While her smile made millions of hearts go dhak-dhak, she continues to entertain audiences even at 50. Actress Madhuri Dixit-Nene known for her acting and dancing skills took a break from Hindi films but will soon be seen making her debut in Marathi cinema with Bucket List.
“I have been asked if I wasn’t getting any offers. How can it be that I don’t get offers? But you know, there are times in life when you have to pause a little bit. My kids are growing so I have to be with them. And I pick and choose what I want to do. It should be worth my time,” says the actress, adding, “If I agree to do a film, I am all game for it, but I make sure I do things differently and don’t look repetitive.”
Though last seen playing a fierce leader in Gulaab Gang, Madhuri is not looking at making a statement with every film she takes up. “The first film I am doing is a very light-hearted comedy. I love comedies; I love to make people laugh. When I got the offer for Total Dhamaal I was blown away by the script. It’s a family entertainer and that is what I am looking at,” smiles Madhuri.
When asked what took her so long for a Marathi debut, she quips, “I did receive a few scripts, but I didn’t find them as attractive as Bucket List. Because this is the kind of film I would like to do for my Marathi debut.”
The Tezaab actress, who is also producing a Marathi film, clarifies that she chose Bucket List because she loved the script. “I didn’t do Bucket List to understand the business. I did it because I love performing and I loved the script. Having said that, yes, I am producing a Marathi film and now I am learning the business of it. I am trying to wrap my head around it right now, because Marathi films have a different market. I just learned that there are few territories that fall in Maharashtra. I am a producer now, so I will get to learn the ropes,” says Madhuri.
And she is quick to add that in the Marathi cinema, content is the king. “If you see, there are no faces per se. There are Marathi stars but it’s not like the stars we have in Bollywood. So, you notice that content is always the star and that’s how it should be. The content has to be strong.”
Madhuri who is quite frequent on Instagram, feels that with social media there is so much to do all the time. “I am learning everything. Sometimes I can be least bothered and the team has to push me. Now I do Snapchats once in a while. Something on Instagram I enjoy posting, the Insta stories. It says something about you without writing anything. I like doing all that,” she laughs.
With many actors trying their hand at web series, the actress who has her plate full at the moment, says there is no time to venture into web series.
Talking about her kids’, Arin (15) and Raayan (13) Nene, inclination towards acting, Madhuri says, “My younger son is more like a scientist and the older one loves history. I really don’t know and don’t want to force them into anything. I don’t want to put things in their head. Rather, I want them to come and tell me what they want to do. If one of them comes and says that he wants to be in films, then I am okay with it.”
And with two debuts (Marathi film and production) in the pipeline, Madhuri feels that in order to stay relevant with today’s audience one has to move with the times.
“You have to challenge yourself and explore. You have to do something different all the time only then you will stay relevant,” she concludes.
