful than achieving some impossible standard of perfection.

There is certainly a sense of freedom in the OTT space because you're not bound by commercial expectations. It is more relaxing. You're not worrying about how many crores a film or series will earn. The pressure of delivering a blockbuster doesn’t hang on your head. Instead, the focus shifts to creating something meaningful and engaging, something audiences genuinely enjoy watching. The goal is to tell compelling stories and create content that feels relatable and authentic.

I want to explore characters that are different from anything I've done before. I enjoy challenges, whether it's learning a new dialect, stepping into unfamiliar territory, or portraying someone completely unlike myself. Anything that pushes me out of my comfort zone and makes me feel vulnerable, fascinates me as an actor. That's where growth happens. I have no reservations about playing any role, as long as it is well-written and offers something meaningful to explore.

What does it take to bring three National Award-winning actors together on screen? Director Suresh Triveni has the answer — a compelling script. The filmmaker recently announced Jalsa, which sees Vidya Balan, Shefali Shah and Rohini Hattangadi share screen space. While the director kicked off the project on Thursday with the secondary cast, Balan will commence shooting on Monday.

“After the feel-good Tumhari Sulu [2017], Suresh has taken on an intense subject with Jalsa. It’s a hard-hitting drama that studies the different classes of society, and how one influences the other,” says a source. In his second outing with Balan after the delightful Tumhari Sulu, Triveni has rounded up an eclectic cast by roping in Hattangadi. “The senior actor has been active in Marathi showbiz, featuring in serials and movies. She was, however, missing from the Hindi film circuit and was last seen in Bejoy Nambiar’s David [2013]. Suresh was keen to cast her in Jalsa, and was thrilled when she came on board.”

Balan will film her scenes over the next few days, post which Shah and Hattangadi will join her. The trio have some powerful scenes together, which will be filmed by the month-end. The drama, backed by Vikram Malhotra, will be shot over a start-to-finish schedule across various locations in Mumbai.

On November 30, 1982, Richard Attenborough’s Gandhi was unveiled in India, and even after 38 years, Ben Kingsley’s Oscar-winning performance in the titular role and Rohini Hattangadi’s BAFTA-feted Kasturba looms large in our memory. On her way home from a long day’s shoot, Rohini ji recalls meeting Attenborough at the Mumbai airport, and being singled out for an audition even in a crowd.

“I had to fly to the UK for a screen test. Having been given a bound script, I already knew my lines, and carried along a saree, bangles, mangalsutra, and even dried kumkum. Richard escorted me to Ben’s room once I was done with my makeup. He was still doing his, and after introducing us, our producer-director left. Back in India, I had the habit of reading my scene with my co-star before we faced the camera and was wondering if I should suggest it, when Ben himself piped up, ‘Rohini, should we read our lines first.’ His words instantly put me at ease as I realised, to my relief, that actors all over the world were the same,” she smiles, remembering how following the test with two other couples, she landed the role after losing eight kgs in a month. “I did it without taking any weight-loss pills as they affected my voice and put me to sleep which I couldn’t afford since I was doing plays at the time.”

Training with a couple on how to spin the charkha, further cemented the camaraderie of the lead pair. Rohini ji recalls how, during those 15-20 days, when the four of them were spinning together for an hour or two, they’d discuss a lot of things, exchanging notes on what she’d read about the Mahatma and his wife in a Hindi or Marathi book, her co-actor pooling in with information from his homework in English.

“Soon I was so comfortable with Ben that I’d start talking to him in Hindi on the sets before stopping short and apologizing,” she recounts, adding that what made it easier was that being an actor himself, Attenborough gave them a lot of creative freedom instead of rattling off instructions.

Interestingly, though they share a birthday, April 11, there was little physical resemblance between Kasturba and Rohini ji who is taller, with a more oval face. “The only similarity was our broad foreheads, but I didn’t use prosthetics to look like Kasturba. I simply imbibed the strength and spirit of her character,” she points out, impressed with the way this simple Indian lady, on her husband’s insistence, learnt to dress up, use the knife and fork and dine at the table during their early days in South Africa, then, gave away everything on their return to India, easily slipping into an austere life, taking part in nonviolent protest marches and even going to jail. “I came to respect Kasturba because she never lagged behind, and always walked with Gandhi ji. Thanks to her, I’ve learnt to give people second, even third chances.”

The film received 11 nods at the 55th Academy Awards, winning eight, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor. Rohini ji wasn’t nominated and didn’t attend the ceremony, but she was delighted Bhanu Athaiya became the first Indian to bring the Oscar home for Best Costume Designer. She points out that there’s a very thin line separating decades so the costumes had to look really authentic and that made Bhanu ji’s job more challenging.

