Madhuri Dixit - When name weaves magic

Madhuri Dixit-Nene (*15.5.1967)

Madhuri Dixit was not a star child, neither she had connections or money, when she was first offered to work in films. Barely sixteen years old girl caught the attention of Rajshri production thanks to her excellent Kathak dancing and fresh, expressive face. Her debut movie Abodh was far from being successful. However the skinny child with absolutely no previous film experience (she didn´t even know what camera looks like and she had a shock of her life when she once leaned on the wall and actually fell through – because she did not realize she was on the set!) managed unintentionally to steal all the attention of viewer from her co-star Tapas Paul. She was more of a stage artist than a film one back then, and it showed in the way she acted, with all the mistakes of the beginners in movies. In the early days she could become so passionate during acting, that it was not uncommon for her to actually end up with her back to the camera. But she learned quickly. After the failure of her first film she was according to industrywallah destined to play the sideroles of sisters and girls from the crowd. Today she is called “Living legend”, “Last Empress” and “Dancing Diva”. Yes, there was definitely some luck in action, but mostly she got where she is today thanks to her sheer determination and willingness to work hard.

Young Madhuri in one of her first roles.

It is not that she was the only actress to have won millions of hearts. She was not the only one with an exceptional talent. However she is the first one to have been blessed with everything: incredible acting skills, amazing dance ability, breath-takingly beautiful face and charming persona. In her there is combined everything that people loved in the great actresses of the past. Madhubala´s sensuous allure, Suchitra Sen´s classical Indian look, Vyjayanthimala´s grace and Waheeda Rehman´s magic. She showed us she could be just as tragic as Meena Kumari, just as heart-breaking as Nutan, just as playful as Sridevi and just as strong as Nargis. And yet you could never say she is copying anyone. She was also the last of the old-school actresses, just as she was the first of the new-school ones.

Her range as an actress is incredible. From feisty and daring Ganga (Khalnayak) to fragile and demure Pooja (DTPH), from sweet but mischievous Nisha (HAHK) to patient and devoted Chandramukhi (Devdas), from Anjali, who goes against the law in rather selfish attempt to win her love (Pukar) to dignified Paro, who is not afraid for her life in her fight for justice (Parinda). From spoilt and indecisive Anita (Deewana Mujhse Nahin) to strong-willed Ketki (Mrityudand). There is obedient childish Radha (Ram Lakhan) and there is revolting Janki (Lajja). There is a cunning thief Seema (Khel) and there is strict police officer Shivangi (Prem Deewane). There is helpless innocent Gauri (Koyla) and there is Shivani, who takes bloody revenge into her own hands (Anjaam). And there is a movie called Prem Granth, in which vivacious and dreamy Kajri undergoes a whole scale of metamorphosis – from hurt to deathly desperate, yet still fighting for decent survival, yearning for love yet afraid she´s not worthy of it, being happy and heartbroken again. There has never been a role Madhuri wouldn´t grasp with enthusiasm and devotion. Unfortunately none of the film-makers she has worked with in the past, the sole exception being Sanjay Leela Bhansali, were able to use and show her talent. As Mahesh Bhatt rightly noted, they were limited, but she was inexhaustible. 

Madhuri on the sets of Dil To Pagal Hai.

Although everybody knew her face, she had the gift of living every character and convincing the audience she actually IS the character. However, this amazing acting ability tends to be greatly underrated by many, who see Madhuri purely as a dancer. The truth is that Madhuri is one performer who cannot be segregated as “actor” or “dancer”. Because she is dancing even while acting. Her every word, every gesture and look is a musical theatre, even if music is not playing. The way she reaches out her hand, the way she throws her head back when she laughs, the way she walks – all that is one continuous dance, all the more beautiful when she talks, because her voice is incredibly expressive on its own. And when she dances, she doesn´t cease to act! Her dance is not just an eye-candy. It has depth and meaning. It is not just her arms, feet and legs, not just her hips and shoulders. Her whole being, her eyes, her lips, her hair – all is dancing and living the music. The most fitting description of her while dancing has to be the famous “poetry in motion”. Madhuri has an amazing gift of turning the cheapest steps and movements into something artistic and beautiful.

Madhuri in 1995.

She is also more then just pleasing to the eye. Her beauty is legendary. There has been only one actress in the history of Bollywood, who resembled her, and that was Madhubala. Madhuri´s features are very unique and quite extraordinary, very different from the commonly popular round face, round eyes, everything round look. Not that others were not beautiful. But she looked different to them all. Almond shaped, perfectly placed, large doe eyes had always a language of their own. They could be lovingly soft or as cold as a dagger. And also only thanks to those wonderful eyes her famous smile is as magical. Because only when it reaches her eyes, it gets the brightness and warmth. Frizzy hair and trademark curls could easily make her a girl-next-door, but the perfectly chiselled lips and innate grace promised a hidden passionate sensuality, that was always electriyfing but never vulgar. As soon as she hit her 20s and fully bloomed from a girl to woman, she gained a dignified, mature look. There was a strongly felt depth to her. While others, even slightly elder actresses remained girly and with childish charm, she was feminine through and through, woman in every sense of the word. That too set her apart.

Madhuri and the co-star people loved to see her most with - the dance.

She has a dream-like quality about her. As if she didn´t fully come from this world. And at the same time she is wonderfully human, a simple person with no tantrums who never took success for granted. Who worked against all odds, who kept dignified silence after every attack and came out victorious in every single matter. Let me just end this with a quote by Yash Chopra:

"I have never seen her cribbing about anything or shirk any responsibility. I always knew that the industry will call her back and I am happy that she is making a comeback... She is the queen of Bollywood and always be so. Over the years, Madhuri has turned out to be a fantastic actress, a graceful dancer and a dedicated mother. This is one woman to get inspired from. " 

Madhuri in 2011, photoshoot for Filmfare magazine.