Madhuri Dixit, the dhak-dhak girl who made the Bollywood rat race irrelevant by occupying the top slot for almost a decade in the ’80s and ’90s, is coming back after spending 15 years away from the hustle-bustle of Mumbai in the quiet anonymity of Denver, Colorado.
Talking exclusively to Mumbai Mirror over the phone from Denver on Saturday, Madhuri said her husband has a few options in Mumbai that he wants to explore. "I think this was going to happen one day anyway...it's pre-ordained. We are all very excited, the kids especially," she said.
Madhuri quit Bollywood when she was at the top of her game, a shockingly unconventional move in an industry where stars hang around much after their time is up. One of her biggest hits, Dil To Pagal Hai released in 1997. The same year, her performance in Mrityudand won her critical acclaim. Yet, just a year-and-a-half later, she gave it all up for a quiet married life as Madhuri-Dixit Nene.
Madhuri said she has begun looking for a school for Arin, a grade III student and Ryan, who is in grade 1. Dr Nene is also in touch with his friends in the medical field and some top-notch hospitals in the city. “Everything is changing rapidly in India. It's a land of opportunities. There is so much to do there. So we thought this is the right time.”
Madhuri quit Bollywood when she was at the top of her game, a shockingly unconventional move in an industry where stars hang around much after their time is up. One of her biggest hits, Dil To Pagal Hai released in 1997. The same year, her performance in Mrityudand won her critical acclaim. Yet, just a year-and-a-half later, she gave it all up for a quiet married life as Madhuri-Dixit Nene.
Madhuri said she has begun looking for a school for Arin, a grade III student and Ryan, who is in grade 1. Dr Nene is also in touch with his friends in the medical field and some top-notch hospitals in the city. “Everything is changing rapidly in India. It's a land of opportunities. There is so much to do there. So we thought this is the right time.”
It is, for her too. Bollywood has changed for better in the years Madhuri was away. For one, the industry is far more professional than it was in the 80s and 90s. Banks, and not gangland's slush funds, finance movies now. Though a handful of stars still are the focus, bound scripts are garnering greater respect.
But then, she never quite left. Madhuri was maverick painter late M F Husain's muse in Gaja Gamini (2000) and Shah Rukh Khan's Chandramukhi in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Devdas (2002). In between, she did Pukar with Anil Kapoor, one of her favourite co-stars. Her last film, Aaja Nach Le, an ode to Madhuri's dancing prowess, didn't do too well at the box office.
Asked what drove the decision to return to Mumbai, Madhuri said there were many factors involved, including the fact that she and her husband would like Arin and Ryan to grow up in India. “It would be a great experience culturally for them. This is where their roots are. They are at an age where they can adapt quickly. They'll be giving up their friends here, but they are looking forward to making friends there. I want them to learn Hindi and Marathi. I think it will be an exciting time for them too.”
The actress said she is now working on plans to turn her Juhu pad kids-friendly before the family moves in. “I don't intend to buy a new house, but the Juhu apartment will undergo some changes.”
Madhuri, who won five Filmfare awards and was honoured with a Padmashri in 2008, is returning home in exciting times -- Bollywood has delivered some monstrous hits recently; television is now as big as filmdom, if not bigger; item songs, something that should come naturally to her, are as coveted as big films; and small-budget flicks are finding audiences in big numbers. There is a new sense of buoyancy -- almost like the industry is humming one of her popular numbers -- humko aaj kal hein intezaar...
Source: Mumbai Mirror
But then, she never quite left. Madhuri was maverick painter late M F Husain's muse in Gaja Gamini (2000) and Shah Rukh Khan's Chandramukhi in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Devdas (2002). In between, she did Pukar with Anil Kapoor, one of her favourite co-stars. Her last film, Aaja Nach Le, an ode to Madhuri's dancing prowess, didn't do too well at the box office.
Asked what drove the decision to return to Mumbai, Madhuri said there were many factors involved, including the fact that she and her husband would like Arin and Ryan to grow up in India. “It would be a great experience culturally for them. This is where their roots are. They are at an age where they can adapt quickly. They'll be giving up their friends here, but they are looking forward to making friends there. I want them to learn Hindi and Marathi. I think it will be an exciting time for them too.”
The actress said she is now working on plans to turn her Juhu pad kids-friendly before the family moves in. “I don't intend to buy a new house, but the Juhu apartment will undergo some changes.”
Madhuri, who won five Filmfare awards and was honoured with a Padmashri in 2008, is returning home in exciting times -- Bollywood has delivered some monstrous hits recently; television is now as big as filmdom, if not bigger; item songs, something that should come naturally to her, are as coveted as big films; and small-budget flicks are finding audiences in big numbers. There is a new sense of buoyancy -- almost like the industry is humming one of her popular numbers -- humko aaj kal hein intezaar...
Source: Mumbai Mirror
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