Rohini ji was the first Indian to win a BAFTA in the Best Actress in a Supporting Role category. She went to the ceremony draped in a saree, with a two-three line speech she’d prepared at Attenborough’s behest. “The other awards at the time announced the winners in advance, but BAFTA only named nominees, keeping the suspense alive till the end. I remember handheld cameras thrust in our faces as names were announced. I can’t recall what I said, but I concluded my short speech saying I was proud to be an Indian,” she shares, adding that the film put our country on the world map, dispelling misconceptions that it is a land of snake charmers and prowling tigers.

She bumped into Kingsley when he was down in India but she didn’t meet Attenborough after Gandhi’s release, couldn’t even make it to the 25-year reunion. “But every year, without fail, I’d get a Christmas and New Year card from Richard till he passed away,” she concludes.

Theatre actor Aseem Hattangadi was only six years old when he was initiated into his parents', Rohini and Jaydev's acting professions. “We had to tell him. He came crying home one day, because kids in the building were teasing him that his mother is a 'bhoot',“ laughs Rohini, as she throws a glance at her 31-year-old son seated next to her, at their Bandra apartment.
The 63-year-old veteran, much-feted for her path breaking role in Saaransh (1984), is referring to the funny scene in the 1989-film Chaalbaaz, where her step-daughter in the movie, Sridevi, applies garish makeup on her face. “My husband and I sat him down and explained, 'we essay roles and we are not the characters we play'," she shares. “To make things clears, we even got the VHS of Chaalbaaz and invited all the kids from the colony to watch it with us. When the scene came on, Aseem got up and yelped, 'meri mummy bhoot nahi hai, woh uska role hai!'"

It was an early lesson, but much of theatre and acting was ingrained in the actor, known for his performances in plays like Mamtaz Bhai Patang Wale and The Bureaucrat, “subconsciously". “I was in class VII when I watched Vijay Tendulkar's Ghashiram Kotwal, and class VIII when I saw Ratan Thiyam's Chakravyuha, which blew my mind. I didn't understand the aesthetics, but they were doing martial arts and there was sparks on stage," he says. “Today, I can put that in context, but back then I couldn't conceptualize, I was just picking up. It went into my subconscious bearing."

Rohini, whose father (Anant Oak) was a theatre director in Pune, can certainly relate. “Yet, when we would advise him to work in Awishkar's children's plays, he hardly ever showed any interest," says the actress, who ran a theatre production, Kalashray, along with her husband.

Aseem's break was more of a chanced one, we learn. “I was in college when theatre formally happened. There was this one director who came up to me and said in Marathi, 'Tu natak karto ka? Stagewar ubha rahasheel?' It's literal translation is to stand. I thought they'll make me a sentry, but I ended up acting in the play and enjoyed it," says Aseem. “But I actually took up the play because I wanted to bunk classes."

The experience encouraged Aseem to take up acting more seriously. “When he told us that he would like to be part of theatre, my a husband told him 'if you want to a do theatre, then first work backstage'," shares Rohini. “So he worked backstage on plays like Aprajita, Wada Chirebandi and several other productions."

Following in his parents' footsteps, Aseem aspired to pursue a course in theatre at Delhi's National School of Drama, but was rejected. “I was fresh out of college and had little experience in acting," reasons Aseem. “It came as small blow, but I guess people on he selection panel had their reasons."

Rohini, on the other hand, took he rejection less lightly. “Honestly, he was very upset for two days," she says. “I was made to understand that children of alumni are given reference. But his application was ejected. And we didn't want to speak to the NSD director, because if he was not getting in on the basis of his merit, then there was no point in pushing."

Aseem took up a course at Pune's Film and Television nstitute of India. It was only after he completed his formal training in 2006, that he acted in Badal Sircar's Evam Indrajit, directed by his father. The play was well-received, and they hoped to stage everal productions together. But he following year, Jaydev was diagnosed with cancer. Rohini on her husband's suggestion continued to work on daily television soaps, Betiyaan and Char Divas Sasuche. “Commitment was commitment. Besides, somebody had to work. There were hospital bills to pay," says Aseem, candidly. “In a sense, it was good that I didn't get much work then because somebody had to be there. I call it a divine ploy. Though it was a crisis, it was managed well."

Before he succumbed to the terminal illness, Jaydev hoped to stage Ramdas Bhatkal's Jagadamba, based on the life of Kasturba Gandhi, a role that got Rohini a BAFTA for her portrayal in Richard Attenborough's Gandhi.

The play was put in the backburner. “It was Kakade kaka who wanted to stage the play on Jaydev's first death anniversary,“ says Rohini. “But I couldn't go beyond the first three pages of the play that Jaydev discussed with me. So, I involved Aseem."

Aseem suggested that the play should explore the relationship Kasturba shared with her sons Harilal and Manilal. And the two collaborated on the play. At the rehearsals, she was Rohiniji ma'am. “It's something I have picked up from my parents because I saw them following a certain theatre decorum while working where they were not each other's husband and wife, but co-actors,“ says Aseem. “Public display of family affairs is annoying anywhere, why just restrict it to the stage?"